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You are here: Home / Archives for immunity

Ginger to the Rescue!

Got cold symptoms? Trying to keep the cold or flu at bay? Then consider adding in fresh ginger root to your daily routine, especially around the holidays, for a whole foods approach to cold and flu prevention.

Ginger root is a very safe and effective tool to use during the cold fall and winter months. Gingerols are the most studied active component of ginger root that are associated with both anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial (both viral and bacterial) properties thereby reducing pain and soreness and while fighting off infections. This combination makes ginger root a prime tool come cold and flu season.

Not only can ginger help directly fight off bacterial and viral infections, but it can also help stimulate the immune system to better fight off current infections. This powerful combination allows for quicker symptom relief and recovery. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory compounds in ginger root may help reduce discomfort including body aches and sore throats. Don't be surprised if other areas of your body feel less pain too — think menstrual cramps, joint pain, and more.

Fresh ginger root provides more antioxidant activity than dried, but both can be used to help ward of cold symptoms. However, fresh ginger root is my preferred way to use this root — not only for the health benefits but also for the flavor. Fresh ginger root is spicier and more pungent than dried, and overall, more warming. When combined with raw, local honey you get added anti-microbial benefits as well as some sweetness.

Let me share with you two easy ways to add therapeutic doses of fresh ginger root to your daily cold prevention routine.

Easy Fresh Ginger Root Tea

It cannot get more simple than fresh ginger root tea.

DIRECTIONS: Slice 4-6 slices of fresh ginger root and add to filtered water in a saucepan and cover. Bring to a low simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, strain, and enjoy.

Optional: Stir in raw, local honey and fresh lemon juice to taste.

For even more support, add 1 clove minced garlic and/or fresh turmeric root slices.

Powerful Ginger Juice Shots

The most versatile way to use ginger root, is to make your own ginger juice with a high-speed blender. Then you can make your own cheap ginger shots for a quick boost, mix the juice with sparkling water for a refreshing drink, stir into hot water for an easy ginger tea, blend into a smoothie, or even add to soups and broths. The options are endless!

DIRECTIONS: Take a palm-size ginger root, coarsely chop, and blend with 2/3 cup water. Pulse to break up and then increase speed to high and blend into a very smooth liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a glass jar. Use the back of a spoon to press the juice out, leaving behind only dry ginger pulp. Alternatively, you can pour the liquid through a nut milk bag and squeeze out the juice. This keeps for about a week in the fridge. Shake before using as the ginger compounds settle to the bottom and take 1-2 tablespoons per day. Stir in raw, local honey and lemon juice if desired.

A cup of immunity-boosting ginger root tea with fresh ginger, lemon, and honey
A hand holds ginger root in the sunlight
By Selva Wohlgemuth, Co-op News Contributor
Selva Wohlgemuth is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and owner of Happy Belly Nutrition in Bellingham, Washington. She specializes in gut health and has an in-depth knowledge of women's health. She is an avid outdoorswoman and mother.

HOT OFF THE PRESS| NUTRITION| WELLNESS anti-inflammatory| ask the nutritionist| flu season| healthy| immunity| nutrition| recipe| wellness

Immunity Tips for Back to School

It’s that time of year when students fill their backpacks with textbooks, notebooks, pens, and pencils as schools once again re-open for the fall. Although a fresh new school year can be full of promise and possibility, it can also bring the not-so-fun season of colds, stomach bugs, and flus. 

Below are some simple strategies to support a healthy immune system, keeping the bugs and viruses at bay.

Eat the Rainbow:

Eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs and fungi can help provide the vitamin, minerals, and nutrients necessary to support an optimally functioning immune system. An easy way to approach healthy eating is to think about eating the rainbow; eating vegetables and fruits from across the color spectrum ensures you get enough of the antioxidants, phytonutrients, and anti-inflammatory components that these foods have to offer. 

A heart made of produce

Lean into those leafy greens, blueberries, apples, carrots, peppers, squashes, and garlic to not only make your plate more colorful, but more nutritious as well.

Apples with nut butter

Simply Eat!

One important aspect of diet that often gets overlooked in conversations on food and immunity is eating enough calories and protein in order to power your immune system. Fighting off viruses and bugs takes effort, and your body needs enough fuel to combat these invaders effectively. Making sure that you are eating enough throughout the day is essential for immune health during cold and flu season. 

Getting adequate protein is also essential. Protein provides the necessary building blocks for the immune system, it helps in recovery from illnesses, and is required for antibody production. I often recommend folks have snacks handy for between meals that pair a protein with a carbohydrate, such as hummus and crackers or sliced apples and nut butter.

