Boost Your Immune System with Smoothies

Wednesday, January 06, 2010 by: DaNae Johnson, M.H.
Tags: smoothies, immune system, health news

(NewsTarget) Beginning of the school year, rumors of the swine flu sparked great fear around the world. As viruses and bacteria begin to spread like wild fire throughout our communities, you are probably searching for the best immune system supplements to protect your family in addition to a well-balanced diet. When trying to choose the best immune boosting supplement for your family, you need something that is simple to incorporate into your lifestyle. One of the best immune system supplements known throughout history is astragalus root.

You may be surprised that astragalus may also assist in reducing the following: cardiovascular disease, chemotherapy side effects, common cold, diabetes, HIV, and AIDS. Studies have shown that astragalus may actually further suppress cancerous tumors from growing. But astragalus is mainly known for its ability to boost the immune system.

Basics on Astragalus

According to drugs.com, astragalus has no known adverse effects. For those who take immunosuppressive medication you should be aware that astragalus should not be taken; it stimulates the immune system and may cause the medication to not be as effective. Also, astragalus should not be ingested during a fever.

There are many different ways to take astragalus. The root is usually created into a decoction by simmering the root in water for a couple minutes. Then you drink the decoction as you would tea. You can also purchase the extract or capsulated versions.

If you are looking to save money while boosting your immune system, purchase astragalus powder in bulk form. You can encapsulate it yourself or add the powder to your food as you cook.

Dosages for Astragalus

You should always follow the advice of a medical professional when determining the dosage for your body. Each variety of astragalus product may suggest different amounts depending on its strength. Follow the directions listed on the label.

Drugs.com says that the average recommended dose for an adult is 2-6 grams of astragalus powder. 4 grams of powder is equivalent to approximately 1 teaspoon for an adult. Since astragalus is almost tasteless, 1 teaspoon of astragalus powder can be easily hidden in different foods, like soups, sauces, or smoothies. You can also easily hide the strained decoction in foods.

How to Use Astragalus in Smoothies

Smoothies are convenient and many people, young and old, love them. It is usually easier to get your kids to drink an immune boosting smoothie than to swallow the capsules.

You have two main forms of astragalus to choose from when adding astragalus into your smoothies. The easiest way is to use the bulk powder. The second way is to create a decoction for the liquid of the smoothie. For your convenience, the recipes below use astragalus powder.

Astragalus Smoothie Recipes

Macadamia Vanilla Astragalus Shake
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, raw
1 cup water
8 dates, pitted
1/4 tsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp astragalus powder
12 ice cubes
Blend the first three ingredients until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend again.
Makes 2 - 1 cup servings

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup fresh fruit juice
2 tablespoons honey or 1/2 tsp stevia powder
1 tsp astragalus powder
8 ice cubes
Place the fresh ingredients under the frozen ingredients into the blender and blend until completely smooth. Makes 2 - 1 cup servings

Chocolate Peppermint Smoothie
1/4 cup cashews or macadamia nuts, raw
1 cup water or peppermint tea
8 dates
1/4 tsp stevia powder
1 tsp astragalus powder
1 tablespoon cocoa or cacao
1-2 drops peppermint essential oil
12 ice cubes
Blend the first three ingredients until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend again. Makes 2 - 1 cup servings

Resources:

http://www.drugs.com/npc/astragalus.html

http://www.smart-publications.com/the_common...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16421421?...

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69128.cfm

http://www.raisingchildrennaturally.com/arti...

About the author

DaNae desires for you to absorb accurate information on how to easily take care of your family's nutritional needs. As a mother of two young boys, she knows how important it is to incorporate nutrition into a busy schedule.

Visit www.smoothie-handbook.com/free-smoothie-reci... to receive her free Smoothie Handbook Ebook that is packed with fruit smoothie recipes, green smoothie recipes, and even chocolate smoothie recipes! You can also stay up-to-date on top secret tips on smoothie recipes.
Her website contains many different ways for your family to blend in a well-balanced diet in this non-stop world.