immune elixir 🍋🍍🧄🫚🌶️🍯
Welcome to those who were just scanning the web and serendipitously landed on my humble site 👋 whether you are in a rut and don’t know what to make; are in that loop of “sooo, what do you want to eat tonight?”; or have fallen into the infinite black hole of saved recipes from social media (the internet is truly ultimate purveyor of maximalist TL;DR content overwhelm 😵💫🫠🤭). I hope you enjoy — it brings me great joy to sprinkle any ease into your life — cheers to your good health, good love & good fortune!
And per my usual caveat, I do not claim to be a doctor or a chef. I do not dream of being a fancy food blogger. I’m just a gal who enjoys living and eating for optimum well-being. I like to creatively alter, and occasionally create, recipes to make them as balanced as possible, in both taste and health. I’ve come to learn soul-food and body-fueling food are both real and equally important, hence the critical importance and beauty of mind-body-soul eating! ✨ I typically like to begin with a key ingredient or two that I’m hoping to work with, search for a preexisting recipe as a guide, then play with measurements and make swaps to level up nutrient density. Consider this a destination for healthy recipe inspiration, where you’ll never have to scroll through any continuously re-populating ads. One of my primary goals is to add a little simplicity in places I’ve found murky.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PERSONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. INDIVIDUALS SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE ADMINISTERING ANY OF THE SUGGESTIONS MADE ON THEBALANCEDCALM.COM TO ENSURE THEY ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE.
Like much of the world, my house got COVID back in January and I’m not sure about you — but I would LOVE to take all measures to ensure we keep our immune systems as boosted as we can, especially as our immunities fades. This recipe is from Christa Orecchio of The Whole Journey and is what she refers to as “Nature’s Flu Shot” — it’s seriously a great one to add into the weekly wellness routine. I just noted a couple small adjustments, such as incorporating fresh ginger and Manuka honey (a couple of my FAVES).
INGREDIENTS
3 lemons, juiced
1.5 c organic pineapple, juiced
1 organic garlic clove minced
1/4 tsp organic turmeric powder
(+can add black pepper if you can tolerate it, as it enhances the bioavailability of an anti-inflammatory compound in turmeric, called curcumin)
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/8 tsp organic cayenne pepper
1 tsp raw Manuka honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Simply juice fruits, shake in a mason jar with remaining ingredients and enjoy 1/2 a cup a day (or 3 times a day if you’re starting to get sick) — cheers to your good health!
As with everything I make, I love to know the ingredients will fuel not only a beautiful plate, but a beautiful feeling inside. I will again caveat, I’m not a nutritionist, but as holistic health coach, here’s some functional food for thought:
TURMERIC
This potent anti-inflammatory spice protects the body from free radicals and cools down inflammation throughout the body. The active component in turmeric is called curcumin and it boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) — a protein that is essential for brain function. Chronic inflammation contributes to many common health conditions and curcumin has also been seen to suppress many molecules known to play major roles in inflammation. The key is to enhancing curcumin’s bioavailability — see note on black pepper above.
GARLIC
Garlic is one of the most medicinal edible healing plants, plus versatile and delicious! Naturally low in calories and rich in vitamin C, B6 and manganese, garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. Diets routinely containing raw and cooked garlic boost immunity, lowering risks of many cancers, as well as combatting sickness, including the common cold. It’s anti-inflammatory, cholesterol lowering and can reduce blood pressure, as well as improve overall cardiovascular health, including lowering the risk of heart disease. Garlic contains antioxidants that support the body’s protective mechanisms against oxidative damage from free radicals contributing to the aging process, which may help prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia! Its antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial rich makeup supports your beauty routine by killing acne-causing bacteria on the skin from the inside out. Those same antibacterial properties in fresh garlic can even kill the bacteria that lead to food poisoning, including salmonella and E.coli.
GINGER
The active component in ginger is gingerol, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities from supporting digestion to helping with nausea. Just 1–1.5 grams of ginger can help prevent many types of nausea. Ginger also has been seen support digestion, easing stomach discomfort. Some studies even show ginger may help support weight management, lowering cholesterol, fighting infections and preventing some cancers. There are additional studies showing ginger to be effective at improving brain function, protecting against Alzheimers, reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis (particularly that of the knee), lowering blood sugar levels and improve various heart disease risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes. All in all, ginger truly is a super food!
MANUKA HONEY
Let’s talk a little about this super healer honey! All honey is known for its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, but Manuka honey is believed to be stronger a fighting bacteria. On top of this, Manuka honey is darker, thicker and creamier than regular honey, so at least from my standpoint, feels significantly more luxurious. Admittedly, Manuka honey is less readily available than other types of honey, so it is more expensive. Luckily, because Manuka honey is thicker, less is needed, so it should theoretically last longer than our average jars of honey.
***important to note, quality is essential — fresh is best, always shop organic, whole, preferably in season, ideally know where your food is coming from and thoroughly wash those fruits + veggies!
