*knock on wood*
I mean really - while cold and flu season claims victims all around us, we are healthy here in our little bubble. It might be because I have the most difficult baby ever and we never leave our house - but considering that no one here really got sick before he was born makes me think that we're just a bunch of naturally healthy peeps.
Also? Real food.
Seriously, I strongly believe in nourishing yourself with real, whole foods. The bulk of money I spend on groceries each week is fresh produce. There isn't a product out there that will give you the same kind of nourishment as good ol' fashioned healthy foods.
*knocks on wood again*
Last week, at the beginning of Snowmaggedon '14, I started to get the aches. I felt achy from head to toe and was terrified I was coming down with the flu. Ain't nobody got time for the flu, so I whipped up a vitamin packed smoothie to knock the aches right out of my system. And by mid afternoon the next day, I felt back to normal again. No flu. Whew.
Here's what you'll need:
- 1 grapefruit, peeled
- 1/2 c. frozen strawberries
- 1/2 c. frozen pineapple or mango
- fresh ginger, grated (probably 1/2 inch section)
- filtered water and/or ice
Blend until smooth
I left the amounts blank for water and ginger, because you'll want to play around with those to see how much ginger you can tolerate and how thick or thin you prefer your smoothie. Fresh ginger is packed with amazing benefits for staying healthy.
Ginger can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flus. A good sweat may do a lot more than simply assist detoxification. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent that may help fight off infections. Investigators have isolated the gene responsible for the compound and the protein it produces, which they have named dermicidin. Dermicidin is manufactured in the body's sweat glands, secreted into the sweat, and transported to the skin's surface where it provides protection against invading microorganisms, including bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of skin infections), and fungi, including Candida albicans. (The World's Healthiest Foods)So if you start feeling a little run down, throw this smoothie together and drink up friends!
