You can eat your way to a healthier immune system!
Both herbalist Stephen Buehner and integrative medicine Dr Andrew Weil suggest this soup recipe below. I find it works well to make a batch and have a bowl multiple times a day when I feel the first signs of a cold coming on!
Garlic is plentiful in this recipe - yes it is a BULB, not just a clove of garlic (this much garlic probably also keeps vampires away too). It has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal action. These three actions are also shared by oregano & turmeric if you want to add more flavor to the soup. The traditional herbs in chicken soup, rosemary, sage & thyme are all anti-bacterial and anti-fungal too! Cayenne has great anti-bacterial effects.
Shitake mushrooms mobilize the immune system against viruses & bacteria. Reishi mushrooms and astragalus root are adaptogens & immune modulators that can be used daily to support immune health.
RECIPE - Immune Soup (Dr Andrew Weil & Stephen Buehner)
*8 cups (237 ml) water
*1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
*1 onion, diced
*1 bulb garlic (at least 10 cloves), minced
*One 1.5 inch piece of fresh gingerroot grated
*1.5 cups salted vegetable soup stock (I use chicken broth)
*5 pieces sliced dried Astragalus Root
*2 cups fresh, sliced shiitake mushrooms
*1 large reishi mushroom
*cayenne powder, if desired
Now, you can make variations. You can cut out the reishi if you cannot find it. Shiitake mushrooms are amazing for the immune system and are available at most supermarkets. Astagalus, as well as the mushrooms, are available at Asian groceries (as Huang qi) or at some organic grocery stores.
1.Bring water to boil in large pot.
2.Heat olive oil, saut� garlic, onions, and ginger until soft and aromatic. Add contents of skillet to water. Add broth, shiitake, astragalus, and reishi. Simmer covered for two hours.
3.Remove from heat, allow to sit for two more hours.
4.Remove astragalus and reishi mushrooms. Reheat.
5.Add salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne powder if desired. (just enough to bring out a light sweat). You could also add a bit of bouillon or miso.
Cold and Flu Aromatherapy with Essential Oils
Respiratory essential oils are great for using in diffusers for "atmospheric purification" or reducing the spread of germs associated with the cold season. They enhance respiratory immunity and decrease the incidence and symptoms of colds & the flu, especially clearing sinus congestion and enhancing mental clarity. Respiratory oils include conifers (pine, fir, etc) and eucalyptus oils. Tea tree oil is one of the most studied oils for its antimicrobial effects - I like the lemon scented tea tree (leptospermum citratum) to diffuse - caution with direct skin application, tea tree should be diluted!
Contact me for access to some wonderful organic, eco-friendly, therapeutic Floracopia essential oils. Floracopia contracts with small farmers around the world, so the "crops" are grown in their natural environment and distilled on-site so you get a pure, unadulterated natural essential oil.
And as Reiki practitioners, we always have the gift of this liquid light and love to support ourselves and others through the challenges to our immune system!
Reiki Blessings for your journey,
Robin