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Boost Your Immune System Naturally with 5 Must Have Products!

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January 25, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

There are a number of ways to boost your immune system naturally before you get sick. With a deadly flu going around, not to mention all the other illnesses we’re more likely to acquire when our body is worn down, you really don’t want to take chances.

Boosting your body’s immunity however does more than just help deter illnesses. It can also help your body respond better to stress as well as lead to a more restful night’s sleep. And as a busy mom or a career driven rockstar, those are both things we can all use. I know I can.

So whether the kids are bringing home germs from school, your coworkers are passing a bug around the office or you’re simply feeling puny, here are five easy ways you can boost your immune system naturally for overall wellness.

How to Boost Your Immune System Naturally (5 Products to Buy Right Now!)

1. Mushrooms, Turmeric + Astragalus

I have two herbal supplements that I take daily to help boost my immunity. The first is Gaia Herbs Mushroom + Herbs Everyday Immune which contains a potent combination of mushrooms (Maitake, Reishi, Chaga, and Cordyceps) and herbs like turmeric and astragalus that have been seen to work at the cellular level.

About Chaga Mushrooms

The Chaga mushroom is commonly found on Birch trees throughout the colder climates of the Northern hemisphere. Historically consumed for centuries in the East as a tea, this powerful antioxidant rich mushroom is rich in Beta-D-Glucans which help to balance the body’s immune system response. Additionally, Chaga is also used to supports the body’s response to modern cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, by compensating for the negative side effects.

In addition, it’s also believe that Chaga can soothe pain associated with neuropathy and diabetes. As such this herbal supplement has been a key component in my overall health as someone who has struggled with fibromyalgia.

Other health benefits include its support for healthy blood pressure and cholesterol – Chaga is able to break down LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol in the bloodstream – as well as offering support for gastrointestinal issues such as ulcers.

About Turmeric

Turmeric, a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, contains curcumin which is also believed to have anticancer properties. There have been over 2000 studies and a phase 1 cancer trial in the UK that have shown curcumin can help to prevent several forms of cancer including breast, lung, stomach, liver, and colon cancer.

About Astragalus

Astragalus, a perennial flowering plant traditionally used in Chinese medicine as an adaptogen, also aids in fighting off stress and disease. Continuing research suggests that astragalus boosts immunity, acts as an anti-inflammatory, aids in the proper regulation of insulation and related illnesses, can slow tumor growth and protects the cardiovascular system.

2. Ashwagandha Root

The other herbal supplement that I take daily is Gaia Herbs Ashwagandha Root. Ashwagandha root, like astragalus, is another adaptogenic herb. It helps to nourish and restore optimal nervous and immune system health by normalizing mood, energy levels, and overall immune function.

For me, ashwagandha root helps immensely with my physical response to anxiety. Additionally, in Ayurvedic medicine, ashwagandha is used for its “grounding” properties for those with a high Vata as it aids in calming the mind and promoting restful sleep.

Further, this highly nutritional herb assists in maintaining proper body nourishment while also supporting proper function of the adrenals. Ashwagandha is especially beneficial to seniors in need of a nourishing, natural source of energy.

3. Probiotics

Probiotics are another easy, natural way to boost your immune system naturally. A must for a healthy gut, probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that aid a healthy digestive system.

Studies show that probiotics can help with issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and both infectious and antibiotic related diarrhea. While others have also experienced relief from skin conditions such as eczema.

Additional benefits include improved oral, vaginal and urinary health. And of course, for many people, probiotics also aid in the prevention of allergies and colds.

Because I need a healthy multi-vitamin I can trust in addition to probiotics, I take Garden of Life’s Vitamin Code Women’s Multivitamin. This product contains a blend of a raw organic fruits & vegetables, a raw probiotic & enzyme blend and a raw antioxidant & immune support complex. Additional ingredients include vitamins that support breast health, a woman’s reproductive system and bone strength.

Purchase these herbal supplements and other natural food & health products at substantial savings from Thrive Market and get 25% off your first order!

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

Drinking raw apple cider vinegar daily, either as a shot or as part of a tonic, is another great way to boost your immune system naturally. You know the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, because raw apple cider isn’t pasteurized and still contains the “mother” it maintains many of the same nutritional benefits as the unfermented fruit. When apples are then fermented to produce apple cider vinegar, it produces a number of beneficial enzymes including natural probiotics that boost your overall wellness and immunity.

Additionally, raw apple cider is also rich in malic acid. Malic acid is naturally anti-viral and therefore it can help to prevent colds caused by viruses as well as hasten your recovery should you get sick.

Apple cider vinegar further aids in digestion, can help you to maintain a healthy weight, assists in regulating blood sugar and can even lower blood pressure. All of these things promote good health and can make your body more able to fend off illnesses.

I am a huge fan of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar. Not only has this brand been around for a really long time, but you can also find it easily at most grocery and health food stores as well as online. Further, there is also a holistic book published by Melissa Bragg called Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System that help you get the most out of this superfood.

Make my inflammation busting, immunity boosting turmeric, ginger & apple cider vinegar tonic recipe as part of your daily diet!

