Immune Boosting Smoothie For Wellness
Whether you are looking for a refreshing drink, or want to give your wellness a little love, this immune boosting smoothie is the perfect recipe!
My immune system is pretty rock solid, something I credit to my overall attention to wellness. There are so many things that can help you fight those winter colds, and one of my favorites is delicious wholesome food!
Adding More Color To Your Diet Is Easy With Healthy Smoothies
Immune health is a hot topic. But the truth is that there is no one food or supplement that can boost the immune system, says Rye, New Yorkbased Malina Malkani, RDN, the creator of Solve Picky Eating and a media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Instead, its important to eat a well-balanced diet that includes a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds. This way, you can be sure youre getting all the essential nutrients that support overall health and normal immune function, such as protein, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and D, Malkani says.
That said, eating a well-balanced diet is often easier said than done. In fact, only 1 in 10 adults get the 1½ to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of veggies that are recommended per day, according to November 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you struggle to get enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, smoothies are a tasty, convenient way to boost intake, Malkani says. Plus, if you dont enjoy the bitter flavor of certain vegetables , blending them with fruits, spices, and different types of milk can help make them more enjoyable to consume. And if access to fresh fruits and veggies is limited, frozen versions are just as nutritious and give smoothies a great texture, Malkani adds.
To incorporate more immune-supporting nutrients into your diet, try one of these tasty smoothie recipes.
Blood Orange Beet Smoothie
We often feel like we could use a quick cleanse of our system, whether it’s after over-indulging in food and alcohol, or when feeling sluggish and under the weather. Help your body get back to feeling great with a refreshing immune-boosting, cleansing smoothie.
Get our recipe for Blood Orange Beet Smoothie.
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Substitutions For Immune Smoothie
Orange Juice: You can sub in pineapple juice or whatever other juice you like
Fresh Ginger & Turmeric: Fresh ginger and turmeric really work best in this recipe. You can use 1/4 teaspoon of dried ground ginger or dried turmeric
Carrots: Carrots are optional. You can sub in more fruit or even celery if youd like.
Spinach: You can omit spinach or sub in kale or your favorite greens.
Mango: You can sub in frozen pineapple for mango.
Why We Love This Immune System Smoothie Recipe
Theres a lot to love about this Immunity Smoothie Recipe!
- Easy to Make You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this smoothie, and its as easy as adding to a blender and turning it on!
- Easy to Customize There are tons of ways you can make this recipe your own with what you have in your kitchen!
- Tastes amazing! This smoothie is so refreshing and flavorful.
Lets make it!
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Whats In This Green Smoothie
Lets run down our smoothie benefits. This green smoothie is a far cry from tasting anything like the mega doses of greens and vitamins in it because of the natural sweetness of the fruit weve added to our blend.
I used both kale and spinach in this recipe for a mega doses of vitamin C. They provide a powerful antioxidant punch, plus calcium, folate and fiber to help boost immunity and sometimes even fight off infection.
Next up: the sweet stuff. Vitamin C-packed mango, pineapple and kiwi give this smoothie its sweet slurp. Mango has even been shown to protect against cancer and may help lower cholesterol. An extra squeeze of purifying lemon juice adds a fresh, bright squeeze, too.
To help ward against cold bugs even more, I added fresh ginger to the mix. Ginger has been proven to help with nausea, pain and inflammation. All the extras that come with a cold and general malaise.
Every smoothie needs a liquid and Almond Breeze Original Almondmilkdoes the best job here. I always have a box or two of the shelf stable Almondmilk in my pantry so that smoothie making is always an easy option.
Orange Turmeric And Yogurt Smoothie
A rich source of immunity-boosting vitamin C, orange makes for an excellent option to include in juices, smoothies and salads. Combined with turmeric, which is well-known for its anti-bacterial properties and is replete with immunity-boosting properties, this smoothie may work wonders for your health. Find the recipe here.
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What Vitamin Is Best For Your Immune System
There are 3 main vitamins when it comes to giving your immune system a boost. The Cleveland Clinic suggests getting adequate amounts of Vitamin C, B6 and E to help support a healthy immune system.
Vitamin C This is the best immune-boosting vitamin. Being low in Vitamin C can actually make you more susceptible to getting sick! Your body does not store Vitamin C, so it is essential to make sure you get your daily dose to help keep your immune system in tip-top shape.
Vitamin B6 This is a vitamin that is essential to biochemical reactions in the immune system. Your body cannot produce it, so you need to get it from food or supplements. Luckily this vitamin is found in many different foods!
Vitamin E This vitamin is full of antioxidants, which help your body to fight off infections. This is also easily consumed in many different types of foods.
Raspberry & Peach Swirled Smoothie
Turmeric is the perfect ingredient for boosting your immune system, and it’s in this smoothie recipe! This two-layer paleo fruit smoothie is almost too pretty to drink. By basically making two distinct recipesa vibrant yellow smoothie featuring peaches and turmeric, and a pink smoothie with beets and cherriesyou get two distinct, delicious layers, as well as an Instagram-worthy healthy breakfast.
