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It’s that dreaded time of year: everyone is sniffling/coughing/feverish/getting way too close to you. And you might like your coworker, but you are not liking how red their nose is, and how there is anything less than a football field in between you. But no worries, we’ve got you covered! We’re going over some of the best ways to boost your immune system this winter, so that when you’re faced with your not-so-well coworkers, instead of running in the opposite direction, you can offer them a hot cup of tea (and the link to this article)!
You probably already know turmeric to be this anti-inflammatory power house–so it’s ability to boost the immune system definitely isn’t surprising! Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric (with more than 2000 studies done on its health benefits!) has been shown to be a powerful immunomodulatory agent, by activating T cells, B cells, macrophages and natural killer cells (all of which are lymphocytes that work to fight off infection).Turmeric is also able to downregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines, which cause inflammation in the body and can potentially worsen disease and illness.
How to take it: add turmeric to almost anything–teas, smoothies, soups. You can find turmeric in a variety of menu items at Impact Kitchen, including the Chicken Noodle Soup (which has the added health benefits of gut-healing bone broth) and our Wild Turmeric wellness drink!
Next up is Tumeric’s close cousin, ginger! Ginger has also been studied and shown to have a variety of bioactive compounds that offer up health benefits, particularly gingerol (not to be confused with gingerale). Gingerol has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to reduce the risk of infections–exactly what we need this time of year!
How To Take It: You can take it in juice form, powder or freshly grated. Add it to your dinners, throw it in smoothies, drink it as a tea with lemon. Come to Impact and try the Rise Smoothie or our popular–and powerful–Germ Kick (which also has other immune-boosting ingredients like oregano oil, echinacea and raw honey!).
A no brainer, but vitamin C is probably one of the go-to things we should reach for at first signs off sickness (yours or someone else’s.) Vitamin C works by helping to increase the production of lymphocytes (those same ones we talked about earlier) while also protecting them from free radical damage.And while vitamin C may not be able to prevent the common cold, vitamin C has been shown to reduce the recovery time needed to get over it!
How To Take It:Opt for a daily supplement during cold and flu season, and make sure to increase your intake of vitamin C-rich foods (like citrus, kale, brussel’s sprouts, and broccoli). At Impact: Try the Vitamin C + Collagen Shot, the Warm Glo cold-pressed juice, or get the kale caesar (which is tossed in lemon oil) –and give it an extra boost by adding on some roasted broccoli!
While more research is needed to determine how effective echinacea is at boosting the immune system, there are studies that highlight its significance in preventing illness. One study found that echinacea was able to reduce the odds of catching the common cold by 58% and reduce the length of the cold by 1.4 days. Another study found that taking echinacea at the first signs of a cold reduced it’s length by 67%.
How To Take It: Try it in our Immunity Elixir (which also has ginger, honey and cayenne), or take it as a tincture!
Last but not least, is somehow the easiest and hardest step of all: rest. So easy to do, but so hard to make time for. And yet, the best thing you can do when trying to recover from illness or prevent it in the first place is get enough sleep! So don’t be afraid to take the time you need to recover. Kick up your feet and curl into your blankets!Need hot soup and an elixir delivered to you? No problem, we’ve got you covered! Find out how to order Impact Kitchen here!
Found on the bark of birch trees, chaga has long been used as an herbal remedy. Chaga works by promoting the production of beneficial cytokines that stimulate white blood cells and also preventing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
How To Take It: You can take chaga in various forms (like a tincture or powder), which, like other superfoods, makes it easy to throw into almost anything you’re eating or drinking! Impact Kitchen offers it as an easy add-on that you can put into your smoothie, latte or bone broth!
