Cold fighting juices and drinks for your immune system

In a world of an endemic, among all the first dose, second dose, booster dose and now second booster dose, the never-ending requirements for travel and survival, continue to make their mark. Every one grasping for whatever is dished out, uplifted rules can be reinstated overnight, whether it really works or not, the one thing that has remained a constant is the power that immunity holds.

From the time a child is conceived to the deathbed, all that ever counts for a medically stable life is strong immunity. You need to keep building it throughout your life and there are no easy ways or short cuts. 

You got to eat nutritiously to live healthily. 

How? 

By keeping your immune system constantly active, it is this system that decides 24/7/365 which cells belong to your body and which ones need to die. 

Where does this energy come from? 

It comes from the minerals and vitamins that you consume on a daily basis.

It is only when the energy levels are up and about, does the body easily fight off viruses and bacteria, and that really is the key to sustaining your health.

So why not begin each day with boosting your immunity and your body’s natural defenses with immunity enhancing nutritious food. 

The ‘A’ list of immunity boosting juices to kick-start your day —

The Vitamin C booster —

Have you ever found that your wounds do not heal fast? 

You catch a cold and cough quickly?

Vitamin C is what you should be looking for. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties, which protect your cells, reduce damage to your cells and fight infections and make symptoms less severe.

1000-2000mg of Vitamin C per day for an adult is recommended.

Get your juicer into action and get the pure juice of Orange, grapefruit or citrus any fruit and shoot it.

The Fortifying Juice —

When your body gets attacked and infected, it gets inflamed and manifests into symptoms like a cold, fever, body ache or worse. Root vegetables help buck up your immune system and decrease inflammatory symptoms.

Try the fortifying juice made up of beet, carrot, ginger and apple.

Good Old-fashioned Tomato juice —

This juice is the one juice our forefathers swear-by, no juicer required, just a spoon and a sieve, strain the juice straight into your glass and gulp down the vitamin B-9 (folate) and magnesium.

The Kale Rage —

Green juices (coriander leaves, mint leaves, baby spinach) and kale juice is really an acquired taste, when mixed with too many sweet fruit, they can loose their intended vitamin A and manganese strength, to avoid this, couple it with tomato, celery and a touch of horseradish to give it that bloody (virgin) Mary zing. It will awaken your senses.

Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Potassium Kick—

All these are found in the Kiwi-strawberry splash, a smoothie with probiotic-rich Greek yogurt will help your cells maintain an antimicrobial barrier.

Watermelon juice —

Not only is watermelon rich in vitamin C and arginine, a compound which can bolster your immune system, but it can also help relieve muscle soreness, a common symptom of the flu. The heavy water content of watermelon makes it easier to juice and digest and a natural diuretic. 

Kanji —

Kanji is an Indian probiotic drink that works wonders when it comes to immunity. It cools down the whole body while giving it the immunity kick it needs. You can make your own kanji at home using beetroots and carrots. The probiotics in kanji help boost the immune system, increases the production of naturally-occurring antibodies, wards off respiratory problems and it is vegan! Who said all probiotics have to be yogurt based?

Kadha —

Homemade Kadha is an ancient Ayurvedic concoction that is a splendid formula to boost your health and immunity. Kadha is prepared by boiling cinnamon, cloves, basil, carom seeds, black pepper, honey and turmeric in water. This drink is extremely beneficial in fighting coughs and cold and  helps fight respiratory disorders as well.

Apple Cider booster —

Hot water, a spoonful of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of turmeric, ginger and honey, this apple cider drink is loaded with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, promotes gut health, has skin benefits, a natural healing beverage and a great immunity booster. 

Honey Lemonade —

Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy… that’s right! Homemade Honey Lemonade is the easiest drink to make not to mention its magical powers when it comes to keeping sore throats and coughs at bay. This delicious drink is made by boiling three to four cups of water with grated ginger, a stick of cinnamon, a few mint leaves, honey and fresh lemon juice. 

Turmeric milk or Haldi doodh —

As the Americans say Golden milk… our good old Indian haldi doodh is really golden for your health. The original cure-all, turmeric milk has a whole host of benefits, along with building your  immunity and providing relief from a cold, cough, sore throat, congestion and is a great antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. It is definitely one of the best immunity boosting drinks out there! Health is wealth.. Stay golden with golden milk.

Ajwain tea —

Carom seeds or as we Indians call it- Ajwain is a miracle seed. Oozing with medicinal properties that provide relief from severe colds and coughs to being used as heating pads for aches and pains, ajwain is an all-rounder. Boil the ajwain in a half cup of water with a dash of black pepper, tulsi leaves and honey. This concoction is a holy grail for overcoming multiple ailments. 

The bottom line is to keep your immune system strong. After all, your immune system is like a car’s engine. If it isn’t working at its best, your car will act up. In order to keep the wheels turning, you have to service your car, oil the engine and care for your car. Similarly your body needs to be given the right nutrition and immune boosting foods to stay healthy. Juices, smoothies and yesteryear concoctions are gaining popularity for their immunity boosting abilities. A strong immune system lowers the risk of getting infections, contracting diseases and wreaking havoc on your health.

Make that juice, 

Eat the fruit, 

Add super foods like flaxseeds, chia seeds, wheat germ, 

Practice good hygiene, 

Sleep well for eight hours every night, 

Reduce stress, 

Exercise 

Sing your way to a strong immune system and healthy life.