Immune System Health

Over the holiday break I got very sick. Sicker than I’ve been in years. It felt like it started off as the flu and morphed into some sort of respiratory infection. My husband skated for as long as he could but ended up catching whatever I had.

I do not like taking over the counter medication unless absolutely necessary, but at least I have the option to take some unlike my husband. Due to some medication he takes he is not allowed to take regular, over the counter cold medicine. In light of this I had to figure out a natural way to start boosting his immune system before we wound up in the hospital.

Luckily a year ago I bought a juicer. There are so many health benefits that come from drinking fresh, raw, fruit and vegetable juice. As my husband got sicker (and I got better. Sorry honey!) I hopped online to do some research on immune boosting fruits and veggies. I ended up making a juice concoction of apples, lemon, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Why? Below are the immunity boosting properties I found for each.

Everyone’s heard the adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well who knew just how true this was. Apples possess quercetin (which helps fight infection), antioxidants, and pectin which can help combat both constipation and diarrhea.

 

 

Lemons are packed with Vitamin C which everyone on the planet knows helps the body to fight colds and builds the immune system. Lemons also contain potassium with stimulate brain and nerve function and helps control blood pressure.

 

Ginger can help in reducing fever, soothing a sore throat, and promotes coughing. Why is coughing good? Well it helps your body expel mucus that may be built up in the chest. Also ginger stimulates blood circulation and helps the body kill bacteria. It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps soothes an upset stomach (which explains why ginger ale is a go to fix for an upset stomach).

Lastly, cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper contains ‘capsicum’ which is a form of Vitamin C. Cayenne also helps the body produce white blood cells that help the lymphatic system cleanse cell tissue of toxins. Along with containing antioxidants, cayenne pepper also contains beta carotene which help the immune system build up mucus membrane tissue which helps fight against virus’ and bacteria. Lastly, cayenne can raise the body’s temperature, causing you to sweat, which increases the immune systems activity level.

After the 1st day, my husband felt a bit better and after the second day there was a noticeable difference. This is by no means a miracle juice. We were also eating soup, eating oranges, and getting plenty of rest.

If for whatever reason you cannot take over the counter medicine and are looking for a natural way to boost your immune system give this combination a try. If you do not have a juicer at home, try getting it from a juice bar or somewhere where fresh juice is sold.

I hope this information was useful. Don’t forget to Like, Share, and FOLLOW beofre you go…