How to Make An Immune Boosing Herbal Tonic Using The Four Thieves Herbs

Our first line of defense against any bug that comes our way, the immune system is the key to staying healthy while everyone around you is falling ill. There are many health factors that all affect the immune system and if any one of them are disrupted, your immune system can fall causing you to get sick MUCH easier. With a healthy immune system, I am rarely sick and when I do somehow manage to catch someone else's bug, I am sick for a much shorter period of time. Some of the health factors that affect your immune system are:

Sleep – Failing to get your daily dose of shut-eye can instantly destroy your immune system. During times of illness and when others around you are sick, it is double important to be vigilant about your sleep!

Diet – Hippocrates, the father of medicine, once said, “let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.” This is a very important quote because the health of our immune system is directly correlated with what we put into our bodies! A diet rich in whole foods is key to maintaining the health of your immune system. Eating fast food, over processed sugar  treats, and other synthetic foods do not give the body the nutrients it needs to heal itself.

Exercise – It is very important to get regular exercise to help maintain the function of all of your organs. A lot of people think that this means vigorous exercise, but regular gentle workouts with yoga, swimming, or hiking are really all that's needed to maintain your body's health.

Gut Health – One of the most important and often overlooked health factors is your gut health. Gut health has now been directly linked to your immune system and those suffering from what's called a “Leaky Gut”  often find themselves sick more often. There are all sorts of things that can destroy your gut's natural bacteria leading to a lower immune system but the biggest culprits are an unhealthy diet (fast foods, pesticides, and over processed foods can all destroy the balance in your gut) and taking antibiotics (they kill ALL the bacteria in your body, the good and the bad!). Taking probiotics daily by drinking kefir (you can either buy kefir from your local grocery store or you can make all sorts of fermented beverages such as this Strawberry Water Kefir, Lactofermented Sparkling Apple Cider, or Apple Pomegranate Water Kefir!) or even drinking Kombucha (You can either buy it from the grocery store or make it yourself. You can even flavor your kombucha with herbs and fruit to make it tastier and more immune boosting!)

Sunshine & Vitamin D – Vitamin D is essential to your body's immune system because it helps immune cells make new antibodies. Recent studies are showing that people with low levels of vitamin D are at an increased risk for respiratory infections. A 2010 study in kids showed that 1200 IU a day of supplemental vitamin D reduced the risk of influenza A. In the summertime it can be a lot easier to get your daily dose of Vitamin D, but in the wintertime in some locations around the world, you may have to supplement it. Taking fish oil supplements (Nordic Naturals is my favorite pure and sustainable source for all things fish oil) and consuming wild caught fish can help supplement some of the Vitamin D in your diet.

Herbs that help to boost and support the immune system

Garlic – Used for centuries as a natural antibiotic, this antibacterial and antiseptic herb is great at boosting immunities and helping get rid of a cold or the flu. Great at fighting antibiotic resistant bacteria, garlic has been known to help with MRSA, yeast infections, viruses, and parasites.

Ginger root – A warming herb that has been shown to reduce inflammation, increase circulation, boost your immunities, and even help to relieve coughs and sore throats. Ginger is an all around herb that I use in all of my cold related syrups!

Lemon balm – A naturally antibacterial and antiseptic herb, lemonbalm has long been used to help with digestion and aid in sleep. A tonic herb, lemonbalm also helps induce perspiration helping to break a fever.

Cinnamon Bark – Like ginger, cinnamon is a warming herb that helps with circulation, congestion, and boosting immunities which makes it a great addition to any cold and flu remedy.

Whole Cloves – Used for centuries as a natural anesthetic by Dentists all over the world, to help numb toothaches, mouth ulcers, and sore throats, cloves are highly antiseptic and antibacterial. This warming herb is great with circulation, congestion, and boosting immunities.

Rosemary- Especially the flower tops, contains antibacterial and antioxidant rosmarinic acid, plus several essential oils such as cineol, camphene, borneol, bornyl acetate, and α-pinene that are known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antiseptic properties.

Eucalyptus- The  benefits of eucalyptus are well-known and wide ranging, and its properties include anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, decongestant, deodorant, antiseptic, antibacterial, stimulating, and other medicinal qualities.