5 Foods to Naturally Activate Your Immune System!

Every year natural support for your immmune system can help you get through challenging winter times.

Many common illnesses are contagious a day or two before any symptoms show up and a week after someone is sick, which makes it hard to know when you’ve been exposed. So eating immune-boosting foods regularly makes good sense.

Garlic contains the immune-stimulating compound allicin which promotes the activity of white blood cells to protect your body. Garlic also stimulates other immune cells which fight invaders. Eat it raw, and crushed or chopped for medicinal effect. Allicin is released when you cut, chop, chew or crush the raw cloves. Sprinkle freshly chopped garlic over foods, into soup, mix into butter or oil, or even swallow bits with a drink like a pill, although eating with food is most comfortable for the stomach.

Onions contain quercetin, a nutrient that breaks up mucus in your head and chest while boosting your immune system. Onions also contain allicin which slows down and kills a variety of unwanted microbes. The pungency of onions increases your blood circulation and makes you sweat. This effect is helpful during cold weather when you are feeling stressed. Consuming raw onion will provide immune support within a few hours.

Ginger is warming, aiding both circulation and digestion when you are feeling fatigued. It can also encourage coughing to help remove mucus from the chest. The chemicals shagaols and gingerols in ginger give it that spicy kick that stimulates blood circulation and opens your sinuses. Improved circulation means that more oxygen is getting to your tissues to help remove cellular wastes naturally.

Horseradish strengthens your immune system and increases blood flow to parts of your body that are irritated to remove their wastes. This pungent food encourages you to flush out fluids through sweat and increased urination. Horseradish is known to stimulate your lungs to cough out mucus and sinuses to drain.

All of the Cayenne family hot peppers (cayenne, habenero, bird peppers, Scotch bonnet, etc.) contain capsicum, a source of vitamin C and bioflavonoids that aids your immune system. These help your body produce white blood cells, essential in your lymphatic system to cleanse your cells and tissues of toxic substances. Cayenne pepper also contains beta carotene and antioxidants that support your immune system and help your body build healthy mucus membrane tissue that can defend against invaders from the environment. Spicy cayenne peppers raise your body’s temperature to make you sweat, which also increases the activity of your immune system.

Add any of these foods to your meals to support your strength and energy during the cold season or anytime you need a boost.

A Spicy Savory Vinegar

The foods above are delicious in a tasty vinegar that can be added to any savory food. Use it as a salad dressing, along with olive oil if desired. Drizzle over meats or vegetables. You can also put a spoonful of this liquid in soups for a nutrient and flavor increase! As a food, it has subtle but energizing effect.

Just grind up some of the above ingredients in a strong blender along with Braggs Apple Cider vinegar to experience benefits and great taste! You can keep it in the refrigerator for several weeks.

By adding a spoonful to water or juice, you can also drink it down fast and enjoy the rush the energizing ingredients naturally provide and to help alkalize and strengthen your digestive system. Some find it slightly laxative.

If you'd like to try this, but don't have the time or materials to make it yourself, try our Tonic Supreme, a flavorful concentrated liquid containing garlic, ginger, horseradish, onion and cayenne pepper. Made from organic, raw, potent whole plant parts, concentrated in raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar.