Is there any time better to get your health right than in the middle of a global pandemic? In this episode, Jen shares the extra measures she’s taking to boost her immune system, including the foods, herbs and spices she swears by to keep your health in check.

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SHOWNOTES

In January this year, if you had told me that there would be no planes flying by March, the world would be shut down, and I would not be travelling this year, I would never have believed you. 

My normal life for the last 20 years has been flying around the world 6-9 months of the year either speaking for corporations on preventing burnout in the workplace, running women’s health seminars or conducting Intuitive Aromatherapy workshops using my Aromatherapy Insight Cards. That’s all about teaching the emotional benefits of essential oils, and I’ll talk into that in a future episode.

So, this year, as you know, the flying did not happen. All of my gigs were cancelled, and this has been great for two reasons. Firstly, it has given me the time and drive to take my work online, like this podcast, and that really excites me. 

Well, it excites me now. First for a couple of days though I said “WHAT?!? Then I knew that was not going to help, so I looked for the gift in it and made the commitment to come out of lockdown stronger fitter and healthier in every area of my life physically, emotionally and financially. 

So, this is what I wanted to speak into in this episode. I want to share with you the extra things I have been doing to stay physically and emotionally healthy with a strong immune system through these interesting times right now.

The biggest thing I have been doing is focusing on super antioxidant foods and supporting my body systems. I am a big fan of nutritional cleansing and Ill speak on that in a future episode, but today I want to focus on the spicy side of life. 

So, let’s get into it. 

My absolute favourite spice is garlic. Garlic is natures antibiotic. I love that us naturopaths have been prescribing it for forever and science is finally catching up. A 12-week study found that, compared to a placebo, garlic reduced the number of participants with the common cold by 63%. Garlic supplements have also been shown to increase antioxidant enzymes in humans; garlic is excellent at reducing oxidative stress in individuals with high blood pressure. High doses of garlic have also demonstrated the potential to protect the body against heavy metal toxicity. It stops our blood being sticky and I have used it for years while flying long haul between countries. 

The easiest way to take garlic is to get a clove of garlic and peel it. Chop it into small pieces, small enough to swallow and put them in a glass with about an inch of water over it. Then right at bedtime, take it like a shot. Swallow it whole, don’t chew it. We swallow it whole to not get the smelly breath. It spends all night scavenging, and you do an aromatic poo in the morning and don’t smell the next day. It loves to scavenge.

The next is cinnamon. It’s warming on body systems excellent for supporting gut chemistry, and I add it into my nutrition shake that I have first thing in the morning. It can also help you fight off colds as an immune stimulator. Plus, it prevents blood platelet clumping, inhibits inflammatory substances, and can regulate blood sugar. 

The ultimate spice is Cayenne Chilli. I am a big eater of pickled chilli (which I make myself) and Kimchi. I’ll show you how I make my own pickled chilli and ginger in a future episode. So easy and you always have health on hand. It contains super antioxidants like Vitamin C, and as some studies have shown, it’s a very effective natural antibiotic. 

Turmeric has become really popular in the last few years, and it’s super easy to grow and use. Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory and super antioxidant, helping the body to fight ailments. I’ll show you more on how I grow and dry my turmeric in a future episode. So many of these are so easy to do at home.

To wrap up the spices, we have ginger. You can have it as tea or how I love to drink it as Ginger Shots. That’s where I grab about a 3-inch knob of ginger and juice or mince it in a blender and drink it like a shot. Ginger is a super antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. I grew 5 kg of ginger in my garden this season, so easy and I picked half like in Japanese food, yes, I promise I’ll show you all of those food hacks in a future episode. I might call that episode how I do it naturally. Either way bringing the spices into your life is priceless to your health. 

The last foods are the Bitter Green vegetables like the Chinese Greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, radishes and arugula which we call rocket. Bitter greens are packed with vitamins A, C and K, and minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium antioxidants and fibre and protein. AND they are like digestive system magic. Why? They provide prebiotic material to sustain gut health. Prebiotics are “food” for the good bacteria in your gut, which means they help your friendly “gut bugs” proliferate and survive. A healthy gut biome not only aids in digestion, but it also helps to maintain your overall health. 

Another super green, although not bitter, is parsley. Something I do most days of the week is to drink parsley juice or blended parsley. Why do I do this? Well, I am vegetarian, and I know my need to keep my iron levels up. Parsley is a wonderfully rich source of iron, and for Vitamin C. I grab a huge handful of parsley from my garden and throw it in my blender with the juice of a lemon from my garden. It is a seriously power-packed way to start my day. 

The last extra I have been focusing on is what I have been feeding my mind. 

Remember, when I spoke about the Triangle of Health in Episode 2? I spoke of how emotions show up in our physical health. By the way, if you have not listened to that one yet, check it out.  

I have been consciously listening to podcasts and reading books to keep my mind in check. I am not watching the news or drama. I promise if you have to know about it, someone will tell you. I just don’t let that stuff come in. I listen to positive podcasts and read books that feed my mind positive vibes. It’s a necessary part of staying healthy. So, remember if you know someone who could do with some positive vibes you might like to share this podcast.

So, there you have it, they are the extras that I’m focusing on right now to keep my health in check. 

So, the Healthy Life Hacks for this episode are:

Integrate some of the spices or bitter greens into your daily foods, and you may want to make my sludge for an extra boost. 

Jen’s Sludge 

Ingredients

• 1 whole garlic
• 1 whole lemon
• 4-inch chunk of ginger
• Manuka Honey to taste

Method

Chop it all up roughly, put it into a big jug. Add boiling water about one litre and steep it for at least half-hour, add honey to taste. I actually prefer the taste without the honey, and that’s ok too. 

It’s a natural antibiotic you can depend on if you do come down with anything cold or flu-like and just as an anytime extra immune system boost.

Did you enjoy the podcast today? Please let me know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Every month I draw one lucky reviewer to have a free one-hour consultation with me. Also, remember to subscribe wherever you’re tuning in from so that you always catch the next episode.

Are you looking for more great resources? Get a free copy of my Feed Your Body ebook here and be sure to explore my blog while you are there.