Here we go…full on into winter. Let’s go in strong! Although, it’s never too late to start supporting immune health.
First Off
While there are a lot of botanicals to choose from, the best approach to health is a comprehensive approach. Eating a nutritious diet, getting nourishing sleep, and physical activity all go a long way in supporting overall health, including immune health.
Botanicals to Consider
There are hundreds if not thousands of botanicals from all over the world that can help support a healthy immune response. Below are just a few that we particularly love.
One of the most popular herbs for immune health is Elderberry.
Elderberry and Elder flower have been used for centuries in traditional herbalism, particularly in Europe and North American. Elderberry is high in nutrients including bioflavanoids and antioxidants. One of our favorite ways to use Elder is to harvest the fresh berries when at their peak of ripeness. The berries can be dried and made into syrups and used in teas. It’s a tasty way to get Elder’s health supporting nutrients.
If you’re not in a region where Elderberry grows naturally, several of our favorite brands include Herb Pharm, Gaia and Bold Botanica.
Echinacea is another important and popular immune enhancing botanical and has a long history of usage amongst Indigenous North American tribes.
With key compounds like phenols and polysaccharides, Echinacea’s immune supporting response includes stimulating macrophage and white blood cell acitivity.
Echinacea is a pretty easy flower to grow if you’re lucky enough to have a garden. If you do grow Echinacea, waiting 5-6 years to harvest the roots is a method traditional herbalists abide by. By waiting these years you’ll be harvesting the roots when the chemical potency begins to peak.
If you need your echinacea sooner, some of our favorite supplement brands include Herb Pharm and Planetary Herbals.
We love Ginger so much we put it in Canna Joint Relief! The reason we put it in Canna Joint Relief is because it may help reduce an inflammatory compound called cyclooxygenase. This is awesome for immune health as well. We also included it here because it’s so warming, and nourishing. There’s nothing like a warm cup of ginger tea especially when it’s cold outside and when we’re under the weather.
Our favorite way to use ginger is fresh, and sliced, and steeped in heated water. Many supermarkets carry fresh ginger in their produce sections.
Thyme is another fantastic herb that has been used by traditional herbalists throughout the centuries. Thyme is renown for its ability to help support lung health.
One of our favorite ways of using Thyme for seasonal health is to steep the fresh leaves in hot water to drink as a tea. Or consider a facial steam bath with herbs including Thyme.
To set up the steam bath heat up a pot of water on the stove. After the water is warm-to-hot, take the pot off the stovetop and place solidly on the kitchen table, resting on a thick cutting board for stability and to protect the table from the heated pot. Add your herbs to the hot water and place your face over the steaming water with a towel over your head.
Breathe deep and enjoy the rising steam and supporting herbs. It’s pretty easy to grow fresh Thyme in your garden or in a pot in the sun or window box. You can often you can find fresh thyme in the produce section of your local market.
So you see, there are some pretty easy ways to incorporate health supporting botanicals.
Here’s to Your Health!