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The second half of winter is the most disturbing time for the body. The immune system is more vulnerable than ever. And the reason for this is winter beriberi, the most insidious and dangerous. How to strengthen the immune system and survive until spring in good health? This is what we will talk about today.
Seasonal assistance
Each of us experienced the symptoms of winter beriberi. Loss of strength, flaccid skin, brittle hair and nails, exacerbation of chronic diseases and frequent colds indicate a lack of vitamins. It is best to make up for their losses of “winter” vegetables and fruits. And even if there are not so many of them now, each one is worth its weight in gold.
These are primarily pumpkins, carrots, radishes, parsnips, citrus fruits, kiwis, and pomegranates. Of particular value is persimmon, which makes an excellent healing smoothie. Puree the banana and persimmon pulp without seeds in a blender. Add a piece of grated ginger root, 100 ml of mineral water, a pinch of cinnamon and whisk again. The amount of substances important for the immune system in such a cocktail is off the scale.
Sea buckthorn immunity
Most often, beriberi develops in winter due to a lack of vitamin A in the body. Fat dairy products, liver, eggs and sea fish will help restore its normal level. The recognized champion of vitamin A reserves is sea buckthorn. To extract this element from it in full, you should rub the sea buckthorn with sugar. You can find fresh-frozen berries in almost any supermarket. We wash 1 kg of sea buckthorn, dry it and pass it through a meat grinder. Now mix the resulting mass with 1 kg of sugar and transfer it to a glass jar with a tight lid. From this delicacy, you can brew vitamin teas and prepare healthy desserts. By the way, mashed sea buckthorn is good for coughing and sore throat.
Jam for the mood
Everyone, without exception, knows what vitamin to drink with beriberi in the winter in the first place. Vitamin C, of course. In addition to the mentioned citrus fruits, it is found in rose hips, cranberries and mountain ash. All kinds of decoctions and infusions of these berries are most effective. Solid reserves of ascorbic acid can boast of viburnum. We offer to make a healthy jam from it. Fill 1 kg of washed viburnum with 100 ml of water and bake for 15 minutes in the oven at 180 °C. Meanwhile, cook the syrup from 800 g of sugar and 200 ml of water, pour them softened berries and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, often removing the foam. Let the jam infuse all night, boil again and boil until thickened. Such a bright treat will strengthen the immune system and energize you.
Vitamin landing
You will not have to think for a long time about how to cure beriberi at home, if you build the right diet. Add to it more foods with B vitamins: lean pork, meat offal, all kinds of cereals and rye bread. A useful addition to the main menu will be bran from any cereals. Pour 2 tbsp. l. ground bran 50 ml of boiling water, let it soak a little and eat it with a small amount of water. This should be done half an hour before meals three times a day. Vitamin E helps to quickly restore strength in case of beriberi. Look for it in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, sea fish and milk. The record holder for vitamin E reserves is sprouted wheat. It organically complements salads, cereals and homemade cakes.
Sweet moments
To prevent winter vitamin deficiency, you will have to reduce your sugar intake. It is proved that with frequent and uncontrolled use, it methodically erodes the immune system. Alternative sources of sweetness can be natural honey, dried fruits, dried berries, homemade marmalade or agave syrup. Treat incorrigible sweetmeats with healthy candied ginger. Cut into thin slices 300 g of ginger root and soak in water for a day. You need to change it every 6 hours. If you want to completely remove the bitterness, leave the ginger in the water for three days. Next, fill the slices with 50 ml of fresh water, add 200 g of honey and boil for 5 minutes. Now it remains to dry the candied fruits well and roll them in powdered sugar with cinnamon.
Elixir of cheerfulness
A balanced water regime plays an important role for the immune system, especially in winter. Cold and frost primarily deplete the skin. In addition, when there is a lack of water, the metabolism slows down. However, it is important not to overdo the consumption of liquid. Doctors recommend limiting yourself to 1.5 liters of water per day. For the rest, you should focus on herbal teas. A very useful recipe for vitamin deficiency is green tea with lemon zest. Combine in a French press 2 tsp green tea, 1 tsp grated lemon zest, 5-7 mashed mint leaves and a handful of black currant. Fill the mixture with 400 ml of boiling water, insist for 5 minutes and filter. If desired, you can sweeten the drink with honey. This tea will cheer up and fill the body with energy better than any coffee.
It is most reasonable to fight beriberi before it has time to loudly declare itself. After all, winter diseases are fraught with the most unpredictable and dangerous consequences. Take care of the immunity of your loved ones right now, so that the winter is active and joyful.