Good health is accompanied by a good immune system and this is something that we need to nurture through all seasons and not just when we start to feel unwell. I’m guilty of only thinking about it when I’m feeling rundown, but recently I’ve been making a big effort to incorporate immune boosting recipes into my everyday diet and that is how I created the Pear & Ginger (Immune Booster) Smoothie.
Constantly replenishing our bodies with immune boosting foods helps to protect the body from any invading organisms and considering how many germs are airborne, there is sometimes little we can do to avoid them. But what we can do is help to prepare ourselves for when it does happen and simple inclusions to your diet will really help. Enter the Pear & Ginger (Immune Booster) Smoothie…
Key Nutrients
Pear – A rich source of polyphenols which increase antioxidant levels which help to fight off disease, they are also a really good source of fibre, in particular a fibre called Pectin. Pectin not only has laxative effects to keep you moving, but also has cholesterol reducing benefits.
Ginger – The ultimate immune boosting food, ginger contains two key elements gingerol and shogaol, both of which are key to inhibiting reactions that cause pain, fever and inflammation.
Spinach – Bringing so much goodness and the best bit…you can’t even taste it! Spinach is a good source of vitamin C, fibre and antioxidants all of which help to keep your immune function in-tact. Vitamin C helps to regulate stress response in the body and stimulate natural killer cell activity to fight off any germs coming your way.
Pear & Ginger (Immune Booster) Smoothie
Ingredients
- ¾ cup soy milk (coconut or almond milk taste good too!)
- 1 pear
- 1 banana
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 cm piece of ginger
Instructions
- Grate ginger and place all ingredients into a blender, starting with the milk.
- Blend until smooth.
- Enjoy x.
Notes
Essential Equipment
Blender.Tips
I use a standard cup measure for one cup measure. If you don’t have one you can use a mug and substitute the amount for ¾ of a standard size mug and adjust according to recipe instructions.Find your Ingredients
Soy milk - long life milk aisle Pear, banana, spinach & ginger - fresh fruit & vegetable aisleIf you like immune boosting recipes, you might want to try my Ultimate Healthy Hot Chocolate recipe here. Have you tried this smoothie recipe? I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Amy Savage is a qualified Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutritional & Dietetic Medicine and is available for consultations online and in Sydney CBD. Email amy@amysavagenutrition.com for further details.