Boosting the immune system in Summer is so much easier than during other seasons, primarily due to the sunshine and abundant availability of fresh fruits and vegetables, naturally rich in; antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, water, fibres and beneficial phytonutrients.
Phytoceramides, found in plants ‘phyto’ (plant) and ‘ceramides’ (natural antioxidant compounds), not only help combat cellular damage by neutralising free radicals but also help increase skin’s moisture, production of collagen and elastin. Phytoceramides are therefore not only great for boosting immunity (antioxidant rich) but also highly beneficial for maintaining healthy skin and reducing the effects of ageing. Antioxidants are crucial, in helping to boost the immune system, fight colds, flu and infections plus to effectively heal the body quickly, during recovery.
Getting your daily quota of a wide range of colourful, immune boosting goodies can easily be incorporated into fresh smoothies, juices, salads, soups, eating fruits and vegetables as fresh or as unprocessed as possible, to provide the highest quality and quantity of nutrients. (Tayberry have a wide range of supplements to support you and your immunity too).
Here are a couple of our favourite immune boosting recipes, we hope you will love too!
The Juice Master’s Ultimate Immune Booster – green magic! (Jason Vale’s Book – Juice Master)
This juice contains a powerhouse of; vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, C, folic acid plus chlorophyll (green pigment found in chloroplasts in plant cells), sulphur, magnesium, calcium, iron, silicon, potassium, beta-carotene, boron, ellagic acid, phosphorus, chlorine, iodine, sodium, natural sugars and fats, zinc and copper. Simply blend the following ingredients together until smooth and enjoy!
1 inch slice of Pineapple
1x Gala or Golden Delicious Apple
1 inch chunk Broccoli Stem
½ stick of Celery
½ ripe Avocado (de-stoned)
¼ inch slice Ginger Root (skin on)
1 inch slice Cucumber
1 small handful Spinach Leaves
1 small handful Watercress
Few sprigs of Parsley
Ice cubes
The Immune System – Goji and Pumpkin Seed Energy Bombs (Dale Pinnock’s Book – Medicinal Cookery)
These functional treats can be eaten any time of the day and beneficial to eat if low on energy and want something healthy, or suffering from mild sniffles, as they are full of immune boosting nutrients. Fast, easy, nutritious and delicious!
1x heaped tablespoon coconut oil (energy giving)
3x handfuls pumpkin seeds (zinc rich mineral and antioxidant for immune health)
3x handfuls goji berries (a superfood, rich in trace element germanium for immune health)
- Fill a medium saucepan quarter full with boiling water and pop a heat proof bowl on top to create a Bain-Marie (water bath). Add the coconut oil to the bowl, so it melts.
- In a food processor, blitz the pumpkin seeds and goji berries together until are a roughly ground texture.
- Once the coconut oil is melted, add seed and berry mix to it and blend, forming a firm, sticky paste.
- Roll paste into teaspoon size balls and place on a plate, refrigerate until hard, then enjoy!
We know Vitamin D3 boosts immunity and hopefully by getting enough sun on the skin, it will help to naturally synthesise some of your D3 needs in the skin. Anyone not getting enough sun and looking to increase their levels, in line with daily recommendations, then taking an additional supplement will help you stay ahead of the immunity game (plus helps to improve low mood, skeletal health and so much more!). Vegan Vitamin D3 for adults and children (4-12yrs).
Healthy levels of Prebiotics (food for friendly bacteria) and Probiotics (the friendly bacteria) boost natural gut immunity too and are integral to synthesising beneficial vitamins in the gut. Microflora with FOS for adults and Green Child Microflora with FOS for children. Eating lots of varied, colourful fruits and vegetables will also help to feed the friendly bacteria too, as many are natural pre-biotics. For an immune boosting, phytonutrient Intense berries super shake with pre and probiotics all in one, simply add a level scoop of Intense Berries to your favourite plant milk or juice with ice and blend.
Watch out if eating too much sugar, as it can drain the immune system, so if you are fighting any bug or just want to remain as ‘immune boosted’ as possible, follow a ‘no or lower’ sugar regimen, keeping foods you do eat, as close to nature and as unprocessed as possible (which will also contain more beneficial nutrients and less toxins, additives, colours).
The body knows how to deal with and metabolise natural foods and their constituent molecules, however, what it does struggle to process are unnatural additives, artificial sweeteners, chemicals and synthetic food colours. The body will ‘dump’ chemicals it does not know what to do with, into the liver (which already, as the washing machine of the body, doing over 500 jobs, gives the body even more work to do, if we consume lots of un-natural, synthetic chemicals). Chemicals and excess sugars in alcohol and carbohydrates that are not utilised by the body, get converted into fat, which also becomes stored in the liver and can lead to other potential diseases such as Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (AFLD) and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Routine liver function blood tests for these conditions both reveal the same enzyme outcome.
These diseases can then be the precursor to liver failure and other debilitating conditions such as diabetes. Keeping the liver ‘clean’ is vital for it to function properly, as it processes fats, hormones, medicines, and chemicals the body does not know what to do with. Liver detoxification support with Detoxipure is an innovative complex to gently detox the liver and whole body. Milk Thistle cleanses the liver as an established herb and is the only herb known to cleanse the liver and help regenerate liver cells if damaged.
Stay well this Summer and work together naturally, with your amazing body and nature’s medicine chest > for better immune health.
If you need a chat with the Tayberry team about any of our products (just like you would in an independent Health Food Store), we are ‘Health Food Institute’ trained for retailing health food supplements and products, to provide you with suitable answers to your questions.
Get in touch: 0333 772 9167 or by e-mail: info@tayberrypharma.com
WORKING TOGETHER NATURALLY > for better health