Sick Season Essentials

vitamin c me

Is it just me or does getting sick tend to happen when we’re least prepared? At the end of the week last week I found myself walking home on Thursday evening with a heavy feeling in my throat - somewhat tender, slightly chilly all over, and the beginnings of a headache. It being the end of the week, our fridge was of course rather empty of its usual necessities that it contains at the beginning of the week. In any case, it doesn’t really take much to put together an emergency immune-boosting meal to help kickstart your body at the first sightings of an illness. I thought I’d put together a list and share my go-to’s for when I first sense a cold coming on, and everything I use during the cold to help rebuild my immune system.

Hot lemon and ginger tea with honey

My first go-to is making hot water with lemon, ginger and honey. These are three ingredients I keep in our house all the time, and are super easy to throw together. Slice your whole lemon into thin slices, leaving the skin on. Cut ginger into pieces, removing the skin. Bring a pot of water (however much you desire) to boil and toss in lemon and ginger slices. Boil for about 5-10 minutes. Pour into a mug with honey and sip throughout the day.

Bone broth

There is not enough I can say about bone broth and its everyday healing qualities - but when you’re sick its a necessity. I usually make mine from scratch which I wrote a recipe for in this post. However if you’re in a pinch, you can also buy amazing quality bone broth at your local butcher. I also love Thrive Market’s brand. If you’re buying from a grocery store make sure to check the ingredient list to make sure it’s as pure as possible, the good brands will have whole and organic ingredients that you can trust. I reheat my bone broth on the stove throughout the day and sip it from a mug, adding fresh herbs such as parsley on top to garnish.

Green “juice”

I say “juice” because it’s important to lower your sugar intake when you’re fighting a cold. Sugar, even from healthy sources like fruits can prolong a cold or illness because our bodies cannot turn this compound into Vitamin C - therefor weakening our immune system. I make my favorite green juice and omit the apple and double up on ginger.

3 citrus power elixer

I came up with this recipe when I was craving orange juice, but wanted a healthier alternative because so many of the store-bought brands are loaded with added sugar. It’s so pretty in color, especially if you use blood oranges. I don’t drink this everyday when I have a cold - it’s more just to help pump up my vitamin C intake naturally during the everyday. However if you’ve got a hankering for orange juice when you’re sick - this is a great alternative.

Ingredients
2 whole grapefruits
1 whole lemon
3 blood oranges
1/2 tbsp manuka honey
1 mint leaf

Prep
Remove the skin from all of the citrus. Fill a blender (I use Vitamix) with about 4-5 cups of cold water.

Blend
Combine citrus, mint and honey in the blender and blend on high for about 40 seconds, or until you have a nice smooth juice-like consistency.

Serve
Separation is natural, store in an air-tight bottle in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Consume within the same day for optimum vitamin potency.

the vitamin list

The gut is the center of our immune system - so its CRAZY important that we keep our gut healthy and happy even when we’re not sick. I take these probiotics everyday, and sometimes double up my dose when under the weather.

Wellness formula is a favorite - it’s great to take at the very very very onset of symptoms - if not in your everyday.

Oregano Oil has incredibly healing properties, when used in high doses orally it’s known to help fight bacterial infection. I usually buy a small bottle and drip 3-7 drops on the back of my tongue.

Coldcalm is another great one. It’s a somewhat gentler approach than most over the counter products - with the same power and punch. I'm a fan of the non-drowsy quality.

Elderberry is a powerhouse for so many reasons, but the most important is that it’s a good friend to our gut and immune system. Elderberries are known to contain antiviral agents, which are essentially compounds that are potent enough to help deactivate viruses. They are also effective in killing harmful pathogens (hello common colds) and are natural boosters for the production of cytokines (proteins that act as the building blocks of the immune system). I normally take Elderberry Syrup at least two times daily when I have a cold.

There are also so many things we can do in our everyday life (when we’re not feeling under the weather) to help our bodies stay balanced such as hydrating, sleeping regularly, taking daily vitamins, exercise, and eating whole, organic unprocessed foods. Cutting down on alcohol is also a great way to strengthen your immune system. Alcohol turns to sugar pretty much the minute that we ingest it - which acts as an immune suppressor that can cause inflammation throughout the entire body.

In addition to boosting my intake of healthy, whole and nourishing foods when I’m sick, I REALLY try to rest. It’s so hard in our go-go-grind way of life these days, but it’s incredibly important to let your body rest so that it can in turn, heal it itself. This usually means taking an ACTUAL sick day! Yes I know, crazy right? Even the smallest things count towards strengthening our body, both in the everyday and when we’re feeling under the weather. Rest up!