Natural Immunity Boost

Back to Nature

How adding more fresh ingredients helps boost your immune system and why

What a crazy time to be alive in! Every day at every minute of the day we are currently facing news about the Covid-19 pandemic. Three months into 2020 and we have countries on lockdown and daily life as we know it has changed drastically.

A few weeks ago my sister and I attended a workshop on using plants and herbs in our daily life to boost our bodies strength and immune system naturally. Some people prefer to pump up on supplements but we learned during the workshop much cheaper and effective methods. So I just wanted to share with you what we have learned during our session and how easily you can implement some changes in your life to stay fit and hopefully healthy.

Keeping your body’s PH Level Alkaline

Having a balanced pH protects our bodies from the inside out. An imbalanced pH allows unhealthy organisms to grow, damages tissues and organs, and hurts the immune system. The body’s optimal pH is 7.36, which is just barely alkaline. Because most people are too acidic, it is best to focus on alkalizing the body to maintain proper health.

An acidic environment in one's body will decrease its ability to repair damaged cells and detoxify. It also creates an environment for tumor cells, bacteria and diseases to thrive. It makes the body more susceptible to fatigue and illness.

Here is a list of powerful herbs and spices by healthline.com :

1. Cinnamon Lowers Blood Sugar Levels and Has a Powerful Anti-Diabetic Effect

Cinnamon is a popular spice, found in all sorts of recipes and baked goods.It contains a compound called cinnamaldehyde, which is responsible for cinnamon's medicinal properties . Cinnamon has potent antioxidant activity, helps fight inflammation and has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. But where cinnamon really shines is in its effects on blood sugar levels. Cinnamon can lower blood sugar by several mechanisms.

2. Sage Can Improve Brain Function and Memory

Sage gets its name from the Latin word Salvere, which means "to save."It had a strong reputation for its healing properties during the middle ages, and was even used to help prevent the plague. Current research indicates that sage may be able to improve brain function and memory, especially in people with Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's disease is accompanied by a drop in the level of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger in the brain.

3. Peppermint Relieves IBS Pain and May Reduce Nausea

Peppermint has a long history of use in folk medicine and aromatherapy.As is the case with many herbs, it is the oily component that contains the agents responsible for the health effects.Many studies have shown that peppermint oil can improve pain management in irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.

4. Turmeric Contains Curcumin, a Substance With Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow color.It contains several compounds with medicinal properties, the most important of which is curcumin .Curcumin is a remarkably powerful antioxidant, helping to fight oxidative damage and boosting the body's own antioxidant enzymes..This is important, because oxidative damage is believed to be one of the key mechanisms behind ageing and many diseases.Curcumin is also strongly anti-inflammatory, to the point where it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory medicine.

5. Holy Basil Helps Fight Infections and Boosts Immunity

Not to be confused with regular basil or thai basil, holy basil is considered a sacred herb in India. Studies show that holy basil can inhibit the growth of a range of bacteria, yeasts and molds. One small study also found that it can boost function of the immune system by increasing certain immune cells in the blood. Holy basil is also linked to reduced blood sugar levels before and after meals, as well as treating anxiety and anxiety-related depression.

6. Ginger Can Treat Nausea and Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Ginger is a popular spice used in several forms of alternative medicine. Studies have consistently shown that 1 gram or more of ginger can successfully treat nausea. This includes nausea caused by morning sickness, chemotherapy and sea sickness.

7. Rosemary Can Help Prevent Allergies and Nasal Congestion

The active ingredient in rosemary is called rosmarinic acid. This substance has been shown to suppress allergic responses and nasal congestion. In a study with 29 individuals, both 50 and 200 mg doses of Rosmarinic acid were shown to suppress allergy symptoms. The number of immune cells in nasal mucus also decreased, with reduced congestion.

I personally always feel overwhelmed if I want to start a diet or change some of my daily habits but I have learned over the years that for me the key in successfully changing my routine is to do it by little steps. For example, if I want to start a specific diet I used to cut out 1 thing per week. And the week after I would add another thing to the list so I would not feel overwhelmed in not being able to eat all my favourites immediately.

Same counts for adding more fresh herbs into my daily life. How to start? I add for examply now fresh parsley and chives into my salads. Nothing overwhelming just a simple add on. And I have gotten used to making a big pot of fresh infused herbal tea everyday which I will drink throughout the day either hot or cold.

And here is what I use in it:

Ingredients:

fresh Ginger Roots, squeezed Lemon with rind, fresh peppermint leaves, lemongrass stalks which I then mix up either with Tumeric Powder, Maca Root Powder, Moringa Powder. I keep rotating it by the days so it does not always taste the same. I put all the ingredients into one big pot and pour warm water over it. (Not boiling hot water, let it sit for 5 minutes to cool a bit down first so not to kill all enzymes).

You can use whatever herbs and spices you like. My sister created her own mixture with ginger, cinnamon, lemongrass and apple cider vinegar. The most important thing is that you add some fresh ingredients into your daily habits to boost your immune system!

Hope it helps and happy experimenting!