Boosting Immunity for the Winter Months

Boosting immunity for the winter months

I'm giving a few guidelines for some immune boosting foods that can be added to the diet easily. Use any of the following foods

Garlic (raw)
Turmeric (ground or raw)
Ginger (fresh)
Any bright coloured veggies such as beets, winter squash, carrots, kale.

An easy way to get most of these things into your diet in one go is to make a soup. Here is a recipe for a really yummy one.

Use organic ingredients wherever possible and also unrefined coconut oil. good brands of coconut oil include Nutiva and Earth Circle Organics - there are many others, but these two are my personal favorites.

Kabocha Squash Soup

Recipe By Chef Shobhan :Serving Size : 6

2 medium leeks -- washed thoroughly and chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger grated finely
1 medium kabocha squash -- seeded and chopped into 8 pieces
1 large beet -- peeled and chopped
1 bulb fennel -- chopped
8 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon parsley -- chopped
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper

Saute the leeks, shallots, ginger and turmeric in coconut oil for about 5 minutes.
Add the stock and bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and add the squash. Cook until tender.
Remove the squash from the pot and blend with a little of the liquid from the pot. When smooth return it to the pot and add the beet. Cook for about 10 - 15 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with chopped parsley and crush garlic in a press and mix it into the soup for extra immune boosting properties.

Description: "Winter warming soup"Start to Finish Time: "0:45" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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NOTES : Kabocha squash is a winter squash and may help to ward off infection, protect against cancer, stroke and heart disease.Beets are cleansing to the liver and can help treat kidney stones and disorders of the gall bladder. They also aid digestion and the lymphatic system. Both are immune boosting foods.

The recipes I post here are possibilities for my cookbook. So I would love to hear feedback from anyone who tries the recipes.

One thing that really compromises ones immunity is SUGAR - yes that nasty white powder.
It is said that as little as 2 teaspoons of white sugar can upset your body chemistry for up to 48 hours! Also sugar reduces the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by 40% the immune system can be depressed for at least 5 hours. Complex carbohydrates and starches do not do this. Sugar also leaches essential vitamins and minerals from the body.
I'm not saying never eat sugar - that is virtually impossible for most people. But what I do say is limit your intake and use alternatives to refined white sugar - such as rapadura or coconut palm sugar, agave nectar or even better stevia (these should all be available at your local health food store). Stevia is the best natural sweetner as it has no sugar in it at all and is an herb from South America.
Remember that alcohol is the number one refined sugar!!