The world has been hit by a Novel Corona Virus Pandemic and it is getting worse by each passing day. Since the Unlock phase 1 has begun, the world seems to be getting back to normal, except the virus still persists.
As individuals, there are only two things you can do to fight against the Corona virus, first being the social distancing and staying away from the virus as much as you can, and second, an equally important one boosts your immune system.
We have to take care of our immune systems more than ever today. The stronger your immunity, the less chance of being prone towards falling ill or catching the virus. Apart from living a healthy lifestyle, eating right, and exercising regularly, there are many immunity-boosting foods & herbs which will help you to boost your immunity system.
You can always resort to these immunity boosting drinks that are not just healthy for you but can be easily made in the home with the ingredients available in your kitchen:
1. Golden latte
Golden latter or as we Indians like to call it- the Haldi Doodh, is a fail-proof drinks to boost immune system and fight against many kinds of illness. Indian households have been using this method to cure diseases like cold and cough since the time immemorial and it always does wonders for the body.
It is best to consume Golden latte in the night right before going to bed. The turmeric and ginger boost the anti-oxidants and increases the capacity of the body to fight against free radicals.
Ingredients:
- 1 inch thin sliced fresh turmeric or 1/4th teaspoon of ground drier turmeric.
- 1 inch thinly sliced fresh ginger, smashed into a paste.
- Pinch of ground cinnamon and pepper
- 2 cups of unsweetened milk of your choice
- 1 tablespoon of honey
Heat the milk along with ginger, turmeric, and honey in a small pot on medium flame until it simmers. Strain the liquid and whisk it till it becomes frothy. Sprinkle some cinnamon and ground pepper before serving. The secret of adding black pepper is that it helps the turmeric react in the body faster and better.
2. Herbal decoction
The herbal decoction or Kadha has been a fail-safe homemade immunity boosting drinks that according to our grandmothers can cure any worldly diseases. This Ayurvedic concoction includes all kinds of herbs and spices that come with numerous medicinal benefits and is even recommended by the Ayush Mantralaya.
All the nutrient-rich herbs fight against allergies, stimulate the digestion process, helps in detoxing the body, and improving gut health which ultimately leads to a better immunity system.
You can devour the Kadha multiple time during the day depending on your preferences. All you have to do is heat up before consuming for the best results of this immunity boosting kadha.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of dried ginger
- 1 tablespoon of cardamom
- Any option herb/spice of your choice
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
- Honey
- 1 tablespoon of black pepper
- 3 cups of water
Take a pot, add all the spices together in water, and set it to boil. Once the water comes to a boil, you should be left with around 1 cup of the solution. Let the cup sit till it becomes warm, add some honey and you are good to consume this immunity boosting drinks.
3. Spiced tea
Drinking tea which is also an immunity booster drink, is a win-win in life. This spiced tea comes with the goodness of anti-microbial properties, anti-inflammatory properties, and are also rich in compounds that get rid of infections.
The raw honey in the tea not only adds the added natural sweetness but also acts as an anti-bacterial agent and anti-viral agent that boosts your immunity.
Drinking the spiced tea once in a day, be it morning or evening works well for the body.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 peppercorns
- 1 inch of cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 1-star anise
- 1 pod of cardamom crushed
- 1 tablespoon of raw honey
- A handful of tulsi leaves
- 1 liter of water
Pour all the ingredients into a boiling water pan and let it simmer for over 20 t0 minutes. Once the concoction is ready, add a tablespoon of honey to top it off.
4. Green juice
Nothing can be the better of the greens when it comes to immunity boosting drinks. If you cannot eat your greens, at least drink them right. All the green veggies are super-rich in different kinds of vitamins, folic acid, antioxidants, and they also help in preventing anti-inflammation and fight body infections.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of coriander leaves
- 1 cup of mint leaves
- A pinch of black salt
- 1 cup of spinach leaves
- 1 apple or any fruit of your choice
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice.
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup of water
Take all the ingredients and blend it all with a cup of water. It is best to consume this immediately during the day time as the greens will take some time to digest and will boost your energy levels during the day.
5. Ginger turmeric lemonade
Give your regular lemonade a healthier touch by adding a few of those Grandmom’s favorite anti-microbial rich ingredients like turmeric, ginger, lemon, honey, and more. This magic detox drink is rich in anti-oxidants, it is antidepressant with anti-inflammatory properties, it promotes a healthy heart diet, and if nothing could motivate you till now let me tell you this gives you a glowing skin too.
It is advisable to drink this All-things-good lemonade as soon as you wake up in an empty stomach for better results. In case you missed trying to drink it within the sunlight hours when you are not too full.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of Water
- 2 Inch fresh ginger root cleaned and peeled
- 2 Inch Turmeric Root cleaned and peeled
- A pinch of Black paper powder or 5-7 Paper corns
- 2 whole lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon raw honey
- Ice cubes (Optional)
- 2-3 stocks of Lemongrass stalks (Optional)
Now there are two methods of making Yellow Punch:
First Method – Go Blending:
Take the lemons, peel and deseed them, roughly dice the roots, now put 1 cup of water along with all these ingredients and peppercorns in a blender, give it a quick sharp blend. Now strain the mixture, mix 3 cups of water (in case of blending you may add some more water) and the honey in it, test taste and adjust the sweetness and it is ready! Serve it on the ice cube.
Personal note: I give ice and lemongrass a miss if I go blender’s way.
Second Method – Boil the Storm:
Take all the solid ingredients like ginger, turmeric root and lemongrass, roughly chop them, pour a cup of water in a pan and keep it to boil, add all the chopped ingredients in it. Once it comes to boil, cover the pan and let it simmer in low flame for 10 minutes. Now, urn off the heat, strain the liquid and let it cool down completely. Once it is cool, Mix 3 cups of regular water, 2 tablespoons of raw honey, juice of two lemons, pinch of black paper powder, add some ice cubes and give it a good mix. A refreshing glass of energy booster is ready to serve!
Little Tip: Crush the solid ingredients in a mortar pester to get the max out of it.
These were some of our highly recommended immunity boosting drinks recipe, make your own, and improve your immune system while sitting at home in your PJ’s and enjoy top binge-worthy shows to fight the lockdown blues.
Stay safe and stay Atmanirbhar (Self Sufficient)!
