Lemon – A great way to boost your immunity

Lemon – A great way to boost your immunity

by | Feb 6, 2021 | Recipes, Vegan

When you’re feeling fatigued or concerned you might be getting sick, here’s a quick and easy immune boosting recipe: blend one whole lemon with one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and one cup of water. Yep the whole lemon, including the rind. 

Lemons are an excellent immunity booster, providing your body with essential vitamin C, antioxidants, antivirals and antibacterial support that your immune system needs to keep you healthy. Lemons are also a great way to alkalize your body in an effort to balance your pH and fight cancer and other chronic diseases. Visit our website for more information about balancing your pH.

The lemon oil from the rind is exceptionally powerful. It contains limonene which is a potent antimicrobial that kills microorganisms and prevents their growth, as well as having anti fungal properties. Research also shows that the flavonoids from the citrus peel help fight cancer and reduce respiratory inflammation. Adding olive oil to this drink helps your body release toxins from your liver.

Try our recipe:

  • 1 small whole lemon or lime – cut into small pieces – rind and seeds
  • 1 cup of water (more for larger lemons)
  • 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 
  • 1 handful of ice cubes, optional

If the sour flavor of lemon is too strong, add 1 tbsp of date paste or a pinch of stevia. 

Instructions:

  1. Wash lemon well then cut into small pieces to make it easier for your blender to liquify. (Do not remove the rind or seeds.)
  2. Put lemon pieces in blender and blend for a few seconds to break down the lemon.
  3. Add the water and oil (and date paste or stevia and ice cubes, if using) and blend until liquefied.
  4. If your blender is not super powerful, you may have small bits of residual rind. Do not strain. Drink and enjoy!
Probiotics can help ease anxiety and depression

Probiotics can help ease anxiety and depression

by | Feb 6, 2021 | Nutrition

The power of food to heal through the gut-brain connection

It’s common knowledge that our thoughts and emotions directly affect the health of our gut. Negative feelings like stress and anxiety can lead to an upset stomach, heartburn, nausea, loose stools, etc. This is called the gut-brain connection  But did you know that this relationship between our brains and our gut also works in reverse? 

Researchers have found that the health of the microbiota in our gut (the community of microorganisms) can impact our behavior and emotions.

By altering bacteria in the gut through specially designed diets with probiotics/prebiotics, researchers have discovered that the health of your gut microbiota can be used as a tool to support psychiatric therapies by easing anxiety and depression.  Although the current studies are small, their findings are promising.

Probiotics are the live bacteria found in fermented foods and prebiotics are types of dietary fiber that feed the good gut bacteria. Although supplements can provide an easy way to get your probiotics, consuming probiotics and prebiotics through whole foods offers a greater source of overall nutrition than taking them as supplements. If you choose to add probiotics to your diet, be aware that not all fermented foods contain live bacteria due to the type of processing they have gone through and the way they are stored. For example, pasteurizing kills bacteria and some pickled foods are not actually fermented. 

Vegan probiotic foods that support gut health:

  • Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage)
  • Kimchi (spicy fermented red cabbage)
  • Fermented vegetables (not all pickled vegetables are fermented)
  • Kombucha (fermented tea)
  • Tempeh (fermented soy)
  • Miso (fermented soy in the form of a broth)

Common prebiotic foods:

  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Leeks
  • Asparagus
  • Bananas
  • Barley
  • Oats 
  • Apples
  • Cocoa
  • Flaxseed
  • Seaweed