Boost Your Immune System Naturally

By contributing writer Laurie Neverman
October 6 , 2008

We had a great turnout for the Solar Tour October 4th.  Folks started showing up at 9:45 and the last busload pulled out around 5pm.  If you didn’t get a chance to stop by, we are open by appointment year round as a demonstration site for the MREA.

I was watching GDW this morning and saw a segment about how the flu was claiming more lives this season due to secondary complications such as staph infections.  The experts are recommending that all children receive flu shots, but I know that many of us are still on the fence about the value of those shots.  The vaccine preparation begins months in advance of the actual flu season when the World Health Organization (WHO) coordinates the selection of most likely strains of flu will become dominant (the flu virus mutates).  These selected strains are then used to make the vaccine.  If they guess wrong, the effectiveness of the vaccine is minimal.  I’ve heard plenty of stories from people who’ve gotten sick after receiving the shots.

Whether or not you choose to immunize, there are plenty of steps you can take to boost your immune system naturally.  Cut back on (or eliminate completely) junk foods, highly processed foods and refined sugars.  These are just plain bad for your body no matter what the season.  Stay hydrated, not caffeinated – drink plenty of water, herbal teas, and diluted fruit juice.  Stay away from large amounts of coffee or other caffeinated beverages.  Follow grandma’s advice – homemade chicken soup is still good for you.  Bone broths are rich in nutrients, simple to make and very economical.  Finally, get adequate rest but keep it balanced with regular outdoor exercise.  Keep the blood pumping and allow your body time to do its own repair work.

Drop me a note at laurieneverman@hotmail.com with your green questions or comments.

Related Links:

10 Ways to Boost Immune Health - Stop cold, flu & depression in their tracks - before you get sick

Broth is Beautiful – The “magic elixir” of good broth – history and how-to’s.

Naturally Boost Your Immune System – Environment, diet and vitamins all place a role in a healthy immune system.

Common Sense Home Recipes

This week’s recipes are a selection of bone broths from Sally Fallon at Weston Price.org.  She quotes a South American proverb that says “Good broth will resurrect the dead”.  I don’t know about raising the dead, but they are certainly good for what ails you and taste absolutely delicious.

Chicken Stock

Ingredients:

1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings*
Gizzards from one chicken (optional)
2-4 chicken feet (optional)
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

*Note: Farm-raised, free-range chickens give the best results. Many battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels.

Directions:

If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. Cut chicken parts into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. Reserve for other uses, such as chicken salads, enchiladas, sandwiches or curries. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

Beef Stock

Ingredients:

About 4 pounds beef marrow and knuckle bones
1 calves foot, cut into pieces (optional)
3 pounds meaty rib or neck bones
4 or more quarts cold filtered water
1/2 cup vinegar
3 onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together
1 teaspoon dried green peppercorns, crushed
l bunch parsley

Directions:

Place the knuckle and marrow bones and optional calves foot in a very large pot with vinegar and cover with water. Let stand for one hour. Meanwhile, place the meaty bones in a roasting pan and brown at 350 degrees in the oven. When well browned, add to the pot along with the vegetables. Pour the fat out of the roasting pan, add cold water to the pan, set over a high flame and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen up coagulated juices. Add this liquid to the pot. Add additional water, if necessary, to cover the bones; but the liquid should come no higher than within one inch of the rim of the pot, as the volume expands slightly during cooking. Bring to a boil. A large amount of scum will come to the top, and it is important to remove this with a spoon. After you have skimmed, reduce heat and add the thyme and crushed peppercorns.

Simmer stock for at least 12 and as long as 72 hours. Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes. You will now have a pot of rather repulsive-looking brown liquid containing globs of gelatinous and fatty material. It doesn't even smell particularly good. But don't despair. After straining you will have a delicious and nourishing clear broth that forms the basis for many other recipes in this book.

Remove bones with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl. Let cool in the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that rises to the top. Transfer to smaller containers and to the freezer for long-term storage.

Fish Stock

Ingredients:

3 or 4 whole carcasses, including heads, of non-oily fish such as sole, turbot, rockfish or snapper
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
Several sprigs fresh thyme
Several sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/4 cup vinegar
About 3 quarts cold filtered water

Directions:

Ideally, fish stock is made from the bones of sole or turbot. In Europe, you can buy these fish on the bone. The fish monger skins and filets the fish for you, giving you the filets for your evening meal and the bones for making the stock and final sauce. Unfortunately, in America sole arrives at the fish market preboned. But snapper, rock fish and other non-oily fish work equally well; and a good fish merchant will save the carcasses for you if you ask him. As he normally throws these carcasses away, he shouldn't charge you for them. Be sure to take the heads as well as the body—these are especially rich in iodine and fat-soluble vitamins. Classic cooking texts advise against using oily fish such as salmon for making broth, probably because highly unsaturated fish oils become rancid during the long cooking process.

Melt butter in a large stainless steel pot. Add the vegetables and cook very gently, about 1/2 hour, until they are soft. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add the fish carcasses and cover with cold, filtered water. Add vinegar. Bring to a boil and skim off the scum and impurities as they rise to the top. Tie herbs together and add to the pot. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for at least 4 hours or as long as 24 hours. Remove carcasses with tongs or a slotted spoon and strain the liquid into pint-sized storage containers for refrigerator or freezer. Chill well in the refrigerator and remove any congealed fat before transferring to the freezer for long-term storage.