Spice it Up:

Herbs and spices not only help to flavor food, they also are often rich in antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant components. Some superheroes of the spice and herb world include:

-    Garlic: With antiviral and antibacterial properties, garlic is a dynamo when it comes to staving off illness. To activate the enzyme that releases garlic’s immune boosting components, let the garlic rest after cutting or crushing for about 15 minutes before cooking.

-    Turmeric: Not only does turmeric enhance the flavor of many dishes, it also is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

Garlic on a cutting board

-    Thyme: This versatile herb is both antibacterial and antispasmodic. Add it liberally to soups and other dishes to help fight off colds and coughs. The volatile oils (the smelly bits) are most potent and can be inhaled via a strong tea or add the leaves to a hot bath.

Various mushrooms laid out on a blue background.

Munch on Mushrooms:

Mushrooms contain polysaccharides called beta-glucans which act as immunomodulators, meaning they help to balance the immune system, encouraging it to activate when sick and to calm down when overstimulated. All edible mushrooms carry some medicinal benefit when they are cooked — allowing them to be properly absorbed by the digestive tract. Common powerhouses of the medicinal mushroom world include shiitake, lion’s mane, maitake, reishi, and turkey tail (the latter two more easily taken via tincture, powder or capsule).  

Feed Your Microbiome:

Cultivating a healthy, diverse, and balanced community of microbes in the gut is an essential component of immunity. Like mushrooms, they are essential for regulating a healthy, well-balanced immune system. When these microbes aren’t at healthy levels or diverse enough, then they can cause immune dysregulation and exacerbate autoimmune issues. You can encourage a healthy microbiome by feeding it foods high in fiber (vegetables, chia seeds, whole grains) and fermented foods such as kimchi, miso, kefir, and kombucha. For further support, probiotics can also be helpful in boosting healthy bacterial populations in the gut.

Fermented kimchi on a plate with chopsticks.
Bunch of colorful Swiss chard.

Extra Vitamins:

For an extra boost during cold and flu season, specific vitamins and minerals can be a great addition to your immunity arsenal.

-    Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps your immune system recognize and eliminate pathogens quickly while also preventing an excessive response that could be damaging to the body. Unfortunately, if you live year-round in the Pacific Northwest it can be difficult to get adequate vitamin D from sun exposure. Supplementation with D3 can help ensure you obtain adequate levels for healthy immune function. Consult your health care provider for appropriate dosing as it is important to avoid dosing too high as this can cause serious health effects.

-    Zinc: Zinc is necessary for the production and proliferation of immune cells. It also can have direct antiviral activity on rhinoviruses and have been shown to decrease the severity and duration of cold symptoms. Foods that are high in zinc include pumpkin seeds, oysters, beef, turkey, Swiss chard, oats, and mustard greens. Supplementation is also an option but be sure to take it with food as zinc can cause nausea on an empty stomach.

-    Selenium: Selenium plays an important role as an antioxidant, ensuring the body rids itself of the free radicals that the immune system uses to kill off invaders after those free radicals have done their job. This helps prevent damage to healthy human cells during and after an illness. Brazil nuts have high amounts of selenium and just three per day provide supplement level doses.

By Kelley Garrison, ND

Dr. Garrison is a licensed naturopath at Northwest Life Medicine Clinic who specializes in stress and stress-related conditions such as anxiety, panic disorder, and irritable bowel syndrome. She enjoys working with patients to find the root cause of their symptoms and helps them cultivate the resources needed to feel healthy and resilient. You can find her at nwlifemedicine.com.

HOT OFF THE PRESS| NUTRITION| PRODUCE| THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE| WELLNESS back to school| fall| fresh| healthy| immunity| kid friendly| nutrition| produce| vegetables| wellness

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A bottle of rose sits next to a heart shaped candle, two bottles of nail polish, and two mineral bath packets.

Valentine’s Gifts for You and Yours

Show your Valentine, your Galentine, and yourself some love this Valentine’s Day with unique gifts, wine, flowers, chocolate, and more from the Community Food Co-op. We’ve curated some loving inspiration to make your Valentine’s Day special.  Heart Pillar from Big Dipper Wax Works Bask in the warm glow of this [...]
We stand with the AAPI community

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The Community Food Co-op is saddened by the continued violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and condemns all hate crimes. The Co-op has zero tolerance for racism, and we continue to work to transform our organization and community for racial equity. Racial equity work is a […]

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Addressing Optimal Hydration Although everyone knows that water is essential for life, most don’t understand why drinking enough water is so important. Without water, humans can only survive for a matter of days. To prevent dehydration all land animals (us humans included) have evolved very sensitive physiological controls to maintain […]

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meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
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meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
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