The Flu Buster Juice

I will always remember January as the month when I couldn't get out of bed for over a week straight. That dang flu bug took me down this year and I fell hard. I honestly haven't been that sick in over six years! 

Since I try to rely on natural remedies as opposed to drug store versions, I tried practically every home remedy I could get my hands on. The winners included gargling with salt water (to ease a sore throat), a hot bath with eucalyptus oil (to clear out the sinuses) and this Flu Buster Juice (to ease general symptoms/immune support). 

I won’t lie: this juice is intense. This juice is a powerful punch of lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper to top it off. It’s powerful enough that just two ounces will do the trick.  Bottoms up!

Depending on the desired intensity, you can adjust the ratio of garlic and ginger. And if you can't handle the thought of downing this without a little sweetness, an orange will lighten this combo up and add a Vitamin C boost!

The Flu Buster Juice

Makes about 2 ounces

Ingredients:

1 lemon, peeled

1 - 4 garlic cloves

1-inch piece fresh ginger

cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Juice lemon, garlic, and ginger and pour into shot glass (or regular glass). Top with a dash of cayenne pepper and drink.

Rainbow Carrot Immune Booster

Right now I've got a mega-cold, a cat with severe skin allergies, and a cat that's just plain crazy waiting for me at home.  Life is a bit complicated. 

Let's uncomplicate things a bit, shall we?  I think it's time for a fresh juice.  This one is an intense immune-booster.  This healing concoction involves rainbow carrots, garlic, and ginger for a powerful punch.  It's a cure for the common cold, vampires, and crazy cats.  Okay, maybe just the cold.

For my juice base I used some fresh, local rainbow carrots.  Aren't these gorgeous?  I love using rainbow carrots because they turn the juice a pretty orange-red-purple color, but you can use any carrots of your choosing.  Carrots contain vitamin C, vitamin B complex, iron, potassium, and sodium which is great for boosting immunity, alkalizing the blood, and improving liver function. 

The next ingredient is raw garlic.  I'm a big garlic fan and love adding it to juices and recipes because it is a natural antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and powerful immune system booster.  Using garlic raw ensures that you are getting the most benefits.  If you've never juiced with garlic before, it can be a bit intense the first time.  I recommend starting with one clove of garlic and then working your way up to 2 - 3 cloves. 

I added ginger to this juice because it is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.  It is also great for aiding the digestive system and is especially helpful for nausea and cramping. 

It is best to juice the garlic and ginger first.  Since they do not yield much juice, juicing the carrots afterward will make sure that you get the most juice from these items and it will also help to flush the garlic/ginger flavor  out of the juicer.  (This helps to prevent future juices from tasting like garlic.)

Rainbow Carrot Immune Booster

Yield: 8 ounces

1 - 3 cloves garlic

1-inch piece of fresh ginger

1 bunch of rainbow carrots (or any carrots), tops removed

Juice garlic, ginger, and rainbow carrots (in that order) and serve immediately.