Autumn and Winter are the worst time for our immune system which is being constantly attacked by all kind of a viruses and bacteria’s. Especially nowadays (October 2020), when Coronavirus spreads around the world for the best. I do not have any mysterious medicine against all kind of diseases, but I know for sure, that improving your immune system will help you defeat infections and fight them back. My intention here is to give you few tips & tricks for improving your immune system on natural way which can be easily crafted/performed at home and which will not ruin your wallet at the same time.
Onion Syrup
Onion syrup has been praised for centuries as a natural remedy for colds and coughs. For years, various recipes for onion syrup have been created in home corners, which, as we know today, contain many vitamins with a strong disinfecting and soothing effect.
It supplements the deficiencies of vitamins C, A, B1, B2, PP and many micronutrients: zinc building antiviral resistance, antiatherosclerosis selenium, phosphorus and calcium being the building block of bones. I slightly modified it’s content by adding ginger decoction. Ginger root has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Interestingly, ginger in a powdered form does not have such an effect. So when using ginger on colds, it makes sense to use this fresh or ginger root.
Recipe below:
- 2 large onions
- 0.5 cups of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 0.5 lemon
- 5 cm of ginger root, peeled
Prepare a half-liter jar or other enamelware of similar volume. Chop the onion, put it in a jar and sprinkle with layers of sugar. Cover and leave in a warm place for 3 hours. In meantime, you may slice ginger root in to mug and brew it in the hot but not boiling water. After 3 hours, you can press down an onion little with a pestle to squeeze out more juice and pour the juice into another vessel. There, combine it with honey, ginger decoction and juice squeezed from half a lemon. Strain and pour into a glass jar.
Cover and refrigerate. Drink 2 tablespoons 2 times a day, after meals (morning and evening). Use it for no longer then 1x week – it has to be consumed as fresh as possible. Also do not overreact with period of using. you supposed to use it in intervals 1:1 – 1x week with syrup against 1x week without. Actually there are no contraindications, as long as you are not allergic to any of the ingredients.
Cold Shower
Cold showers have many benefits, which in general work perfectly on the body – from the outside as well as from the inside. What does a cold shower do? Let’s start with the first, most important advantage – cold stream of the water toughens resistance – which means: improves your immunity. The low water temperature activates the body’s defensive reactions, making it more resistant to viruses and bacteria. Cold water improves blood flow, can prevent varicose veins and spider veins and facilitates the process of removing toxins. I admit that I am testing this on my own and I do confirm that each single shower like this gives me a boost of an energy.
There is a guy, who inspired me to start doing this. Wim Hof, so called Dutch Iceman known for example from few world Guinness records, is also known from ability of suppression of immune system. I am starting with baby steps (we do not want to start with challenging directly the top of Kilimanjaro within two days wearing only shorts and shoes), so I am able already to take a cold shower.
A cold shower will also improve your appearance. The skin will be more elastic and firm, without enlarged pores, which will also help to reduce sweating. Baths of this type regenerate muscles and in the case of hair – strengthen them, give shine, prevent baldness and help fight dandruff problems. The baldness part didn’t really work out in my case.
- Starting therapy with cold showers should be gradual – start with a hot shower and then lower the temperature by a few degrees.
- Cold baths are not recommended for people with cardiovascular problems, hypothyroidism or insomnia.
- Pregnant women should consult their doctor before starting this type of bathing.
Golden Milk aka. Turmeric Milk
What is the golden milk? The basis of golden milk is a combination of warming (and golden) turmeric with coconut milk and / or coconut oil (depending on your preferred recipe). Turmeric is best known for its curry dishes, but is gaining ground as a potential medical food. Golden milk has its origins in Ayurveda, the healing art of ancient India. Turmeric consists of as many as 300 different compounds, and one of them is most often mentioned – curcumin, which makes up about 3-5 % of the plant’s content. But what does this mean and what does this do for us?
