So it’s that’s time of year. You know when everyone is obsessed with pumpkin and even though it’s still 90 degrees they are also obsessed with scarves and boots. I can’t fault anyone for that though, yesterday I had yogurt with pumpkin and it was absolutely divine. But do you know what else happens this time of year?
Cooties. Every one around me seems to be afflicted with some sort of cold, cough or sore throat and I refuse to be taken down by a cold. If I want a couple days off I would prefer to be sitting in a hot tub drinking prosecco!
As your nutritional ninja I wanted to share with you my tips for maintaining a strong immune system so you can enjoy every single minute of pumpkin season autumn.
Mushrooms. Specifically Shitake and Maitake. They can boost your immune system by 300%! I love to sauté them with garlic, ghee and parsley and then fold them into an omelet! So delicious and super quick!
Garlic. It’s anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic and anti-fungal. It is extremely beneficial in helping your body fight off the flu, colds, ear troubles, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also helps promote the growth of healthy intestinal flora. Plus it’s easy to work into just about anything!
Ginger. Ginger has long been known to help with digestive problems (remember drinking ginger ale as a kid?) but did you know that this root also increases circulation which promotes your body’s natural ability to cleanse the bad stuff from your body. It also treats cold, fevers and is a natural anti-inflammatory. I like to make tea with ginger and make the soup below!
Bone Broth. If you do one thing when you feel like you might be getting sick – drink bone broth. Lance Roll makes the absolute best stuff. This is nothing like the boxed stuff. This broth is packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, gelatin and all of the nutrition your body needs to have super powers. Ok, maybe not literally but you will feel amazing after drinking this liquid gold. Not to mention that hair, skin and nails will thank you!
Oregano. Oil of Oregano is incredibly healing. It has 4x the antioxidants of blueberries is antimicrobial and is very popular for treating colds as well! You can pick some up here. It can also be used to ease menstrual cramps, indigestion and toothaches.
The beauty of all of these (and of course there are a ton more) is that you can work them into diet very easily. I know that when I feel sick all I do is crave soup – heck I crave soup even when I’m not sick! If you have a batch of bone broth in your freezer you can whip this dish up in less than 15 minutes. Or if you are feeling adventurous try making your own. I’ve included a recipe for both.
I absolutely LOVE pho – the Vietnamese soup packed with veggies and rice noodles. I love the depth of flavor in the broth mixed with fresh herbs and lime. The other day I was having a tough day and I was craving Pho in a big way but was in no mood to venture into the world to get some so I came up with this instead.
It’s not traditional but the flavors are close and the best part is that this broth does double duty by providing you with a tonic for warding off cooties.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
HEALING PHO BONE BROTH
Makes 8 – 12 cups
Download Healing Pho Bone Broth Recipe Here
4 Cups Bone Broth
3 cloves of garlic, mashed
1 lemongrass stalk
1/4 in thick, ginger
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise pods
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalepeño (optional)
1. Combine all the ingredients into a crockpot or large stock pot and cook on very low for 24 hours.
2. Strain the broth into jars of containers to freeze and use as needed.
Enjoy!
