While self-care should be a priority all the time, it’s time like these when it becomes an absolute necessity. We all need to be making sure we give our immune system a well-deserved boost to keep ourselves as healthy as possible. There are so many ways to do this, and likely you’ve seen countless tips and tricks. I’m sharing one of my favorites – a citrus and herb combo that will help boost your body’s ability to fight off illness. Here are the ingredients and their benefits:

Lemon: Packed with vitamin C, lemons contain citric acid which can reduce acidity in your body and gut, making you more alkaline. Lemon helps to flush toxins from the liver, so it’s excellent to add to warm water first thing in the morning as well. It aids in digestion, is hydrating, and also wonderful for the skin.

Ginger: Ayurveda refers to ginger as a ‘universal medicine’ because of its many medicinal properties. It aids in digestion and, very important right now, respiration. It can alleviate nausea and relieve hiccups as well as destroy AMA (toxins) in the body. It is also thought to improve brainfood-- truly an herbal superfood!

Oregano Oil: A natural anti-biotic, this stuff is a potent, which you’ll notice upon opening a bottle! Like the two ingredients above, it can aid in digestion and from the smell of it, you won’t be surprised that it can kill bacteria and potential viruses. It’s also a potent anti-inflammatory.

Apple Cider Vinegar: ACV, as it’s known, has potent anti-microbial properties and is great for the gut. It can also help lower blood sugar and assist with weight loss.

Cinnamon: Like many of the above ingredients, cinnamon helps combat inflammation. It is loaded with antioxidants and has been shown to help balance blood sugar – perfect for those days when we overdo the carbs. (Potentially more and more often when we’re all working at home!) It’s also been shown to effectively treat respiratory tract infections caused by bacteria. (Source: Healthline)

Citrus and Herb Immunity Tonic

Ingredients

  • Lemon (use the juice of 1)
  • Ginger (use about ¾”)
  • Oregano Oil (1-2 drops)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar (2 tbsp)
  • Cinnamon (2 tsp)

Instructions

  1. Pour 16 ounces clean water in a small saucepan and add fresh ginger (either finely chopped or grated) and either 2 tsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick and bring to a rolling boil.
  2. Reduce to low heat for another 3-4 minutes. Turn off heat.
  3. Add lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar and stir. Allow to cool a bit.
  4. Add one to two drops of oregano oil (depends on what you can tolerate) into a cup and strain liquid into cups. Stir to combine.
  5. You can leave the mixture in the pot and warm it back up as needed throughout the day, maybe omitting the oregano oil for a serving if you’d like.

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