Three Ingredient Immune Boosting “Tea”

I am not a medical doctor and these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Sources for any medical statements are linked.

Three Ingredient Immune Boosting “Tea”

We are all looking for ways to be healthier, right? Washing our hands is our first line of defense against germs. But our internal immune system is our body’s armed forces. We need to support it in every way we can. A lot of that internal immune system is linked to good gut health.

Supplementing with Probiotics is a great way to support good gut health.

You know what else support good gut health?

Apple Cider Vinegar

Yes!  The unassuming glass bottle of ACV that you walk past in the grocery store is good for your gut health!

researchers found that when acetic acid was added to their drinking water, they had higher levels of good bacteria in their guts, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria (source)

Not all apple cider vinegar is created equal.  You want to make sure you get the ACV “with the Mother”.

Apple cider vinegar with the mother is simply unrefined, unpasteurized and unfiltered ACV. The “mother” is a colony of beneficial bacteria that helps create vinegar through a secondary fermentation process. (source)

I like Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother if I’m ordering from Amazon (It should be available in most grocery stores also).  But I’ve also purchased ACV from Aldi!  The Simply Nature brand in my picture is Aldi’s brand.

You know what else has amazing health benefits?

Honey

 

Yep, the humble little honeybee makes a superfood!  But, just like ACV, not all honey is created equal!  You need to make sure you’re purchasing raw honey.

To increase honey clarity, and to prevent the honey from crystallizing, some companies will heat their honey to 160 degrees and then use high pressure to push it through dense filters. This over-processing either kills or removes most of the good stuff in honey, such as pollen, propolis, enzymes, vitamins and minerals. What a waste. Only raw honey (unpasteurized and unfiltered) boosts your immune system and provides natural energy. (source)

If you don’t have a local source for raw honey (like a farmer’s market or locally owned shop that stocks it) you can check out Bee K’oncious for delicious single source raw honey.

Each jar of Bee K’onscious’s single-origin honey is sourced from the finest beekeepers around the world, with a QR-coded label that allows customers to scan and trace the honey to the single beekeeper who produced it. The “hive to home” honey brand has partnered with TagOne, a provider of blockchain technology, to provide customers the ability to ensure the source of the jar is producing 100% pure, unfiltered, unpasteurized, non-blended honey.

“Many people enjoy high quality honey, not only as an alternative sweetener, but for its natural antibacterial qualities and disease-fighting antioxidants. What consumers don’t know is that many mass-produced supermarket honeys are cooked and, thereby, lose their nutritional value,” says Bee K’onscious owner Matt Kollmorgen. “Every jar of Bee K’onscious is raw, unadulterated and uncooked and retains all the good stuff your body needs to fight disease.”

Bee K’oncious was gracious enough to let me try some of their honeys.  I recommend Bee K’oncious Montana Raw Honey.

Now that we know how good raw honey and apple cider vinegar are for you, let’s find out how to use them together!

I try to sip on this tea in the evenings 4 or 5 nights a week. If I feel something coming on, like a cold or I’m feeling a little run down, I’ll drink one cup in the morning and one at night until I’m feeling better.

Let me tell you how to make it.

• Bring a cup of water to a boil.
• Add 1 tsp of ACV “with the mother” to a mug.
• Add 1 Tbsp of raw honey to the mug.
• Pour boiling water into mug and stir until honey is dissolved.
• Add a squirt of lemon (optional).
• Drink when it’s cool enough for you to do so.

Some people are turned off by the tartness of ACV.  You can also use more honey to sweeten it.  And the more water you use the more diluted it is.  I personally like the taste.  But even if I only found it tolerable, the benefits would make it worth drinking.

I don’t always have fresh lemon on hand so if you don’t you can skip the lemon.  But it is a nice little extra shot of vitamin C.

I know it seems super simple but this is really a power drink!  When you feel a cold coming on, you don’t have to be powerless against it.  Give your body a little support so it can do it’s job!  You might be surprised how quickly you bounce back if you try this drink.

You might also be interested in doing an armpit detox!