Carrot + Ginger Immunity Boost Juice

It seems that everyone EVERYONE is getting sick around us. But so far, knock on wood, it hasn’t hit our house yet…and I have a few hunches as to why. The prevalence of this Immunity Boost Juice in the fridge, among them. It’s the thing to drink before you get sick, and a great way to heal up quickly if you do catch the bug. It’s a bit spicy, a little bit sweet, and the best way I know to kick sickness to the curb without nasty cold medicines (and with the boost of better digestion!)

Ayurveda + the Common Cold

Colds are so common in our communities that when we catch one, we seem to think about it in the same way we would think about being hit by a snowball in the face. If we can hide behind enough obstacles, we’ll miss it. But if we reveal ourselves + get exposed we’ll get knocked the eff OUT. And Ayurveda simply doesn’t look at getting sick way.

We don’t “catch” colds. We literally invite them in. Ayurveda views the common cold as a sign that we’ve been living out of harmony with out inner nature, and as a result we suffer from a general weakening of ojas (vitality.) This weakness is what invites the cold (not stepping out from behind a tree.) Ojas governs our the health of our microbiome, and of our immunity, and so as this system weakens it welcomes in pathogens like opening a door. But this breach of health security is completely avoidable! Any activities that disrupt or imbalance vata and pitta doshas are likely to weaken ojas; typical causes are overdoing, overstimulating, overtraining, under-resting, and under-nourishing — all highly preventable. Getting a cold can be looked at as the body attempting to communicate this disharmony in hopes that we make a change (NOT that we ignore it and keep on moving and doing as if nothing is happening.)

Ayurvedic remedies

Many of us, when presented with symptoms of the cold, are inclined to pop a decongestant and go about our business as if nothing happened. We then wonder why we get sick multiple times in a season, year after year. Ayurveda offers an alternative strategy, starting with REST. Rest jumpstarts the restoration of ojas, helping us to regain our vitality and closing the window of opportunity for those gnarly bugs. To keep the ojas rejeneration going Ayurveda recommends also reducing stress and stimulation, and drinking plenty of warming fluids to keep lymph flowing. When we refer to “warmth” we are talking about warm temperature drinks like tea and such, since these will keep digestion high and keep the system warm, help flush toxins and more. Warm liquids are easier for us to absorb than cool or room temperature liquids, they help to flush out immunity-compromising ama (digestive toxin,) hydrate mucous membranes and loosens mucus, and pacifies the rough and dry qualities of vata dosha with it’s hot and drying qualities.

But, when we speak about warmth we’re also referring to warmth in the bioenergetic sense; we want to consume foods that have a warming effect on the body. Among them, ginger, turmeric, lemon and honey.  Here’s what to know about them:

Ginger: According to Ayurvedic theory, ginger is one of the best remedies for colds, too. Its pungent nature reduces kapha dosha, the dosha responsible for excess mucus. Incredible ginger also stimulates ginger and metabolism, helping to eliminate waste, keeps circulation strong, reduces pain, and helps with nausea (should that be an issue.)

Turmeric: this anti-inflammatory root is antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, and analgesic (so it reduces pain.) It also calms the immune system, rhelps with flushing the sinuses, and acts as an internal detoxicant.

Honey: Bees actually pre-digest honey, giving it qualities of heat, astringency, and a little dryness, all qualities you won’t find in any other sweetener. These  qualities are essential to balancing the normally cold, damp kapha that pervades when colds hit. Honey gloms onto microbes and system invaders, and draws them out of the system. Honey also works as a demulcent to help soothe the inflamed mucus membranes of the upper respiratory tract, and serves as a carrier for spices.

Lemon: these warming citrus fruits promote fluid secretions in the lungs and blood plasma, helping to suck out and excrete wastes from the system when a cold hits. The thick, mucus buildup of a spring Kapha imbalance (or a winter cold!) can be broken up by consuming lemon juice. The juice aids in liquefying and expectorating the dense mucus. The intense sourness of lemon is so very warming, in fact, that if pitta is high we use lime juice instead, which has more of a sweet flavor than sour.

This immunity-boosting juice

This juice is my favorite way to warm, cleanse and cure to the max. During these months when the whole world seems to be getting sick, I add this juice to my weekly repertoire of little preparations I make so we stay at the ready. I keep the concentrate in the fridge (and sometimes even freeze it into ice cube trays in batches) and then, when we’re ready to “boost,” we whip up a mug. Unlike other juices or cleansing tonics you have encountered, I recommend that you consume this one warm or at room temperature, instead of straight from the fridge. To do this, I recommend adding a bit of hot water to the prepared juice. The reason for this is all the things you just read about above – effectively sipping these energetically warm substances at a warm temperature blasts away the bugs and keeps us running at full tilt.

To whip up your own batch is ridiculously easy, but it will require you to use a juicer – not a high-speed blender. We don’t want to consume all of the insoluble fiber in these gorgeous roots because it’s entirely too taxing on the digestive system, especially when sick.

Further measures

If you do find yourself with a little cold, this flavorful juice will be your bff. And,