DIY Remedy for Boosting the Immune System

This winter season has been brutal on our immune systems.  Even people who never get sick through the flu season are sniffling, courageously fighting whatever germs come their way.  Here is my favorite remedy to make when starting to feel under the weather.

Why this home remedy for cough and cold works:

This recipes contains the best things for you to fight a cold or flu naturally:
Lemon: High in vitamin C, which keeps the immune system strong and neutralizes the free radicals in your body. This reduced the inflammation and swelling.

Ginger: Helps you sweat out the toxins in your body, which is helpful when you have a cold or flu. Ginger is also helpful for settling upset stomachs, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and cold sweats.

Garlic:  Rich in antioxidants, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and manganese. A recent study on the antibacterial and antiviral properties of garlic shows that it can help boost the immune system. This means that garlic can help reduce the occurrence and the severity of the symptoms of a cold and shorten the recovery period as well. Garlic may also help with congestion in the sinuses by reducing inflammation in the nasal passages. 

Manuka Honey: Soothes a sore throat, making it an effective and natural cough suppressant. This improves the body's ability to fight infection and decreases the risk of fevers. The natural sweetness of honey also balances the tartness of the lemon and the ginger's and garlic's spice in this concoction.  Read this to learn more about Manuka honey. 

You can make this immunity boosting, body soothing concoction ahead of time and store in the fridge. I usually keep my mixture for about two months, and then make a new batch.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lemons thoroughly cleaned
• 2 piece fresh ginger about the size of your pointer and middle finger togehter
• Manuka honey
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 12 oz mason jar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice lemons and ginger. Chop garlic.
2. Place the lemon, garlic and ginger slices in the mason jar, alternating layers of each.
3. Slowly, pour honey over the lemon and ginger. Allow the honey to sink down and around the lemon and ginger slices. Fill jar to the top with honey and seal tightly.
4. Store in the refrigerator. Over time, the mixture will start to turn into a loose jelly.
5. When you are in need of some soothing tea, scoop 2-3 tablespoons into a mug full of hot water—be sure to scoop whole pieces of garlic, ginger and lemon. Allow to steep for 3-4 minutes and sip away.