If cold and flu season or allergy season isn’t trying to compromise your immune system, airborne toxins and environmental pollutants are. Boosting the immune system isn’t just a seasonal task; rather, it is a round-the-clock endeavor that keeps you feeling like your best self. While many people resort to a variety of supplements to boost immunity, the foods they eat can counteract the efforts of those supplements and impair immune function. This is why it’s optimal to obtain your vitamins and antioxidants through foods.
The average person may not be able to carry around a bag of celery sticks to snack on, or a kale salad may not offer enjoyable flavors. Healthy eating isn’t that cut and dry, though; there are many ways to sneak fruits and vegetables into your diet, and one of the best ways to do that is by making smoothies. There is almost a smoothie for every type of health problem, because there are so many foods with various health benefits. Need more protein? Try a green smoothie with raw almond butter and chia seeds. Not satisfying your recommended daily intake of vitamin C? Include some guavas or kiwis in your smoothie for an antioxidant boost.
What Are Immune Boosting Drinks?
Drinks that boost your immune system are freshly made smoothies or juices that contain fresh vegetables and fruits. These drinks help to enhance the strength of the immune system in order for it to effectively combat foreign invaders that enter the body. In addition to providing the body with lots of nutrients in one fell swoop, immune boosting drinks also help with the body’s natural toxin elimination process. Some of our favorite immune boosting drink recipes are below.
Feel Great In Eight
The title of this smoothie comes from the fact that you should feel great within eight minutes of consuming it. This smoothie is rich in vitamins C, B6, and B12, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. Drink it to believe it!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups spinach
- 2 cups pineapple chunks, frozen overnight
- 1 orange, peeled, and cubed
- 1 kiwi, peeled
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 cup mixed berries, frozen overnight
- ½ cup filtered water
Instructions:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until you get a smooth consistency. Enjoy!
Cold Buster Smoothie
This smoothie provides a powerful 1-2-3-4-knockout punch combo to cold or flu viruses in your system. All of the fruits in this smoothie contain high amounts of vitamin C, so drink this if you feel a cold coming on.
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup ice
- 1 cup strawberries, frozen overnight
- ½ cup pineapple cubes, frozen overnight
Instructions:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until you get a smooth consistency. Enjoy!
Greens & Things
We are referring to the “things” in this smoothie as the ingredients that are not green. The ginger and lemon contain powerful antioxidants and soothing properties that are beneficial for the respiratory system. You should always keep ginger and lemon in the kitchen because they are great for flus, colds, and sore throats.
Ingredients:
- 1 large cucumber
- 8 celery stalks
- 1 handful of kale leaves
- 1 handful of spinach
- 1 handful of parsley
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
Instructions:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until you get a smooth consistency. Enjoy!
Triple Berry Kiwi Smoothie
Containing three types of berries, this smoothie offers a variety of phytonutrients, bioflavonoids, and antioxidants. One of our favorite ingredients, the kiwi, contains more than 100% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C, and it contains a rare form of fat-free vitamin E!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup strawberries, frozen overnight
- ¾ cup raspberries, frozen overnight
- ½ cup blueberries, frozen overnight
- 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup filtered water
Instructions:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until you get a smooth consistency. Enjoy!
Mango Turmeric Smoothie
Bring some liquid sunshine into your life by making this smoothie, which is loaded with immune-boosting vitamin C. The turmeric adds a beautiful, exotic spice to the smoothie and offers anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce plaque build-up in arteries. While you can buy turmeric powder, go for the fresh root when you need that immunity boost.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup homemade almond milk
- 1 large banana
- 1 large orange, peeled and cubed
- 1/2-inch piece fresh turmeric root, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup mango, cubed and frozen overnight
Instructions;
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until you get a smooth consistency. Enjoy!
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.