The cold and flu season is upon us and the swine flu still worries many. This is a great time to give your immune system a boost by building up your nutritional reserves.
Many children and adults have a hard time getting all the immune building nutrients they need. One way to make for this is to make an immune system boosting smoothie.
Drink this smoothie once a day for several days after being exposed to a virus or when there is a chance of exposure to give your body a fighting chance. When children start school they could walk into rooms full of new bugs their immune systems have not yet been exposed to. Build them up right before school starts and for a few days afterwards.
Immune System Boosting Smoothie
- 2 cups milk or soy or rice beverage
- 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
- 1 serving of a multi-nutrient supplement
- one frozen banana, cut up
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, frozen (e.g., organic strawberries, papaya, mango)
- 1 tbsp. flax oil or 2 tbsp. flaxseed meal (Because fiber steadies the absorption of carbohydrates and therefore contributes to a steadier blood sugar we suggest using rich sources of fiber, such as flaxseed meal (i.e., ground flax seeds, containing both the oil and fiber), although flax oil has a more palatable consistency than flaxseed meal. For more fiber, if you don’t mind an even grainier texture, add 1 tbsp. or more of oat bran.)
- 3 ounces tofu
- 10 mg. zinc
- 100 mcg. selenium
- 50-100 IU vitamin E
- 1 serving soy isolate powder (optional)
- 2 tbsp. peanut butter (optional)
Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve immediately after blending while the mixture still has a bubbly milkshake-like consistency.
