Immune Boosting Smoothie
Just like most of the county, Colorado likes to play tricks with the weather. Yesterday it was 60 degrees and today there is snow and ice. So fun. Add 2 tiny humans that have had colds for 2 weeks and it’s a recipe for disaster. Sooner or later, their plague would hit me. And it did.
I’m rarely knocked on my butt by germs (thanks to years in the classroom, hospital, traveling, eating dirt, etc). But I’ve been laid out for 4 days now. The last thing most people want to do when they’re sick is eat. This is why we want things like soup that are easy to get down and provide enough fuel and immune boosting ingredients as possible. But there’s only so much bone broth a person can take.
In an effort to help my body fight off the plague, insert my go-to immune boosting smoothie. Now, it’s nothing sexy or overly fancy. You most likely have all the ingredients in your own home. That’s the whole point of sharing my recipes with you. We don’t have to over complicate food to aid our health. Food is actually made to boost our health and keeps us safe. It’s kind of its purpose.
Here is the breakdown of ingredients of a simple immune boosting smoothie:
Oats: Rich in B vitamins and minerals, oats are a high in fiber carbohydrate that can also help lower cholesterol. For immune health though, it’s the presence of beta-glucan that that helps boost immune-fighting blood cells.
Banana: Not just a tasty prebiotic (that helps keep your gut healthy), bananas are super rich in B6. B6 vitamin keeps your immune system functioning properly.
Blueberries: Contain flavonoids that help reduce the damage to your cells and boost your immune system. Blueberries also have vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and manganese; all good for your immune health!
Four Sigmatics Defend: Defend powder is a go-to for me. It goes in my coffee or smoothie every morning. It contains 10 immune boosting mushrooms: Chaga, Reishi, Cortyceps, Lion’s Mane, Shiitake, Maitake, Enoki, Agaricus Blazei, Meshima, Tremella, and Rose Hips. I’m definitely not a mushroom expert, but this mixture is amazing. And no, it doesn’t taste like mushrooms.
Super Greens: Buying a large container of these at the store each week is an easy way to remind myself to add greens to my food. Mixing the types of greens we consume can help us get a wide array of vitamins and minerals. Spinach is great, but there’s so much more! These greens are rich in vitamin A and C to boost immunity.
Hemp Seed Hearts: a GREAT source of plant-based protein and fat. Adding protein and fat to a smoothie is a great way to promote a balanced snack or meal. Hemp seeds are famous for globulin which helps fight against infections. And, they contain all nine essential amino acids.
Probiotics: Probiotics Synergy is a simple probiotics powder that has 5 different strains and 20 billion live organisms per serving. It’s common knowledge that probiotics are great for immune health. This particular probiotic also contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber, as well.
Cinnamon: Not only delicious, but cinnamon is also loaded with antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and boost immune health. Cinnamon can also be used to reduce the symptoms of respiratory issues! Tasty and useful!
I’ll leave the portions and measurements up to you. Eyeball the goods and choose what is right for you. Make it your own, claim it.
