Boost and Protect Your Immune Health

Boost and Protect Your Immune Health

The concerns about the pandemic of Covid- 19 has been lurking around us since late February 2020, and as we approach the Fall months, we also have to contend with the flu. You cannot control the outbreak of viruses, but you can arm yourself with a healthy immune system. According to Harvard Health, you can do several things to boost and protect your immune health.

Eat a nutrient-rich diet – A high-fiber diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes stimulates immune activity. Probiotic and Prebiotic foods also help immune health. Probiotic foods include Yogurt, fermented vegetables, sauerkraut, tempeh, kombucha tea, kimchi, and miso. Prebiotic foods include Garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, dandelion greens, bananas, and seaweed.

In addition to a healthy diet, vitamin and herbal supplements can also support your immune health. The critical vitamin and herbal supplements are Zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, D, and E.

Although studies are inconclusive, echinacea, Garlic, and green tea have been suggested to offer immune protection and boost immune health.

There are many claims that chicken soup can cure a common cold, but no clinical trials show that it helps with healing. However, chicken soup can make you feel better when you are sick, and it is also packed with various immune-supporting nutrients, which include: Protein and Zinc from chicken, Vitamin A from the carrots, Vitamin C from the celery and onions, and Vitamin A, K, and C from

Simple Chicken Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken – make sure to take out the interior parts that are in the chicken before cooking

2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 – Medium Onions Chopped
4 – Garlic Cloves chopped
6 – Whole Carrots Chopped
6 – Celery Stalks Chopped
1/4 Cup Parsley Chopped
4 – Potatoes (any kind) Chopped
10 -12 Chicken bouillon Cubes
8 – 10 Cups of Water

You can add broccoli if you want.

Directions:

Put oil on a pan and add onions and Garlic, sauté for a few minutes and then add Carrots, Celery, Potatoes, and Parsley. Stir together and add the whole Chicken, Water, and Bouillon Cubes. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer for about 2 hours. The soup is done when the chicken starts to fall off the bone. When the soup cools, take the chicken out, pull the meat off, and put the chicken pieces back in the soup. BE CAREFUL OF CHICKEN BONES in the soup.

Enjoy soup with rice, noodles, or quinoa

Note: This makes a large pot of soup. You can freeze the soup also.

There are other things you can also do to help with immune health.

  • Manage your stress
  • Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night
  • Exercise regularly
  • Do not smoke and drink alcohol in moderation
  • Keep positive, have fun and nurture healthy relationships
  • Remember to wash your hands frequently.

Hope you found this information helpful. Stay safe and stay well!

Nutrition and Immunity. (2020, July 23). Retrieved August 17, 2020, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-and-immunity/

Vegan Pesto

Enjoy this Easy and Delicious Vegan or Non- Vegan Pesto Recipe

You will need a food processor and the ingredients below:

  • Two handfuls of Fresh Basil
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • ¼ cup Pine nuts or walnuts
  • 2 Tbs of Nutritional Yeast
  • Violife wedge-like parmesan cheese or another vegan cheese – 1-inch
  • wedge cut into small pieces
  • ¼ to ½ cup of Olive oil
  • 1-clove of Garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • For the non-vegans – Make the following substitutions
  • Instead of nutritional yeast and vegan cheese substitute: add ¼ cup of pecorino romano grated cheese Directions: Mix the dry ingredients first, then add the remaining ingredients. Blend well! Enjoy!

It is Time to Thrive

It is Time to Thrive

How can you create a positive life when you are recovering from a negative event? Whether it is the uncertainties of Covid-19 or a negative life event, it can be difficult to imagine that you will experience happiness again. There is a road back I promise you, but it will take work.

What can you do? Basically, the most important thing you can do is to keep busy.

The following suggestions can help you rebuild your life and take your mind off anything that does not make you show up as your best self.

  • Read a book – There are a variety of self-help books or read a positive fiction book and escape into the story.
  • Meditate/Pray – I love the app Insight timer – they have a free account too
  • Call or Visit a friend on Zoom
  • Watch an uplifting TV series or Comedy. There are many options on Netflix and Hulu.
  • Listen to music – Create a playlist of your favorite songs
  • Join a Meetup Group on-line (there are Meetup groups for almost everything, book clubs, cooking, meditation)
  • Learn something new – (a new language, a card game, an online course) Coursera is an on-line app with a variety of courses)
  • Journal – journaling can be an effective way to purge your thoughts and to reflect
  • Write gratitude lists – Create a gratitude habit. It forces your brain to focus on the positive and creates positive pathways if you are consistent with focusing on gratitude
  • Help someone – Studies show that doing for others creates positive feelings for the person doing the good deed as well as the recipient.
  • Organize – You will feel a sense of accomplishment
  • Take up a new hobby or learn a craft
  • Look your best – Looking good adds to feeling good.
  • Exercise – let the endorphins flow. There are plenty of online exercises that are free of charge. Ride a bike or purchase exercise equipment (exercise bike, rowing machine, elliptical, treadmill, etc.) Many of the exercise equipment companies are offering financing at 0% and are also offering training programs with a variety of workouts. Nordictrack and Peloton are offering 0% financing over time. Orange theory offers a free online workout to do at home with different exercise levels. Pure Barre offers Pure Barre Go for $29.00 per month with several workouts to do at home.
  • Eat healthy non- processed foods to feel your best
  • Rearrange furniture, decorate or paint a room
  • Enjoy nature whenever you can
  • Limit listening to the news. Always be informed but you do not have to listen all day or every day.
  • Smile– smiling has a positive effect on your mood

