It has been a long cold winter here in Nova Scotia. It's pretty safe to say we're ready for Spring! And I am sick of being sick. Our household has been hit by way too many cold viruses. It seems like we've been sick all winter. My initial reaction has always been to swing by the pharmacy for some cold medications. A surprise phone call from a friend who mentioned she could hear it in my voice gave me some advice. She had done some research on how to boost your immune system to actually avoid getting the cold. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of that before. I guess I sort of had, like adding more exercise and eating more vegetables. I hadn't thought of adding herbs and juices to my diet to boost my immune system. She gave me some recommendations from the research she has done. The next day I headed to the grocery store for Elderberry Juice. It's not cheap but if it helped me kick the cold virus it's worth every penny. I can honestly say the next morning I felt better and progressively got better quicker than ever before.
I've spent the past few days searching Pinterest for ideas and advice on how to naturally boost my immune system and fight viruses. Here's a bit of what I found:
*Mushrooms, even the basic white button kind, help to boost the immune system.
*Elderberry Juice appears to be a miracle elixir helping boost the immune system, fight viruses, fight inflammation, lower cholesterol, thin mucus.......Google it, it really is amazing stuff
*Lemon Balm Tea helps fight viruses
*Garlic helps boost the immune system and make your body an unpleasant environment for viruses
*Ginger helps boost the immune system and fight inflammation
*Carrots boost the immune system, lower cholesterol...... There are many juicing recipes for drinks containing garlic, carrot, ginger and apple
It's easy to do the research, there's lots of advice. I went with my friends advice and pulled the most common items from the articles.
I recently purchased a juicer. I've been making lots of carrot juice with various other veggies added to it. I haven't acquired a taste for it yet, I drink it because I know it's good for me not because I enjoy it. I think one of my problems with the juice is the same problem I have with eating whole vegetables, the quality of the taste. I'm hoping when I have my own fresh produce and access to fresh produce from farmers markets the juice will taste way better. I am not a fan of store bought carrots, I buy organic for eating. To buy organic produce during the winter for juicing is just too expensive.
I've been trying to get more exercise into my life routine. We have a chubby Beagle who can also use a walk so she motivates me to get my chub moving too. The fresh air is so good for the brain too, it's great medicine.
Avoiding take out is still a struggle for us at times. Crazy work hours make it difficult to prepare home cooked meals but we are working hard at it, trying to avoid take out as much as possible. I am to the point now that if I eat take out I can feel it attacking my body, the high salt content really affects how I feel the next day. And it really tastes horrible, a total waste of money.
So, the juicer is packed away on the counter collecting dust for now. I will try making my own V8 Juice when I have delicious ripe tomatoes from my own garden. I have, however, decided to give smoothies another try. Fresh Strawberries will soon be available, they will make some delicious smoothies! I've been researching some new recipes and ideas on Pinterest ;)
So, that's the update on my quest for healthier living from the past few months. There will be another update on our Farm happenings soon, we have some new additions that I'm anxious to tell you about! And there will be some new camping adventures to share! And of course the weather will soon be warm enough to plant my vegetable garden, I hope!!
'til next time!!
