Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – The need to enhance our immune function increases this winter as we face being indoors more and are subjected to increased exposure to Sars CoV 2, influenza, and the rhinovirus. Thus, it’s important to integrate immune-boosting foods, herbs, and nutrients into our diets.
There is significant scientific research on boosting Vitamin D and if you haven’t yet heard about the use of Adrenal and Thymus glandulars, these both support resilience and your ability to fight infection. Get some sunlight daily, (no need for sunglasses – let the light regulate your brain rhythms), and remember to finish your bath and shower with cold water to wake up your immune response.
Following that cold shower enjoy this simple soup to get an easy start on your self-care. This soup boosts your immune system to prevent illness and reduces the stress that makes us vulnerable to illness.
If you don’t yet know the joys and benefits of astragalus, visit an Asian grocery store or Chinese herbal clinic and purchase some fresh or dried astragalus root to add to a soup. Be sure to remove it before eating the soup.
IMMUNE SUPPORT SOUP
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 cups freshly made chicken (or vegetable) broth
1/4 cup astragalus root
1 carrot, diced
1 sweet potato, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 thumb fresh ginger
Handful of reishi or shiitake mushrooms
Handful of fresh chopped parsley
Directions
Add all ingredients, except the mushrooms and parsley, to the broth and gently simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and simmer for 10 more minutes. Remove the ginger and astragalus. Serve the soup in a bowl and top with raw parsley. Enjoy!
Are you looking for more immune-boosting tips during COVID? Check out my course, Nutritional and Integrative Tips During COVID-19, for much more. Stay tuned for my upcoming COVID-19 Special Report that covers COVID PTSD and recipes for immunity, among others.
Leslie Korn has lived and worked in Banderas Bay since 1973 conducting research in Traditional Medicine of Mexico. She is a Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health-educated clinician in clinical practice in Mental Health Nutrition, Integrative Medicine and the prevention of dementia and cognitive decline. She is the author of 8 books, including ‘Natural Woman: Herbal Remedies for Radiant Health at Every Age and Stage of Life.’ To learn more about her work, visit DrLeslieKorn.com. She can be reached at lekorn(at)cwis.org.
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