Get our recipe for Raspberry & Peach Swirled Smoothies.
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Boost Your Immune System With These Smoothie Ingredients:
Carrots, leafy greens, bell peppers These vegetables have high levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A helps produce healing enzymes which help protect the body from infection
Paypaya, Citrus fruits, strawberries These foods are rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C helps stimulate white blood cell production and fight free radicals in the body to strengthen the immune system. Paypaya also is rich in beta carotene.
Pineappple Pineapple is loaded with vitamin C and vitamin B. It also contains bromelain which helps with inflammation and digestion.
Ginger Ginger has antiviral and antibacterial properties to fight off bacteria. Ginger has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for generations.
Beets Beets are rich in Vitamin C and other important minerals like folate, iron, and manganese. Smoothies are an easy way to eat more beets.
Berries Berries like raspberries, blueberries and elderberries are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients which help your body fight disease. Medical studies on Elderberries have found them to be quite effective in treating the flu.
Almonds, sunflower seeds Both of these are rich in Vitamin E which provides important antioxidants to fight disease.
Additional immune supporting ingredients to consider are turmeric, ginger, and garlic which can easily be added to smoothies.
Here are 7 yummy immune boosting smoothie recipes:
Leafy Greens Are A Great Immune System Booster Food
Leafy greens are the powerhouse nutrition for vitamins A and C, as well as protein, fiber and calcium. They help clear out any toxins, leaving your body able to push past a cold and flu fast without relying on unnatural cough and cold syrups.
Parsley supports kidney function by flushing out excess fluid from the body. Its LOADED with vitamin K 1/2 cup is more than 500% the daily value. Whoa! The volatile oils and flavonoids in parsley have also been shown to be powerful antioxidants and may even fight the formation of tumors.
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How To Meal Prep Healthy Smoothies
Smoothies are a meal prep star! Its so easy to measure out and chop your ingredients, then place them in a zip top freezer bag. Pop the bag into the freezer and then pull it out the morning you want to use it, dump directly into the blender and get it combined. Youll be enjoying your smoothie in no time at all. I love that this avoids lugging out my cutting board and chopping all the fruit on a busy weekday morning. Before I load up my freezer bag, I label it and include the steps, too.
If youve already made your smoothie but you have leftovers you can pour the leftover smoothie into ice cube trays and put it into the freezer. Then simply pop your cubes out and lightly blend before serving.
Easy 3 Ingredient Immune Boosting Smoothie With Ginger
This time of year, its important to get in all of your nutrients. Get your boost with this tasty Immune Boosting Smoothie!
Summer is over, and that just means about 16 weeks left until Christmas. School has begun and the breezy air now is felt in the mornings. Its time to get my coats, boots, and sweaters back out. The best way to keep away from coming down with the cold is to boost your immune system. This healthy smoothie can help you do just that! The ingredients in this Immune Booster can help keep the common cold at bay and retain a healthy immune system.
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Immune Boosting* Smoothie Serving Suggestions:
When should I drink an easy immune boosting* smoothie? You can drink this smoothie whenever! Theres no right or wrong time to drink a smoothie. We like to enjoy smoothies as a snack.
Do you have to drink your smoothie right away after making it? We recommend drinking your smoothie right after making it. If a smoothie sits for too long it can separate which will not be as tasty. Smoothies are best enjoyed fresh!
Is it better to drink a smoothie or eat the fruit? There are arguments for drinking smoothies vs eating fruit and vice versa. Eating your fruit allows you to consume more fiber and can affect your digestion, but if you enjoy drinking smoothies and its an easy way to get in fruits and veggies go for it!
How do you store an immune system* builder smoothie? We dont recommend storing this smoothie, its best to drink it while its fresh.
Did You Make This Recipe
Tag on Instagram and hashtag it #cottercrunch
And if youre feeling fancy, you can make these smoothies into smoothie bowls! Heres how!
Place the smoothie in the fridge overnight and it will thicken in the morning. All because the magic of chia seed! Half smoothie, half blended chia pudding. Pour into bowls, top with extra orange or blood orange slices, gluten free muesli, and a little kefir yogurt to drizzle. Spoon up. YUM!
I know, the flowers are a little over the top, but hey, totally worth it when you can then share it on Instagram, right? Ha, first world goals!
Alright friends, tell me one food that has helped you feel better lately? Are you adding probiotic rich foods to your Diet? Ahem thats your cue right there.
Probiotics have truly helped heal my gut and better absorb nutrients. God knows I need those extra nutrients right now. Ah, more on that in another Behind the Scenes Real Life post!
Cheers!
MORE EASY HOMEMADE SNACK RECIPES HERE!
This recipe is part of our 10 Easy Homemade Snacks collection. Check it out!
