Immunity Boosters From Your Kitchen

Last time I mentioned a few tips to help give your immune system a leg up in it's fight against all those infections this winter season, so today I thought I'd share a couple of recipes that I've found and tried out, which source out those essential immune-boosting compounds that I mentioned last time. 

This smoothie has been dubbed the "Virus Slaying Smoothie" by holistic nutritionist, Rachel Hynd. It's smooth and fruity, with a hit of vanilla flavour. You can whip it up in a jiffy before heading out in the morning, or when you come home and need an afternoon snack. I like to pair it with a handful of trail mix for that late afternoon boost of energy. 

To make the smoothie:

1/2 frozen banana, sliced
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp flaxseed
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup kefir (or a low-fat probiotic yogurt, makes a slightly thicker smoothie)

The recipe also calls for 1 scoop of vegan protein powder, but I omit this and eat trail mix instead, or add in a 1/2 tablespoon of almond butter. Put all the ingredients in your blender/Magic Bullet/other fancy dancy smoothie maker and puree until smooth.This will make a single serving.

Some other healthy snack ideas:

Trail mix: mix together pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, raw almonds, Brazil nuts/cashews, chopped dates, and store in an airtight container.

Kale chips: Take one bunch of kale, wash, pat dry and remove the stems. Tear the leaves into small pieces, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp sea salt and coat the leaves. Bake in a 300 F oven for about 20 minutes (they should be crisp). You can add some cayenne to spice things up, or some sesame seeds for a unique flavour.