Improves heart health, memory and brain function. It’s key ingredients are full of antioxidants. Our milk reduces inflammation and pain in the joints, can also improve digestion and gut health. Milk it self strengthens bones – contains calcium and vitamin D. At the end, milk combined with turmeric have antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. It is pretty much
Recipe below:
Turmeric paste:
- good quality turmeric powder – approx. 3 tablespoons
- half glass of a water
Golden milk:
- 1 glass of a milk (fresh, unpasteurized cow’s milk, goat’s milk, almond milk)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric paste
- 1 teaspoon of fat (preferably clarified butter or almond oil)
and optionally:
- honey
- ginger (strong warming effect)
- cinnamon (antiseptic effect)
- cloves (analgesic and carminative effect)
- cardamom (stimulates the appetite, regulates digestion)
- black pepper (intensifies the effects of turmeric)
- chilli (anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effect)
- nutmeg (diastolic and hypnotic effect)
Turmeric is not recommended for people with stomach ulcers, hyperacidity and gallstones problems. In particularly sensitive people, it can irritate the intestinal and stomach mucosa. Golden Milk may also stimulate uterine contractions in case of pregnant women. I need to say honestly, that this is an idea from my work team mates – so guys, if you read this, cheers!
Vitamin “D”
Actually, Vitamin D is something what was brought to my attention in the comments of my posts. So thank you Jenni 😉 Let’s get straight to the point. Vitamin D, which is fat-soluble, is found in milk, eggs or fish oil. Hardly anyone realizes that vitamin D is not really a vitamin, but a prohormone, as it can be produced by the human body. This happens as a result of certain transformations of cholesterol that occur under the influence of solar radiation through the human skin.
Vitamin D plays a very important role in the body. It stimulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, thanks to which it influences the proper formation and proper density of children bones. Vitamin D can prevent high blood pressure, heart disease, allergies, anemia, and diabetes. It is very important for the body to be provided with proper amount of vitamin D – both excess and deficiency have a negative impact on health.
To take care of the proper level of vitamin D in the body, remember to:
- perform daily exposure to the sun (15-20 minutes between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.) Walking, resting in the fresh air, etc.) Of course if weather allows to perform such activity.
- proper nutrition (sources of vitamin D are sea fish (preferably boiled or baked), eggs, dairy products, liver, vegetable oils, blue and ripened cheeses);
- mental balance (research proves that vitamin D has an impact on the human psyche, protects people from depression, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia);
- doing sports and performing minimum for daily physical activities;
- vitamin D supplementation in doses and periods prescribed by a doctor.
Mulled wine
First thing which I need to say here is: I personally love the taste of Mulled Wine. It is not only improving your mood, but also brings a lot of additional values for your body. Red wine in general has a positive effect on memory (also in the case of Alzheimer’s disease). It lowers the level of bad cholesterol. It strengthens and protects the heart, since it is naturally dilating blood vessels. As result, it effectively lowers the risk of stroke. Mulled Wine also prevents colds and flu, works like an anti-inflammatory agent and has a positive effect on bone health.
I received this specific recipe from my brother in low – so I admit, that it is a great drink to serve on a meeting with your family or friends as well. The wine which I am using is dedicated for mulled wine and you can easily buy it in Biedronka. It is called “Grzaniec Galicyjski”. You can find it with non alcohol version as well.
Recipe below:
- bottle of wine (for example Grzaniec Galicyjski)
- 2 oranges or 4 tangerines
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 handful of cloves
Scald the orange peel and cut it in half. Pour the wine into a pot, add oranges and cloves to wine. Sweeten with honey. Heat it on a slow fire until the drink starts to evaporate slightly, put it off the fire and pour it into cups. Remember that wine cannot boil!
Summary
Easy right? Keep in mind, that completely wasting yourself with any kind of alcohol always makes a critical impact to your health. I think I made my point clear here. Everything is for people – but we need to know our limits. Occasional glass of mulled wine may do much good for you but overreacting with it will cause damage to your health.
I made separate article about ways to stay in good shape during pandemic, while gyms and all sport halls are closed. Just click here to read it now.
Summarizing my post in here, I gave you here few easy, cheap and quick tips to improve your immune system. I hope that it will serve you is well. Do You have any confirmed ideas or recipes to share? Any feedback about it in comments below, would be very welcome.
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