After 9 months of not even a sniffle, I got sick. Sigh. I'm trying not to look at that as a fail, but rather as a great healthy streak. I'm hoping the next time is years instead of months!
I did learn some new preventative measures that can be taken AS WELL as things that will help during sickness.
So, there are few key foods that help build immunity during sickness.
GINGER
Ginger has been attributed health benefits for centuries. Those benefits include stress relief, reducing pain in a sore throat (it has anti-inflammatory properties), nausea relief, AND boosts immunity.
GARLIC
Garlic is an antioxidant! Who knew? It also has antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibiotic properties. It can also help with congenstion issues by serving as an expectorant. It also boosts immunity!
LEMON
Oranges get all the Vitamin C attention... but lemon contains it too! The acid in lemon can also help reduce phlegm. It's a great add to cold concoctions.
CARROTS
Maybe you've heard, but carrots have beta carotene in them... and that beta carotene supports the body's mucus membrane. That in turn can prevent bacteria from entering the blood stream!
KALE
Many of us know that kale is a super food. It only makes sense that it’d help with colds! It contains tons of vitamin C and vitamin E. It can help boost immunity and help fight infection.
BONE BROTH
Bone broth has an array of nutrients and benefits. It support your joints, skin, and helps to heal your digestive system. It also helps to eliminate toxins and supports healthy detoxification. Because it has such a powerful affect on your gut, it has a strong affect on icreasing immunity. Not to mention it supports your metabolism AND your cells. Let's just say it's a heavy hitter when it comes to fortifying your immune system.
When purchasing bone broth for this recipe, make sure to get bone broth and not chicken stock. Some brands that are good quality and give you the benefits you're looking for are Kettle and Fire and Boneafide Provisions and Epic. It's also easy to make yourself.
All that to say. I researched all of these and decided I'd make a sickness-kicking soup! Prevention is key, make it before you get sick. If you're looking for something tasty and easy for yourself or the whole family, this is your soup!
So here's the exact ingredients I used in the soup. The flavor was SUPER good. I'd make it again to satisfy a soup fix.
5 cups of organic chicken broth
2 cups of water
2 organic chicken breasts
3 large leaves of organic kale, chopped
3 organic carrots, sliced
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS of minced ginger, peeled and minced
1 1/2 lemons worth of lemon juice
All you have to do is...
I added all of the ingredients to the crock pot EXCEPT the kale.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4hrs.
10 minutes before you want to serve the soup, toss in the kale.
Enjoy, and BE WELL! :)