This may be a nerdy little quirk of mine but I think there's nothing so pleasingly simple and pleasant as standing in your kitchen chopping and preparing fresh foods for a delicious meal. When I'm present with the meal I'm preparing and each individual ingredient involved, I feel such gratitude for the abundance on offer from mother earth. I feel being present and preparing food with the intention of healing and vitality makes all the difference to how the meal is received and the medicinal properties within.

It's no secret that what we eat will either contribute to your good health or take way from it. Natural whole foods are juicy with phytochemicals that help your body run better.

Here are some of most medicinal foods for your immune system, chosen for the phytochemical properties:

Garlic

Not only will Garlic keep away colds and flus but also vampires and witches (kidding). In all seriousness though, perhaps this old wives tale came about because of garlic’s strong protective properties. The strong oils help kill viruses and bacteria in the upper respiratory and digestive tract. You can only eliminate the oils via your breath. You can soak garlic in honey and take a spoonful, or simply eat capsules whole after crushing a little and exposing to air for 10 minutes to activate the allicin.

Ginger

The warming and pungent oils of ginger, the gingerols interrupt the inflammatory process, helping it to reduce. Ginger can reduce inflammation in mucous membranes, therefore reducing congestion. Ginger is also a circulatory stimulant, helping the white blood cells of your immune system to move around the body and aiding your lymphatic system to eliminate wastes.

Chilli

Every traditional medical system on earth has used chilli in some capacity. Chilli can rapidly thin out mucous making it much easier to blow your nose. It's also used topically as a pain killer and is quite stimulatory.

Goji Berries

These were having a moment in the naughties and for good reason. They have an incredible antioxidant profile but also are high in polysaccaharides, which stimulate white blood cell production. Goji berries also contain germanium, which is a trace element not easily found elsewhere in the diet. Germanium is important for regulatino of an important kind of immune cells called CD4 cells. These are like the conductors of the orchestra, telling other immune cells what to do.

Pumpkin Seeds

Easy and delicious little snacks filled with zinc. Zinc has many functions in the body including helping your individual white blood cell dna to operate at peak health. They're also a good source of curbitan, which is an antiviral and antiparasitic agent.

Onions

Onions are also known for being able to reduce congestion and inflammation of mucous membranes. They're also great sources of quercetin, which acts like a gateway for zinc to get inside your cells and do what it's meant to do.

Shiitake, Maitake, Reishi, Lions Mane Mushrooms

Mushrooms are packed with polysaccharides. These are complex sugars which move through your digestive tract. When detected, mushrooms such as these stimulate your body to release a flourish of white blood cells, essentially because they look a little like pathogens (though of course they arn't) instead you are perfectly healthy and flush with white blood cells ready to attack any actual pathogens that could make you unwell.

I’m available for naturopathic consults and shiatsu therapy at the Wild Grace clinic in South Fremantle . If you’d like some guidance and coaching around optimising your health please book an appointment through this link.