Ten Immune Boosting Power Foods for Winter Wellness

Christmas is just around the corner and it’s been getting chilly lately, although we have yet to see any snow hit the ground. When the weather starts to fluctuate it can sometimes wreak havoc on even the most health conscious poster girl, if she happens to be unprepared and caught in the cold without a hat and gloves. I myself was visiting New York, and was exposed to just a little too much cold during my visit, which had my lymph nodes feeling like a sore throat or cough was about to come on by the time I returned.

What do you do when you get that not-so-great-runny-nose feeling? What I do is immediately grab some natural immune boosters that will stop that sickness in its tracks and have me barely missing a beat from my usual routine. Below is a list of some go-to immune boosting foods and supplements. Depending on how gangsta you need to get you may need more than one on the list. To beat the forthcoming cold that could have stopped me in my tracks, I added Spirulina in my juice, had some kombucha, drank tea with honey and lemon, followed by chewing on some ginger throughout the day, and seriously by the next day I was brand new. Remember also, sickness and mucus based illnesses also come from too much food consumption, consumption of the wrong kinds of foods (processed), or our colons being backed up. Which is why taking a break from heavy foods and doing soups, juices, teas, and water always accelerates your process of getting back to a 100% healthy you. – XoXo Raw Girl

Ginger is one of the best cold remedies on the planet. A staple in traditional Chinese medicine, ginger has been used for over 2,500 years to treat congestion, sinus pain, and sore throat. It has strong yang energy and warms the stomach and lungs. Ginger is also great for relieving nausea or indigestion. Eat ginger fresh, juice the root along with greens, boil it and steep to make tea, or add it to foods.

Garlic has been used the world over for warding off colds and the common flu. It is powerful because of it’s anti-viral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Eat fresh garlic cloves, juice them, take odorless garlic pills, make garlic tea, or add to foods.

Papaya is a very nutrient dense fruit packed with beta carotene, vitamin A & C, iron, calcium, folate, potassium, fiber, and more. A small papaya contains around three times the daily recommended value of vitamin C, which is a nice whopping serving that can send a common cold running for the hills faster than you can say “Bless you!”

Oranges are the typical go-to Vitamin C boosters that will help you fight a cold if you already have one, or keep the sniffles at bay. Eat them fresh or juice them fresh. Remember that the typical cartons of O.J. in the store are not only pasteurized (which kills of most nutrients) but they have other preservatives added to the juice that won’t necessarily do your body good. Fresh squeezed is always the best way to go, especially if you are trying to give sickness a run for it’s money.

Spirulina is blue green algae that you can take in pill or powder form. Consuming this superfood regularly will boost your immunity enough that you will not have to worry about most illnesses. Read more about the amazing superfood Spirulina. 

Mung Bean Sprouts have pure forms of vitamin A, B, C, and E, along with K, calcium, iron, magnesium, pottassium, phosphorous, and zinc. One cup contains 1/4 the daily recommended value for vitamin C. Because of their high vitamin C content these power sprouts have been used since ancient times to ward off disease. Eat them fresh, add to soups, or salads.

Wheatgrass may be hard on the taste buds going down, but it’s worth the discomfort. About two ounces of this green stuff is equivalent to three pounds of organic vitamins and minerals. Wheatgrass is a complete protein and this antioxidant packed super shot helps to detoxify the body and remove toxins, energize, and will assist with relieving sinus issues and congestion. Contains vitamin A, C, E, and zinc to name a few, and can be taken alone as a shot or added to a juice.

Wellness Formula is a vitamin supplement that really works. I recommend it sometimes to people who get sick often or as a way to stop the onset of a cold. You can find it in most health food stores. Nowadays most vitamins are completely useless, but this formula delivers for warding off sickness, or helping you recover.

Green Juice is one of my favorite cure-alls. Got Chlorophyll? Add in a lot of ginger root and lemon, and you should start to feel groovy and sickness-free pretty quickly. Juicing nutrient packed greens and herbs like kale, chards, parsley, spinach, etc. will help bring your body back to one.

Kombucha Tea is a powerful tea created from fermenting mushrooms that can assist in healing numerous conditions. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and therefore can treat sore throats and common colds. If Kombucha is consumed regularly it has been shown to be an effective preventative medicine creating resistance to colds and flus in the majority of people. You can brew your own, buy it local, or find it at a health food store. When you find that magical brand, stick with it. The most powerful brands I have ever tried have always been locally made.