It seems somewhat odd to say it’s flu season coming up, when it feels like we’ve been in perpetual flu zone for two years. However, when Torin’s 3 ½ year old noggin comes home from preschool running, you know it’s the real thing.
Enter in – this Flu Shot Juice. It’s…
- Brimming with vitamin C
- Packed with anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-platelet (blood clotting) ingredients, and
- Boosted with liver cleansing herbs
And (before you run a foodie mile), it actually tastes pretty decent too. Watch the vid for my live reaction, but I’ll summarise it like this – tangy, sour, a pop of zing, yet refreshingly sweet and fruity. With just 5 minutes to make and no juicer required, these little flu shots will be sure to keep you on the right side of wellness this winter.
Watch the 30 second vid below, bookmark the recipe, and give them a try this week!
How To Make a Flu Shot Juice
Foods to Boost The Immune System
I’ve packed this juice with a host of foods that boost the immune system:
- Orange, Grapefruit & Lemon – for vitamin C
- Turmeric & Ginger – as anti-inflammatories
- Garlic & Oregano – for their anti-viral and anti-bacterial action, and
- Parsley – to cleanse the blood and liver
Benefits of Citrus
Citrus fruits are a well-known source of vitamin C, especially oranges, which contain 53 mg of vitamin C per 100g. That means one medium orange (130g) is enough to meet 170% of your daily vitamin C requirements.
But it’s not just oranges that are the stars. Lemons contain 53 mg of vitamin C per 100g, while grapefruit contain 33.3 mg, while both having a much lower sugar and calorie content. Lemons and grapefruit are also thought to have a detoxifying effect on the body, in that they encourage and support liver clearance. It’s hard to find that much research specifically on lemon juice as a detox agent in humans, but one animal study did show it to have protective effects on liver function, particularly alcohol induced liver injury.
To boost the vitamin C content of this flu shot juice even further, you can also add a teaspoon of Kakadu plum (gubinge) or camu powder if you have it. These two foods are the highest whole food sources of vitamin C in the world, with 100 times more vitamin C than an orange.
Benefits of Turmeric
Turmeric, or Curcuma longa, meanwhile is a well-known anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-platelet (reduces clotting risk), and can enhance phase one and two liver detoxification, to help remove viral particles from the body. I’ve used the fresh turmeric root here, but you could also use ½-1 tsp of turmeric powder.
Benefits of Ginger
Ginger, or Zingiber officinale, is also an anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet, but can additionally help to stimulate peripheral blood circulation. This is important with influenzas that have clotting risk.
Benefits of Garlic and Oregano
Garlic, or Allium sativum, are oregano (Origanum vulgare), are two more brilliant everyday ingredients you can use for colds and flus. They’re both anti-viral and anti-bacterial, as well as being anti platelet and antioxidants again. You can see a pattern here.
Benefits of Parsley
Finally, parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is an incredible source of vitamin C with 100 grams of the herb containing 133 mg, more than 2.25 times that in the same amount of orange. It also contains huge amounts of chlorophyll, the pigment that makes plants green. Chlorophyll can help detoxify the liver, boost kidney function, alkalise the blood, boost immunity, and help the body get rid of foreign compounds and metabolic waste.
When to Take this Flu Shot Juice
When to take this juice? Any time you feel a flu coming on! I make mine in a blender as it’s quicker and easier (and I gave my juicer to my dad a few years back), but you can make it in a juicer if you prefer.
I personally like the additional fibre that comes in this blender version, which can help remove toxins from the gastrointestinal system. It’s also makes it 100 times quicker and easier, without the monster juicer clean up afterwards. Even in the blender version, the juice still comes out quite thin and pourable, so definitely feels like more of a juice than a smoothie.
Want More Flu Boosting Recipes? Try These
Try out this juice to help ward off a flu this season, or just to boost your immunity and natural disease-prevention mechanisms. Leave me a comment and rating below when you do, or tag me @begoodorganics in a photo of yours on Instagram. I can’t wait to hear what you think.
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- ½ grapefruit
- ¼ lemon
- 1 cm turmeric root
- 1 cm ginger root
- ½ clove garlic
- 1 sprig oregano
- 1 sprig parsley
- ½ c water
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients for 1 minute until smooth, top with extra turmeric powder if desired then serve. Keep leftovers in a bottle in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- You can also add kakadu plum powder or camu powder to this juice for extra vitamin C.
- If you don’t have grapefruit, swap in extra lemon or lime.
- If you have a juicer, you can also make this as a traditional juice, without the fibre. But I like this blended version – it’s quicker, easier, and isn’t super fibrous so still feels like a pourable juice.
Did You Make This?
Tag @begoodorganics
I can’t wait to see your creations!
