Welcome to Week 2 of the “Back to School Special!”
This week, we’re going to talk all about immunity. One of the first things that happens when the kids go back to school is that I see everybody popping Emergen-C and other supposed immunity boosters into their shopping carts. The truth is your immune system is the most badass germ-fighting system on the planet—all you have to do is make sure your im
mune system has the raw ingredients it needs to do its job, remember to wash your hands, and you should be good to go. Today, I’m going to tell you the best food to eat to keep your immune system (and your digestion) happy, how to make a healing broth that’s super easy and really comforting, a Traditional Chinese formula to strengthen your immune system, and which delicious berry can help you fight the flu.
1. Eat fermented foods, especially sauerkraut and kimchi. It’s really easy to make your own. Check out this recipe or purchase them from the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
2. Make an herbal immunity broth and freeze it in ice cube trays. Immune tonic herbs that are generally safe for most people include Astragalus and Codonopsis. Onions, garlic, and ginger also have immune-boosting properties—and taste amazing, too. Whenever you need vegetable stock, or just want a quick pick-me-up, add the frozen broth to your recipes or use it as the base for a quick miso soup. Here’s a recipe template:
Healing Broth
makes 4 quarts
Ingredients
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 onions, quartered (skin included)
4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1/4 cup each codonopsis root, astragalus root and burdock root
4 to 10 black peppercorns, whole
Directions: Combine all of the ingredients in a pot with 6 quarts of water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and allow the broth to simmer, partially covered for 1-4 hours. Strain.
3. Protect yourself with Jade Screen. Jade Screen is the name of a Traditional Chinese Medicine formula that boosts the Wei Qi, or the Protective Qi, that is envisioned as an energy that circulates just outside of the skin. When this energy is strong, it’s difficult or impossible for an external pathogen to actually get into your body and make you sick. Western Medicine’s term for the “Wei Qi” is the “Immune System”, so the herbs that are part of the Jade Screen Formula are immunomodulating herbs. This is a great formula to take for preventative purposes if you’re prone to colds, sinus infections, and flu. It’s also a great one to use if you have to do a lot of traveling or if you’re under a lot of stress, which can also weaken your immunity.
4. Indulge in some elderberry syrup. Besides being downright delicious, elderberry is one of the best preventive agents that we have for viral infections, including the flu. In fact, it has shown promise in laboratory trials against H1N1 and is beloved of herbalists during flu season. You can purchase elderberry syrup or make your own.