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Immune System And Age
As we age, our immune response capability becomes reduced, which in turn contributes to more infections and more cancer. As life expectancy in developed countries has increased, so too has the incidence of age-related conditions.
While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, the elderly are more likely to contract infectious diseases and, even more importantly, more likely to die from them. Respiratory infections, including, influenza, the COVID-19 virus and particularly pneumonia are a leading cause of death in people over 65 worldwide. No one knows for sure why this happens, but some scientists observe that this increased risk correlates with a decrease in T cells, possibly from the thymus atrophying with age and producing fewer T cells to fight off infection. Whether this decrease in thymus function explains the drop in T cells or whether other changes play a role is not fully understood. Others are interested in whether the bone marrow becomes less efficient at producing the stem cells that give rise to the cells of the immune system.
Processed Foods With Added Sugars
Many ready-to-cook packaged foods contain chemicals and compounds not naturally found in food like artificial colors, flavorings, preservatives, and/or added sugars to make them shelf-stable or to improve taste and appearance. Any of these can irritate the body to exacerbate existing inflammation. This in turn monopolizes immune response and decreases the body’s capacity to defend against illness. Your best bet is to stick with whole and minimally-processed foods , and avoid unnecessary added sugars when possible.
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Exercise: Good Or Bad For Immunity
Regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and protects against a variety of diseases. But does it help to boost your immune system naturally and keep it healthy? Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system.
Health Benefits Of Apples:
Its naturally sweet from the fruit. An apple a day keeps a doctor away has truth to it, apples are very nutritional. They contain a good source of vitamin C and fiber. Apples could also help with weight loss since they are so filling from the fiber.
This is so true, when I went sugar-free, I ate an apple every time I wanted to eat something sweet or have a snack. They helped me stop the sweet cravings and made me feel full.
Carrot
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How To Make The Best Smoothie For Immune System
Making a smoothie is so simple. Heres how we do it:
Dont be fooled by the funky green color, we promise this is SO tasty!
How long does it take to make a recipe for an immune boosting smoothie*?This smoothie only takes 5 minutes to make!
Try Our Favorite Nutrition Boosters
Enhance any smoothie with some additional nutritious ingredients to really make it your own. Dont be afraid to experiment a little! Here are a few suggestions that you can add to this immune boosting smoothie:
- Matcha: if youre a green tea lover, you can add a teaspoon of matcha to your smoothie for green color, antioxidants and earthy flavor. Its so good!
- Flaxseed meal: this is one of my favorite ingredients to add to smoothies for a little boost of fiber and minerals, and is especially great for nursing mamas as flaxseed can help increase milk supply. Usually, a tablespoon is plenty! Heres a brand I love.
- Chia seeds: feel free to add in a tablespoon of chia seeds to your smoothie for a boost of healthy fats and fiber.
- Hemp seeds: if youve been wondering what to do with those hemp seeds lurking in your cupboard, feel free to throw in a tablespoon into your smoothie for a boost of healthy fats, omegas and minerals.
- Protein: make this a post-workout smoothie and boost the protein by adding 1/2 cup greek yogurt or 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder. I recommend Vital Protein collagen peptides or Four Sigmatic Protein Powder.
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An Easy Immunity Boosting Smoothie
Smoothies are on my weekly meal plan, even in cold weather. For me, they always feel more like a sweet treat than like the healthy meal they actually are. Bonus my kids love them, too! And, they have no idea how many super foods Im hiding right there in plain sight.
Of course, a cold refreshing, fruit smoothie tastes great on a warm day but dont count them out in the cold months. This immunity boosting smoothie is great to serve your family during cold and flu season.
Orange Probiotic Immunity Boosting Smoothies
These Orange Probiotic Immunity Boosting Smoothies are perfect for breakfast on the go.A vegetable and fruit based yogurt smoothie rich in vitamin C, Vitamin A, fiber, and Calcium. No sugars added.
And here we go again! I think these immunity boosting smoothies are number 4 of the come on gut healthy recipe series, right? I lost track after so many cultured salads and bowls! Anyways, we have 2 more to go, which includes this recipe! These next two gut health recipes will be smoothie based. Youll see what I mean. Ohh you are gonna LOVE IT! Or just act excited about all the gut health focus me, ok? Thanks.!
So, a little history about these probiotic rich smoothies. I used to make the them ALL the time when we traveled for my husbands races. Not actually while traveling, but before and after. I consider it a little pre travel gut boost and post travel reboot or gut tune up. Makes perfect sense, right? Traveling definitely puts me out of whack.
I know, I know, youre used to seeing all the greens, mega reds, and superfood supplement powders added to a reboot smoothie. But I think we have forgotten the power of ORANGE! Yes, orange as in fresh oranges, carrots, ginger, oh my! All these orange ingredients contribute to a healthy gut flora. Ill get to that in a minute.
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