Part Four of Four of Boosting Your Immune series: Before,During and After
If you have joined me this far in the series then you know that we have covered a lot of ground on how to prevent, lessen severity, duration and boost your immunity during and after a bout with the cold or flu. This recipe is another strategy to use as prevention- just when you start to feel those little nigglies in your throat and during to help the body fight against the invaders! Along with the food choices in "Part One: Boosting Your Immune: Using food as the gateway to health", I hope this series has provided you with insight, the how to's, and the necessary arsenal to stay healthy this season and beyond! God's Blessings to you all.
Lemon Zinger
Lemon Zinger is loaded with Vitamin C, is anti-inflammatory, has antioxidants, is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and astringent. Lemon Zinger is potent drink and should not be treated like a "juice". It is highly medicinal and therefore like any herb or medicine, take as suggested. If you have a history of ulcers,inflammation or disease in the digestive or intestinal tract consult with a health practitioner before use.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Ingredients:
3 organic lemons-squeezed or juiced( skin peeled)
1/4 organic lemon with peel, pitted
1/2 pineapple, peeled not cored, diced
2 small garlic cloves, peeled
2 inch fresh ginger peeled
1/4 cup unpasteurized honey (Manuka-best, if you can afford)
2 cups spring or distilled water
Pinch of cayenne
Optional: 1/2 inch of fresh turmeric peeled and pinch of black pepper
Preparation:
Place lemon juice, lemon piece, pineapple, ginger, garlic, water, turmeric (if using) in blender. Blend 1minute.
Warm up the honey till melted add to blender with cayenne. Blend 3 seconds.
If you don't mind pulp, pour into a glass jar and store in refrigerator.
To strain, use a sieve or nut milk sack. Make sure to squeeze all the juice out of the pulp. If you initially find the taste over powering, add more water and honey.
Drink Tips/Preparation:
Drinking this without dilution may be too potent if you are not used to the strong taste of lemon and garlic. Follow the diluted instructions for making a tea.
Undiluted: Take 1 tablespoon, up 3x day when the cold or flu hits.
Diluted: Take 1/4 cup of juice and add additional 3/4 cup of hot water or warm to make it into a tea.
Drink until you have symptom relief (3-4 days). For preventative use, take 1 tbsp undiluted every other day for 2 weeks.
Alternatively, you may freeze juice in ice cube trays for easy use. Two cubes is about 1/4 cup.
“Zinger Skins”
If you own a dehydrator, you can dehydrate the pulp and make ‘Zinger Skins’ to chew on when you feel a sore throat coming on. Follow your dehydrator instructions for making fruit skins