My Tips for Boosting Your Immunity + Homemade Immunity Shot Recipes
Hi everyone, welcome back to The Dairy Free Diaries! Hope you all have been doing great! This week’s blog post is on a topic I absolutely love and that is so important, especially during a pandemic. Boosting my immunity has been something I have tried so hard to work on especially because I used to get sick a lot growing up and even in my adulthood. This especially picked up in high school and it was annoying to deal with during school.
I found myself struggling to get through class when I was sick most days. This continued up until college and I decided that enough was enough. I started to educate myself on immunity and I learned simple tips and tricks that have allowed me to go 9 months without getting sick. No cold, no sore throat, no nothing. I am here to share with you all what I have learned because preserving your immune system is so important and can improve your lifestyle.
Daily Movement and Exercise
I know there is a lot of people who stress the importance of daily exercise in order to improve your overall health and well-being. All of which is true, but daily movement can go a long way for your immunity. Staying active on a consistent basis not only strengthens your body, but also your mind. It helps to keep you sharp and ready to tackle any illnesses that might come your way. But I want to point out that it is not about working out every single day every single week, because that will put so much stress on your body that your immune system will suffer.
My take of physical fitness is to listen to your body, as goes with food, lifestyle, etc. When I say, get some type of movement every day, it can include a mix of light and hard workouts and some in between. Workout as often as your body can and as hard as your body can go. Don’t push yourself way past your limits. For some people, that might look like working out 5-6 times per week and for others that might look like working out 2-3 times per week.
Working out is one thing, but daily movement is another. I have found this easiest to tack it onto something I already do. In the morning I love listening to podcasts. So, what I decided to do was to take my dog for a walk for the length of the podcast I am listening to that morning. Now instead of laying in my bed, I am getting in some morning movement while listening to my podcast. This is how it fits into my routine, but it might look different for others. It’s all about finding what works for you and your schedule because that will ensure that you are able to stay consistent with it.
FOOD, FOOD, FOOD
Food is what powers our bodies and allows us to function on a day to day basis. And what you eat has everything to do with your immune system. Recently, I have been reading a lot about gut health and its connection to our immune system. My favorite resource I have read is Fiber Fueled by Dr. Bulsiewicz because he presents such meaningful information about gut health in such a simple way.
And from what I have read, the food we eat controls what our gut microbiome consists of. And our gut microbiomes are a huge part of our immune system. But the important thing to note is that each and every food has a different effect on our gut microbiome. Certain foods promote a healthy microbiome, while others promote an unhealthy microbiome. And once I learned this, I decided to change the way I ate and found that it has helped me to boost my immunity.
In Fiber Fueled, Dr. B promotes a plant-based diet as the best way to eat for your gut. A plant-based diet is simple and just focuses on consuming a variety of plants. Some of my staples when eating plant based are leafy green, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, blueberries, strawberries, apples, bananas, tofu, etc. There are so many more options out there, but these are the options I cling to.
I have been eating plant based for about 2 months now and have seen such a difference in so many aspects of my life, but specifically in my immune system. They always say you are what you eat, and this has never been truer. Its so important to improve the way you eat because it has influence over your immune system and if you get sick or not.
I am such a fan of a plant-based diet, but I am aware how different it is from the standard American diet. It can be a large change for majority of people that seems practically impossible. Its just about incorporating as many plants into your diet as you possibly can. Its about being open to trying new things and figuring out what you like. There are millions of different varieties of plants out there, so there will surely be a couple that each person enjoys and is able to incorporate into their way of eating consistently.
Immunity Shots
These 3 immunity shot recipes are a part of my weekly routine. I love to make a big batch of them to use throughout the week. Just blend all of the ingredients and they are ready to drink. Each recipe makes about a week’s worth of immunity shots. They can be taken at any time of day, but I find that it works best when taken in the morning before breakfast. But make sure to drink at least a glass of water before taking.
Lemon Ginger
The lemon ginger immunity shot is my go-to on a day to day basis. The ingredients are simple; ½ cup of lemon juice, 1-inch piece of ginger, ½ cup of coconut water, and a dash of cayenne pepper.
Orange Turmeric
The orange turmeric immunity shot is great for when you are feeling something sweeter and not as bitter as the other two recipes. The ingredients in this one are ½ cup of orange juice, 1 tsp turmeric, ½ cup of coconut water, and a dash of black pepper.
Honey Apple Cider Vinegar
The honey apple cider vinegar immunity shot is another sweet recipe, but shouldn’t be taken every day, more so every other day. The ingredients are 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 4 tbsp honey, ½ cup of water, 2 tbsp lemon juice.
