Hot and cold immune-boosting drinks
In addition to my daily consumption of carrot juice I now enjoy home-made pineapple, mango and kiwi juice and an immune-boosting hot remedy I drink several times a week.
After spending the last three weeks recovering from symptoms of coronavirus and self-isolating, I finally feel as if I am on the mend. Last week was the most challenging of my illness as I had such severe muscle pain that I suspended even my daily exercise to conserve every ounce of energy. I also spent most of the week in bed and slept as much as possible to allow my body to repair itself.
This wasn’t easy as I like to keep busy and confess I did attempt to weed the borders in my garden two days in a row and paid for it with the most severe backache! However, after resting again in bed and boosting my immune system with extra fruit juices and home-made remedies, I felt well enough to resume my daily exercise this morning.
I’m not sure where the home-made remedy originated from but it was passed onto me by my former hairdresser from Jamaica, early last year when I was fighting a cold and within days the cold was gone!
It’s very easy to make – I peel the rind from three lemons and three limes (you can also add pineapple and mango skins); peel and crush two cloves of garlic and a large piece of ginger and add them to a medium size pot. I then fill the pot with water, simmer for 30 minutes and add honey to flavour.
Lemons and limes are a good source of vitamin C and flavonoids, which are antioxidants, known to boost the immune system. Ginger aids digestion and reduces inflammation, while garlic has antibacterial properties and can help to lower cholesterol.
Mango skin is an antioxidant and contains chemicals that reduce the risk of heart disease and protect the liver. Pineapple skin contains enzymes that are anti-inflammatory, aid digestion and have a host of other benefits including strengthening bones.
Nothing is wasted as I used the pineapple and mango, along with kiwi fruit, in my new daily juice. It’s also very easy to make – I cut the mango and pineapple into chunks and and slice the kiwi fruit and put them in the blender with boiled water from the skins. I then strain the juice before storing in the fridge – it stays fresh for up to 3 days.
Kiwi fruit is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, good for heart health and blood pressure, as are mangos, while pineapple fruit, as well as being an antioxidant contains vitamin B, involved in energy production.
