I always cook from scratch, and live on fresh fruit, but I have decided to up the ante with this chest infection and try and boost my immune system by eating yet more healthily, and the little book at the front is very useful. We always have a huge fruit bowl full of apples, bananas and usually a few lemons (for cooking). I usually eat 4 or so apples a day (more if they are small ones) and always have done, since I was a child, and they are meant to be helpful as an anti-inflammatory and to calm allergy responses.
I think the close-up was a bit too close. Here you can see Oranges, Mango, Pineapple and Kiwi Fruit - for Vitamin C, plain bio-yoghurt to go with fresh fruit and also to combine in a fruit drink. The Pineapple is rich in Vit. C and the bromelain in it is good for easing inflammation. Kiwi Fruit - Vit. C. Oranges have Vit. C and also B5, which stimulates the immune system response. Mango - Vit. C and Vit. E. The bio yoghurt is for restoring gut flora and hopefully helping the immune response. Curly Kale - full of B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and flavinoids, to boost the immune system. French Beans for B vitamins too. I used to use brown rice all the time, but have gotten lazy down the years as it takes twice as long to cook, and used Basmati in preference, which I shall still use with curries, for preference. Basmati is lower in the GI index, so I shan't feel too guilty! The brown rice has lots of B vitamins and zinc and trace minerals, essential for fighting infection and being slow-release energy, helps keep hunger pangs at bay.
The little bag in the middle has Mung beans and Adzuki beans, which I have got for sprouting. Fresh beanshoots are so health-giving and the Adzuki beans are immune-boosting too, being very high in magnesium, potassium and folate. I got a sprouter jar for £1 at a car boot sale last year, so it is now in use (at long last!)
The herbal teas are something I am shying away from a little - I've had some bad experiences with herbal teas. They smell wonderful - and taste like old socks. Or they have so much Rosehip in that is all you can taste (though Rosehip is GOOD for you!) Anyway, I have the nettle and blackberry, and echinacea and raspberry, and will report back. If I can eat raw watercress with my salad now (and I don't care for its bitterness, so had to slosh it with vinegar!!) then I can force down a herbal tea.
I now have some Floradix on order, and am taking a rather expensive but good immune-boosting supplement which has upped my energy levels.
Desperate to get well again? You bet. But there's no harm from eating good food.
Popping in to add that I did a healing meditation today (thank you Nicole Cody at Cauldrons and Cupcakes). I nearly went to sleep, then at the end I nearly cried. It was SO relaxing and totally eased my pleurisy pain, and I plan to try and set aside half an hour each day to do this now. I used to go to a Yoga class where we also did Meditation, though tbh, it was the Meditation I went for!
