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January 12, 2024

5 Immune-Boosting Foods and the Recipe That Cures All

5 Immune-Boosting Foods and the Recipe That Cures All

(Originally published in Austin Fit Magazine)

If you Google “foods to boost my immune system,” you’re sure to find an endless number of listicles chock-full of foods that may or may not be in season or available at your friendly neighborhood grocery store. But don’t get your tinsel in a tangle because for any cold and flu season, all you really need is just five key foods and one recipe to heal them all.

Citrus
High in vitamin C, the real MVP when it comes to kicking colds, a squeeze of citrus (think oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, tangerines or clementines) every day is what you need to keep your immune system up and running. The reason is vitamin C is said to increase the production of white blood cells, which are key to fighting off infections. Also, since our body doesn’t produce nor store vitamin C, finding a way to take it in daily is crucial during cold season.

Spinach
While there are many other immune-boosting foods out there, we included spinach because it’s not only rich in vitamin C but it’s also loaded with beta carotene, which increases the infection-fighting ability of our immune system.

Chicken
Chicken soup ain’t only good for the soul, but it’s good for boosting gut health. After all, about 70% of your immune system is housed in your gut. Chicken (or poultry, generally) has a high amount of vitamin B6, which is an important player in the many chemical reactions that happen in the body – including the formation of new, healthy red blood cells. Chicken stock (or broth) is made by boiling chicken bones, which contains gelatin, chondroitin and other nutrients that are so very good for gut healing and immunity-boosting.

Garlic
We’ve read before that this smelly superfood does wonders for healing the body, so it’s no surprise it made this list. Garlic’s immune-boosting properties are reported to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin, and it’s even been reported that garlic may slow down the hardening of arteries and lower your blood pressure. So when you need your blood-a-flowin’, garlic’ll get you goin’.

Mushrooms
Make no mistake: mushrooms are a powerhouse in their own right. These brown or white buttons are a great source of vitamin D and are packed with a variety of immune-boosting antioxidants – including our good friend vitamin C.

So if you’re looking for a one-stop-shop that’ll keep your immune system operating at maximum efficiency year-round, grab a pot and give this lemony, garlicky, chicken-and-veggie-rich soup a go:

Chicken, Lemon and Veggie Oat Groat Soup
Serving size: 2ish cups
Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded
1 lb bella mushrooms, sliced
1 lb cauliflower, diced
1 lb broccoli, diced
1 lb baby bok choy or napa cabbage, sliced
1 lb baby spinach and/or kale
1 white onion, diced
3 to 4 large carrots, diced
3 to 4 large celery stalks, diced
8 to 10 cups chicken stock/broth
1 cup steel-cut oats, or oat groats
¼ to ½ cup fresh dill, chopped
¼ to ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 to 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 to 3 tbsp lemon pepper
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Dump all ingredients except greens, bok choy and chicken into a large stockpot. Bring to a boil.
  2. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for one hour.
  3. After an hour, add in greens, bok choy or cabbage, and chicken. Simmer for another 30 minutes to one hour until the oats are soft and chewy and the cabbage is tender.

Notes

  • For maximum simplicity, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
  • Old-fashioned oats won’t work for this recipe, so don’t deviate from the steel-cut.
  • Butter up a delicious slice of crusty sourdough, and prepare to have your soul warmed.
  • This recipe keeps well in an airtight container for up to 5 days and, in fact, only gets better the longer the oats and broth sit.

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Sweet & Spicy Korean Turkey Spring Roll Bowls

serving of meat makes 8 servings: Calories — 565⁣ Protein — 40g⁣ Fat — 21g⁣ Carbs — 33g⁣ ⁣ 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐲⁣ 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥: ⁣ ⁣ 3 lbs lean ground turkey⁣ 9 tsp garlic, minced about 9 cloves⁣ 34 cup brown sugar, packed⁣ 34 cup low-sodium soy saucetamaricoconut aminos⁣ 6 tsp sesame oil⁣ 1 tsp ground ginger or 2-3 tsp minced⁣ 1 tsp crushed red pepper⁣ 1 tsp black pepper⁣ Sliced green onions for garnish⁣ 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞⁣ 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥:⁣ ⁣ 10oz bag of shredded cabbage⁣ 10oz bag of julienned carrots⁣ 10oz bag of broccoli slaw⁣ 12oz bag of sea kelp noodles ⁣ 5oz greens of your choice, roughly chopped⁣ 5-10 mini cucumbers, sliced⁣ 1 bunch each of cilantro, mint, and Thai basil, roughly chopped⁣ 13-12 cup peanuts, chopped⁣ Sesame seeds and sliced green onions for garnish⁣ ⁣𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠⁣ 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥:⁣ ⁣ 12 cup olive oil⁣ 6 tbsp rice vinegar⁣ 4 tsp honey ⁣ 2 tsp minced garlic⁣ Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste⁣ ⁣ To prepare: ⁣ — Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.