12 Days of Xmas - Day 10 - Make a daily “immune boosting” salad lunch
Monday, December 29th 2008 @ 12:19 PM
Day 10
This time of year is undoubtedly the most “infectious”, and boosting your intake of some simple everyday foods will help you to stay healthy, and ensure you don’t end up celebrating New Year in bed!
For lunchtime salads - choose deep green leaves as a base (watercress, finely shredded kale and cabbage, rocket or baby spinach) some chopped raw fennel, cucumber, vitamin C-rich tomatoes and sweet peppers, immune-boosting onion, mushrooms and sliced raw courgette, and finish with adding ½ sliced avocado for extra vitamin E.
You can also add some “spice therapy” to your salad, as well as to all the meals you prepare for the coming New Year! Use a variety of fresh and dried herbs and spices in cooking such as ginger, parsley, thyme, lemon thyme, rosemary, and garlic – all great immune-boosters. Ginger and garlic are easy to use, and very helpful to the immune system, as is turmeric, cumin, basil, coriander, cardamom, and black pepper.
N.B. For taste, it’s fine to use pre-ground spices, but for real “therapy” and medicinal purposes, try to buy organic whole seeds and grind or beat them with a pestle and mortar. Fresh root ginger and garlic are very easy to use, and have some amazing therapeutic properties. Both are extremely helpful in enhancing immune function, as are turmeric, cumin, basil, coriander, cardamom, and black pepper.
Some other things to think about to keep your immune system strong…
Keep your stress levels in check! Take some time out for yourself daily - do some activity, journal your thoughts, and take moments during the day to STOP, breathe in slowly for 4 counts and out for 4 counts. And… SMILE!
Watch your sugar intake! Excess sugar depresses the immune system so follow all the food tips you’ve been given in recent days! When I say “sugar”, I mean unnecessary added or refined sugars such as white sugar, biscuits, cakes, sugared cereals, pastries, chocolates, puddings - and of course the left-over Xmas cake and mince pies!
Tomorrow I will you give some tips on how to deal with a cold, or overcoming the problem of excess mucus - stay tuned!
