My Top 5 Recipes for an Immune Boost

Yay finally the first day of Winter ! You know what that means, right? Heh, don't chyah? Winter months to me are a wonderful time when germs are flying through the air, lingering up my nose, mouth, and in my ears causing all sorts of chaos to my daily functions lol but then again, it also means a shit ton of baking and eating and exercising (maybe) and working and doing other shtuff I like a lot. . . I think you get the picture. Your health is important, and it's equally important that YOU have the knowledge to fight against these nasty bugs with whole foods rather than all the medicine the doctor tries to give you (thanks Alyssa).

SO in honor of the first day of winter here are my "Top 5 Favorite Immune Boosting" recipes for your whole day of healthy eats -- try these out and let me know how yah feel at the end of the day :)

1) Breakfast Smoothie

1/2 cup Frozen Fruit Medley Mix (Vit A & C blend with carrots, mangos, and bananas)

1 small banana

1/4 - 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 Avocado

Juice of 1 lemon squeezed

3 T quick oats

1-2 pieces of peeled ginger

NOTE: You can substitute or add any of these ingredients depending on the texture you are going for. By adding the whole small banana and 1/2 an avocado you get a very smooth and creamy texture to your smoothie bowl. But if you want more of a liquid / drinking consistency add ice cubes and extra almond milk! Both variations are still desirable; I guess it just depends if you're chilling on the couch after a morning workout (aka me) or on-the-go drinking this immune boosting smoothie (also me)! I have found it to be a great morning routine.

Turn this on-the-go immune fighting smoothie into a giant smoothie bowl. Add on to the yumminess with fruit on top, unsweetened coconut shreds, chia seeds, cinnamon, homemade granola (or Purely Elizabeth original granola), and my new favorite hemp seeds for extra protein and fiber!

Nutrients of interest: Plenty of the immune benefits are found in the fruits like mangos, carrots, and bananas - tons of Vit A, Vit C, and potassium to balance blood sugar! Ginger contains flavonoids which are a group of phytonutrients found in plants that act as antioxidants with extra immune benefits! WINNING :)

2) Baked Sweet Potato Fries/Wedges + Homemade Chunky Guacamole

Making your own sweet potato fries seems intimidating, but honestly there is really not much to it, and the nutritional benefits of making them yourself are SO worth it + it's SO FUN to make your own fries! To make a large sheet pan of fries I usually cut about 3 small or medium sized sweet potatoes into wedges or slices (depending on how my cutting skills & patience are that day lol). So after you wash and cut the sweet potatoes THROW THEM ALL into a large bowl and combine with olive oil, cracked pepper, and sea salt! I also found that once I lay them out on the aluminum foil sheet pan I liked to sprinkle some more pepper & get this. . . Italian seasoning . . . game changer, but so very delicious ! Be careful with the pepper though, I learned the hard way once, and was inhaling so many sweet potato wedges before class that the pepper in them came out my nose . . . not really, but they definitely opened up my sinuses and made me cry-- so hey! if you have a cold and stuffy nose load those fries with some extra seasoning.

Bake the sweet potato wedges at 400*F for approximately 30-40 minutes ! This also depends on how crispy / slightly burnt you want them . . . so after 30 minutes just check them out and flip one or two over to see how "burnt" they are. Enjoy they're amazin' !

Nutrients of interest: Sweet potatoes are a wonderful complex carbohydrate that get their awesome color from the plant pigments of Beta-Carotene which is readily converted to Vitamin A in our body - hey, seems similar to mangos and carrots ? Yah you right! So instead of just heating it up in the microwave and enjoying plain (lol or not enjoying at all) transform this immune boosting vegetable into the best day time snack you've ever had! I suggest making the guacamole with it because your snack will bring extra happiness and nutrients to your day . . . If you couldn't tell I am a bit obsessed with avocados. Currently: downloaded the Nutrition Stripped free backgrounds and the only one I considered choosing was the "Avo Hearts."

Homemade Guacamole Recipe here >>

3) Roasted Carrot & Pecan Quinoa Salad

So this one I'm honestly making up in my head as we speak, but the benefits and taste of this salad will have you feeeeellllinnnn' gooddd all day long! Plus, if you make a big bowl of it you can enjoy all week long as a side dish or quick little snack! So here it is . . .

Roasted Carrots: Take a whole bag of organic carrots (make sure they are whole carrots) slice in half long ways and throw into a bowl. Same as the sweet potato wedges, just throw some EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), pepper, garlic powder, and salt in with the carrots. Set the oven to 400*F and bake on an aluminum sheet pan for about 25-30 minutes! Carrots will probably cook faster and usually become very soft / shriveled up when they are ready to be taken out of the oven.

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa (I like tricolored quinoa because it's pretty looking in salads)

1 cup organic arugula (or any dark leafy green)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup golden raisins or cranraisins (whatever you prefer)

Final Product: Throw together cooked quinoa, arugula, pecans, roasted carrots (cut into pieces), and craisins into a giant bowl! Be creative and look up some awesome homemade dressings of your choice - I definitely recommend a tangy citrus dressing for this particular salad.

Here yah go for some inspo >>

http://nutritionstripped.com/definitive-guide-salad-dressings/

4) Loaded Yogurt Toast

Ever since I stopped eating yogurt, my skin has progressively been getting better, emphasis on progressively, but honestly it is such trial and error, so as of now I haven't been eating it at all but I sure do miss it for all it's nutritional benefits !

Thanks to my foodie friend, Katie Lumia, I discovered the wonderful treat of Yogurt Toast and my life was forever changed! So here are the ingredients you'll need, but it is honestly up to you to create your own awesome yogo toast creations >>

Whole wheat bread (I love love love Ezekiel bread for it's sprouted grains and fiber) + yogurt (Preferred brand of Siggi's yogurt due to its awesome flavors and minimal sugars) + Mixed Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries etc.) These are just the essentials for immune boosting Yogurt Toast, but definitely feel free to top this delicious snack off with any nut butters, organic honey, dark chocolate, coconut flakes, or even homemade granola ! Make sure your slice of toast is extra toasty, or else your chance of adding more toppings will have a very sad ending . . . womp womp.

More toppings = more fun ! See picture for inspiration >>

5) Spicy Coconut Curry with Jasmine Rice

This recipe is not my own, but it sure sounds delicious after a long day out and about during these cold winter months. My plan this winter break is to create almost all the recipes in the Nutrition Stripped Cookbook - so far I have only completed the very simple ones - so this one may be a little more complex, but the benefits of this dish are amazing and the quality ingredients are so essential for your immune system to keep fighting !

Link here >> http://nutritionstripped.com/spicy-coconut-curry-with-sweet-jasmine-rice/

Nutrients of interest: Coconut milk has awesome immune benefits mainly in the form of lauric and capric acid, both of which are imperative for fighting off nasty bacteria and viruses like influenza (flu), herpes, and even HIV. Definitely don't need any of that ish around this holiday season! Like coconut milk, curry is also great for fighting off bacteria! A very unique spice indeed, so I recommend trying out this recipe first, because McKel Hill definitely knows how to use this spice exceptionally well . . . BRB gonna go make this for dinner now !

Final tips . . . remember wash yo hands, disinfect everything (by that I mean your phone 2-3 times a week because that is a germ magnet), and get some exercise! PLUS enjoy the fun of making all these delicious immune boosting meals and snacks -- can't wait to hear what you think Xo