5. Essential Oils

Aromatherapeutic use of essential oils are another way to boost your immune system naturally. In addition to managing stress, getting sufficient rest and maintaining proper nutrition, essential oils can also help to protect your body from germs.

Not only can you use essential oils to ease stress and calm your mind through aromatherapy, but certain essential oils also have strong antiviral and antibiotic properties. When using these essential oils with a diffuser, they can help to combat the airborne spread of germs. Some of these essential oils include clove, eucalyptus, frankincense, lemon, oregano and peppermint.

I also especially like Spark Naturals Shield essential oil blend for this purpose. This natural essential oil blend is created from a combination of blend of clove, cinnamon bark, lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils. Inspired by grave robbers during the plague in 15th century England, this blend was historically believed to protect them from illness when robbing dead plague victims.

Want to explore more essential oils and save money? Join Spark Naturals Oil of the Month Club with no contracts + skip a month any time!

In addition to these five ways to boost your immune system naturally, I also have a collection of natural ways to fight colds and flu. You can find that information here. You may also be interested in my Natural Home Remedies + Herbal Health Care Pinterest board.

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This article is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment or medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only. Information on products mentioned are based on my own personal experience and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult a physician prior to making any changes that may impact your health.

Filed Under: Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, Shopping Tagged With: apple cider vinegar, aromatherapy, essential oils, health, health and wellness, herbs, home remedy, mushrooms, natural, probiotics, self care, shopping, turmeric, vitamins

Yerba Mate Hair Rinse Recipe with Apple Cider Vinegar

June 2, 2017 By Rebecca D. Dillon

This Yerba Mate Hair Rinse Recipe with apple cider vinegar not only helps to strengthen hair and improve luster, but it can even restore hair’s natural color and fend off those pesky grays. While this yerba mate hair rinse is especially beneficial for anyone using a no poo hair care approach, it’s wonderful for all hair types.

Why Yerba Mate & Apple Cider Vinegar?

Raw apple cider vinegar is traditionally used in hair rinses for a variety of reasons. Not only does raw apple cider vinegar contain beneficial nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium that benefit hair, but the natural acidity of apple cider vinegar helps to restore hair’s natural PH balance. What this means for you is smoother, shinier hair that’s less prone to snagging and tangling. In addition, the alpha-hydroxy acid found in vinegar helps to exfoliate both your scalp and hair to remove dead skin cells, sweat and product buildup and residue.

In short, the regular use of an apple cider vinegar rinse leads to healthier hair with increased body and shine, decreased frizz and improvement to issues such as itchy scalp or dandruff. Treated hair will also have increased clarity and your scalp will have fewer clogged hair follicles means reduced shedding and hair loss.

Yerba Mate tea, like apple cider vinegar, is also packed with natural vitamins and minerals that help to strengthen hair follicles to reduce hair loss and improve volume. It’s also believed that yerba mate helps to restore hair’s natural luster and color.

Both yerba mate and apple cider vinegar shouldn’t be reserved just for your hair though. Both of these natural products have benefits for your body when consumed. Raw apple cider vinegar not only contains beneficial probiotics but it can also help you maintain a healthy weight. (I love my turmeric ginger apple cider vinegar tonic recipe for this.)

Yerba Mate, on the other hand, gives you that amazing caffeine kick that coffee normally would but without the jittery feeling that can come with it. It also helps to promote healthy weight loss and stimulates the immune system in addition to a variety of other health benefits. (Discover other benefits Yerba Mate has to offer here.) Plus it just tastes delicious!

You can add one Tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar to 16 oz. of Yerba Mate tea with a touch of your fave sweetener to get the best of both Yerba Mate and apple cider vinegar in a healthful daily drink!

Got it? Great! Check out my yerba mate hair rinse recipe below to get started!

Yerba Mate Hair Rinse Recipe

Ingredients:

16 oz. filtered water
4 teaspoons Yerba Mate
12 drops lavender essential oil
12 drops rosemary essential oil
12 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

You’ll begin my making the yerba mate tea for your yerba mate hair rinse.

To do this, bring 16 fluid ounces of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 4 teaspoons of Yerba Mate Tea. Steep 5-10 minutes.

I used the Shade-Grown Yerba Mate from Adagio Teas. (I’ve been a customer of theirs for years and am never disappointed.)

Strain the tea from the water and add to a glass pitcher. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature as too much heat will kill the beneficial bacteria found in raw apple cider vinegar.

Once cool, mix in four tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar.

I used Bragg’s apple cider vinegar that I purchased from Thrive Market. However, you can also purchase Bragg’s ACV at Amazon as well as find it at your local grocer. It’s typically in the organic section.

Add the essential oils if desired – they are optional but are wonderful for scalp health as well – and mix. Alternately you can also use your own favorite essential oil blend for hair.

I used essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs for their trusted quality. You can purchase all their Classic Essential Oil Kit if you’re just getting started which contains all three essential oils used in my yerba mate hair rinse recipe as well as five other common essential oils.

After shampooing hair using your preferred method – whether that’s shampoo, a cleansing conditioner or a shampoo bar – either pour over hair or spritz onto scalp using a spray bottle and massage into scalp, then rinse. Use up to two times a week if you have oily hair or as little as once a month for dry hair.

