6 Immune Boosters to Keep You Healthy Through the Holidays

’Tis the season—the season for joy, celebration, family, friends, lights, gifts, and yes—challenges to our health. While the holiday season is rich in activities, the hustle and bustle can leave the immune system compromised. The most effective way to protect your immune system this season is to slow down and schedule sufficient time for self-care and rest. Prioritize downtime as an essential counterbalance to festivities.

Here are six more immune-boosting tips to help you stay happy and healthy this season:

 

Take an Epsom salt bath with Thieves oil. Add 1 cup of Epsom salt and 8 drops of Thieves oil to a hot bath and soak for ten to twenty minutes. The Epsom salt will calm your nervous system and support your body’s ability to repair itself. Thieves oil is a blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils. These oils help to clean and purify. You’ll gain the synergetic benefits of rest and protection all at once. For busier days when a bath isn't an option, add 8 drops of Thieves oil to 2 ounces of water and pour into a small glass spray bottle. This blend serves as a purifying mist. Spritz the blend into the air, onto shared devices, door knobs, and any other area that could use an organic sanitizer. The blend not only supports health, it also smells amazing.

 

Take Immune Strong. Banyan’s newest immune system supplement is formulated with nine organic herbs known to strengthen and support the body’s naturals defenses. Some of these immune-boosting herbs include turmeric, tulsi, ashwagandha, licorice, and echinacea. Immune Strong is also available as a liquid extract, perfect for an active lifestyle.

 

Take Tulsi & Ginger.  Also known as "holy basil," tulsi is a sacred plant from India, believed to be so beneficial and purifying for its surroundings that it is often kept in houses and courtyards to support health and good fortune. Highly sattvic, tulsi has excellent benefits for the heart, mind, and lungs, clearing kapha from the upper respiratory tract and promoting clear, comfortable breathing. When combined with the warming and kapha reducing qualities of ginger, the synergistic effects of these potent herbs provide a boost to the immune system. Try 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of the loose powders of each with warm water for a nourishing Ayurvedic tea. 

 

 

Take ½ teaspoon of honey with ½ teaspoon of crushed garlic. This duo is surprisingly tasty. Garlic is commonly used in Ayurveda to boost the immune system, and raw honey is known to be abundant in natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Crushing the garlic makes the enzymes more available, and blending the two food-based medicines together increases the efficacy of both. Take 1 teaspoon of the garlic/honey blend three times daily to support your immune system when it is starting to feel taxed.

 

Take amalaki. Amalaki is an Ayurvedic herb famed for its potent punch of natural antioxidants. Amalaki is a fruit indigenous to India and is known to remove natural toxins from the body and promote health. Two tablets of amalaki daily will help boost your immune system.

 

Take 1–2 teaspoons of Chyavanprash.  Speaking of amalaki, it acts as one of the lead ingredients in Chyavanprash, a famous, time-tested Ayurvedic rasayana. Chyavanprash combines amalaki with cardamom, ashwagandha, haritaki, and other powerful Ayurvedic herbs. Its base of jaggery (organic cane sugar) and honey act as anupans, or carriers for the herbs, bringing them deeper into the to the necessary tissue layers. Based on a traditional Ayurvedic herbal jam recipe, this tasty treat empowers the body's natural defenses, promoting metabolism, strength, and energy. Chyavanprash also has great versatility. Spread it on toast, add it to hot water for a tea, or enjoy right out of the jar! 

 

Enjoy this season. Be of good cheer, embrace love, and remember to take care of yourself. Happy Holidays!