HAPPY OCTOBER !!!

With the change in weather a lot of people are starting to come down with different strains of cold and flu, which of course, is part and parcel of the season. I came down with something myself this past week which reminded me how important it is to keep the immune system healthy and strong especially during the colder months of the year. I am opposed to the flu shot and therefore more “natural” preventative measures must prevail.  I have stocked up on Echinacea and after Thanksgiving I plan on doing a detox. During the colder months we tend to eat a little more and are a little less active. Detoxing at this time of year means ridding the body of chemically treated and processed foods, pollution and waste, and boosting the immune system. Essentially, cleaning us out. Once we are all “detoxified” and cleaned out we can stick to a healthy diet with ease (until around Christmas ) and incorporate germ fighting super foods to prevent illness. Here are some foods that will boost the immune system and are rich in Vitamins A, C, E, plus zinc and selenium:

Vitamin C- Sweet Potatoes, Red Bell Peppers, Tomatoes Broccoli, Citrus

Minerals- Mushrooms, Garbanzo Beans, Squash, Greens

That being said, I often find that there are so many articles in newspapers and magazines as well as online this time of year giving the same information offered above. What is often missing is a solid way to put this into play in your day to day life.  Here is a super easy recipe that incorporates one of the best foods ever- sweet potatoes- and is chock a block full of vitamin C:

Sweet Potatoe Soup:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

½ inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

6 cups of low sodium vegetable broth

Fresh thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté onions in saucepan with oil until golden brown .
2. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil, add sweet potatoes and ginger then reduce to medium heat until sweet potatoes are easily penetrated with a fork.
3. Puree soup in a blender, or use a hand blender until smooth.
4. Garnish with thyme

Watch this space for more info on detoxing with Total Cleanse, Canada’s premiere juice delivery service. Again with detoxing, there are so many articles dedicated to it but very few offer solid plans. Total Cleanse not only offers a solid detox plan, but will actually deliver a pre packaged cleanse to your doorstep. The juices look delicious and I can not wait to start mine on October 14^th – for more info check out http://www.totalcleanse.ca/.