Immune Boost Power Shot

The portions look huge but those glasses are small and exactly 1/3 cup! 

Have a cold or flu?  Long covid? The 100 Day Covid Cough? Or want to ward off these viruses? We had one or all of these earlier this year. One of the things that I believe helped to banish the cold and cough, and get us healthy again, was my Immune Boost Power Shot.  It's loaded with immune boosting goodness and it's also gut healthy. The combo of citrus, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar and kefir (if using) are blended together for a tasty and spicy hit of health! A 1/3 cup portion is a perfect amount! Take it first thing in the morning for energy and let it work its magic all day long! 

Citrus fruits are loaded with healthy nutrition – good source of VitC, B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and copper, protecting your heart from disease and stroke, support kidney health as it increases pH making a less hospitable environment for the formation of kidney stones, the citric acid in lemons help absorb iron better in the body, and studies have shown that citrus fruits help to fight certain cancers.

Usually, it is the flesh/pulp and/or juice of citrus that is used and the peel is thrown away. There is a rich source of bioavailable nutrients in the peel - fiber, VitC, antifungal,  antimicrobial, antioxidant and immune boosting compounds, and zested peel can be easily incorporated into meals and some baking.  If you check out my other recipes, you will see that I use lemon zest often. I recommend this kitchen hack for lemons!

Cinnamon and ginger are powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal. Cinnamon can reduce bad cholesterol (LCL) and triglycerides, balances blood sugar and research is being done to show that both cinnamon and ginger support brain health and reduces cognition decline.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Grandma’s cure-all!  ACV is an antioxidant and antimicrobial. It is a natural laxative, supports digestion, lowers blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivities, supports healthy blood pressure and heart health, supports weight loss as it helps to make you feel full, reduces belly fat and supports healthy cholesterol levels. The acetic acid in ACV kills bacteria and is a natural disinfectant which makes it beneficial to clean cuts and wounds.  It is also a natural preservative.

Turmeric – curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.  To have it be more easily absorbed into the bloodstream, to be more bioavailable and beneficial to our health, it is best to consume turmeric with black pepper as it contains piperine, a natural alkaloid, which hugely increases the bioavailability of the curcumin.

As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your Immune Boost Power Shot goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 15 minutes / Makes: 3 Cups+ (depending on the size of your citrus fruits)

Ingredients

  • 1 Orange - well washed and peeled 

  • ¼ of the Orange Peel (there is lots of goodness in the peel!)

  • 3 Mandarin Oranges (if you don't have mandarins, just use 2 oranges instead of the one orange above) - well washed and peeled

  • 1 Lemon - well washed and peeled

  • ¼ of the Lemon Peel

  • 1 Lime - well washed and peeled

  • ¼ Cup of the Lime Peel 

  • ¼ Cup Sliced Fresh Ginger 

  • ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons Ground Turmeric

  • 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

  • A Few Grinds of Fresh Black Pepper

  • 2 Cups Water

  • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (or more to taste)

  • ½ Cup Kefir or Yogurt - optional (I add it each time)

How It’s Made

  • Prep all the ingredients.

  • Add everything to your blender and blend until the mixture is smooth.

  • Strain through a fine meshed sieve. The mixture will be thick so stir with a spoon to help it through and then press the mix left in the sieve to get as much of the liquid out as you can. You can also pour the mixture into and squeeze through a nut bag or doubled pieces of cheese cloth. Discard what's left in the sieve or nut bag/cheesecloth.   

  • Pour into a container and store this goodness in your fridge. 

  • Enjoy 1/3 cup every morning. 

  • Photos of the peeled and sliced ingredients and 2 shots are below.  The portions look huge but those glasses are small and exactly 1/3 cup! 

Enjoy!

Beverage, Budget Friendly, Healthy eating, Kitchen Hack, VegetarianRenata RichardsonImmune Boost Power Shot, Immune supporting, antiinflammatoryComment