The Positive Psychology Diet – 21 Days to a Happier and Healthier Life

The Positive Psychology Diet – 21 Days to a Happier and Healthier Life

 

“Transform Your Life with The Positive Psychology Diet: A Journey to Happiness”

Welcome to a transformative journey with “The Positive Psychology Diet: A Journey to Happiness”. This inspiring daily guide is your companion in creating the joyful life you deserve. Grounded in scientific research, this book reveals that while 50% of our happiness is genetic and 10% is influenced by life circumstances, a significant 40% is within our control.

In just 21 days, the time it takes for the brain to form new mental patterns, you’ll discover tools that promise a happier, healthier you. “The Positive Psychology Diet” is not just about food; it’s about feeding your mind with positivity and practical strategies.

Uncover why traditional diets often fail and how to transform not just your eating habits, but your life. Learn to harness your innate ability to de-stress, change long-standing habits, and achieve your goals. Ever wonder what makes the happiest people tick? This book guides you in adopting these traits.

Embark on this journey and use your 40% to craft a life brimming with happiness.

New Book – Available Now

Happiness Is My Choice: A Practical Guide to Happiness by Gemma Health Coach
by Amazon.com

What if I told you that research shows that there are activities and tools that you can implement into your daily life to increase your happiness? Would you want to try? Adversity is a part of life. Learn how to mindfully prepare for the difficult times and fully enjoy the great times. This book is a guide to help you increase your happiness and therefore your well-being. Do you want to be happier? You choose!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544809972/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Z5YgEbJ2CBRZJ

Manage Your Nutritional and Emotional Health

Manage Your Nutritional and Emotional Health

  • Make sure you wear a outfit that makes you feel great!
  • Listen or watch something funny or inspirational every day.
  • Focus positive energy on all the positives in your life and be grateful for them.
  • Put your problems to the side for a few hours a day. The problems may not seem so bad when you revisit them.
  • Do not participate in gossip or negative conversations. Words are powerful. Remember to use them wisely.
  • Drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated to remove the toxins from food and stress.
  • Try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night and include a 20 minute period of meditation if possible.
  • Exercise – Include exercise in your daily schedule. Exercise releases endorphins which help to elevate your mood.
  • Try to eat and drink in moderation – deprivation has been proven to make you overeat. It takes 3500 calories to gain one pound of body fat so pick your desserts carefully.
  • Do not get on the scale every day
  • .Remember to focus on the things that you are grateful for each day.

Organic Vegetable Soup Recipe

Organic Vegetable Soup Recipe

Please use all organic vegetables

  • 2 tbs of organic olive oil
  • Fresh ginger, (about 8 chunks)
  • Fresh parsley, basil and oregano
  • I leek chopped
  • (1) onion
  • A few garlic cloves
  • (2) sweet potatoes, skin on chopped
  • (2) white potatoes, skin on chopped
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Shiitake mushrooms
  • Peas
  • Kale
  • Celery
  • Filtered water if possible

Put oil in a pot, add ginger, garlic, onion, leek, fresh herbs, and sauté for a few min to infuse oil. Then add remaining ingredients.

Stir and keep from burning. Add water and cook until vegetables are cooked but still firm.

Add more fresh herbs and squeeze lemon for a zesty lemon taste. It is a great way to detox.

You can also get raw crackers at the health food store to compliment the soup.

Food Rules for Healthier Living

Food Rules for Healthier Living

  1. Don’t eat after 8 pm.
  2. Read all labels. If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.
  3. Avoid processed foods
  4. Avoid grocery shopping when you are hungry
  5. Buy organic  and wild whenever possible
  6. Plan meals
  7. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day
  8. Always try to buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season instead of frozen
  9. Do not rush meals.  Take the time to enjoy and digest
  10. Avoid emotional eating.
  11. Chew your food well before swallowing
  12. Control portion sizes.  Even healthy foods can add extra calories if you eat too much.
Eating properly is treating your body with the respect it deserves to work properly.

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