Want more natural hair care recipes? Be sure to check out my hair mask recipe for hair growth with neem oil and castor oil, my winter mint moisturizing hair mask recipe and my leave in coffee hair conditioner and shine spray recipe.

For more hair care recipes as well as homemade bath and body recipes, be sure to check out my DIY Bath and Body Pinterest board. Also be sure to follow me on G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram so you never miss a post. Or sign up to receive new posts from Soap Deli News blog to your email via FeedBurner.

Also, don’t forget. If you make homemade soaps or bath & body products I will be featuring your creations on Soap Deli News blog on my weekly wrap up posts! Simply add the hashtag #soapdelishowoff to your instagram and twitter posts for a chance to have your handmade products featured!

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes Tagged With: apple cider vinegar, bath and body, beauty, diy, hair care, hair recipe, hair tonic, natural, tea, yerba mate

Turmeric Ginger Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic Recipes

February 9, 2017 By Rebecca D. Dillon

My turmeric ginger apple cider vinegar recipes provide your body with natural probiotics and contain both turmeric and ginger which can help to fight chronic inflammation.

Both turmeric and ginger are well known for their natural anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, turmeric, a powerful antioxidant, contains curcumin which is believed to have anticancer properties. There have been over 2000 studies and a phase 1 cancer trial in the UK that have shown curcumin can help to prevent several forms of cancer including breast, lung, stomach, liver, and colon cancer. As there is a history of breast cancer in my family, turmeric has become a part of my daily diet.

Since drinking my turmeric ginger apple cider vinegar tonic daily in conjunction with switching to an aluminum free natural deodorant – this is the deodorant I make and use – my symptoms from fibromyalgia have diminished quite significantly. Most days I feel 99% better than when I was first diagnosed.

My Backstory.

Originally, I began drinking kombucha on the advice of an acquaintance who indicated it might help with my fibro symptoms. And it did. But I later switched to drinking apple cider vinegar instead.

Apple cider vinegar had fewer calories and less sugar than kombucha which worked better with my body’s needs. My drink of choice was Kevita’s Turmeric Ginger Cleansing Probiotic Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic. However, drinking this everyday cost around $100 a month. Obviously, not willing to give up how much better I’ve felt since adding this turmeric ginger apple cider vinegar drink to my diet, I finally decided to make my own.

Following are two great turmeric ginger apple cider vinegar recipes for you to try out!

Turmeric Ginger Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic Recipe

Ingredients:

8 fluid oz. natural 100% apple juice
12 fluid oz. filtered water
3 Tablespoons Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon ginger root powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric root powder
dash of black pepper (for better absorption of turmeric)

Instructions:

You’ll want to use Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar as it contains the mother and all the good probiotics for your gut. Store it at room temperature and shake before using. You do NOT want to heat your apple cider vinegar as it will kill all the good “bugs.”

Begin my mixing the apple cider vinegar with the blackstrap molasses. Otherwise when you add your molasses it will all sink to the bottom.

I love the flavor the molasses adds to this recipe. You can substitute the molasses with local raw honey or even manuka honey if you like for a milder taste. I prefer the molasses not only for the taste, but also because it contains vitamin B6. After having shingles I can tell you that vitamin B6 can help to deter getting shingles as well as the recurrence of shingles. My patient information sheet from the doctor even instructed me to take 50mg of vitamin B6 twice a day for two months.

Once you’ve mixed the apple cider vinegar and molasses together, measure out the other ingredients and mix in a glass jar or container. (I use an ello Elsie 20 oz. BPA Free Classic Milk Jar that I bought from Target to mix mine.) If you have access to fresh ginger, you can use a microplane grater to grate fresh ginger instead of using powdered.

Feel free to use more turmeric and/or ginger as desired to suit your taste. Or to also make other variations of this recipe such as using tea instead of apple juice. You can also try adding a dash of cinnamon!

If you aren’t drinking your turmeric ginger apple cider vinegar tonic right away, be sure to keep it stored in the fridge until use!

Blueberry Turmeric Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic Recipe

Ingredients:

8 fluid oz. natural blueberry juice
12 fluid oz. filtered water
3 Tablespoons Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon raw local honey or manuka honey
1 teaspoon ginger root powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric root powder
dash of black pepper (for better absorption of turmeric)

Instructions:

Like my previous recipe, you’ll need to mix the apple cider vinegar with the honey to dilute the honey. Then combine all of the ingredients in a glass container and shake well to combine.

I hope you enjoy these turmeric ginger apple cider vinegar recipes! If you have a favorite apple cider vinegar drink recipe I’d love for you to share it in the comments below. Or simply tell me what your favorite flavor combinations are!

For similar health and wellness recipes, be sure to follow my Natural Home Remedies and Herbal Health Care board on Pinterest here.

Also don’t forget to find and follow me on G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram. You can sign up to receive new posts to your email via FeedBurner so you never miss a post.

Filed Under: Food Recipes, Lifestyle Tagged With: apple cider vinegar, diy, drink, drink recipe, food recipe, ginger, health, home remedies, home remedy, tonic, turmeric