It’s within our power to boost our immunity with food. I’d say a pandemic is a good time to do this! Oregano, olive oil, garlic and apple cider vinegar are three weapons to have in your arsenal against bacteria and viruses.
Oregano has antimicrobial, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Choose organic dried or fresh oregano.
Olive oil is antibacterial and antiviral. Aside from ingesting it as a delicious food, you can use olive oil topically on various skin conditions. Choose an unfiltered, cold pressed, extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil is best used in it’s raw state (in a salad dressing or drizzled over anything cooked after the heat is turned off). It has a low burning point and it’s hard to keep your pan or oven that low when you’re cooking.
Apple Cider Vinegar has a host of healing benefits. The malic and acetic acids in ACV are: Antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antiseptic. Choose a brand of apple cider vinegar that is cloudy…cloudy is good, it means it has the good bacterial culture.
Before anyone gives me a hard time about the iceberg lettuce…like, “Hey Molly at Eat Real Food Nutrition, I thought iceberg lettuce was a waste of time because it’s nothing but water.” My question to you is: “Since when are we against water? Especially when the best water comes from organic fruits and vegetables. Water that we get directly from our foods is better than tap that is full of too much fluoride and chlorine (among a longer list of “yucks”). It’s better than water that comes in a plastic bottle. Plastics contain endocrine disrupters (and more). Also, when you have an illness or you are trying to avoid it, you need to stay hydrated.” Now what’s that you say about iceberg lettuce?
Besides, the salad below reminds me of my favorite pizza place growing up. (Zamarelli’s in Grove City Ohio). You would get a salad in a Chinese take out container and I loved it! And nostalgia is important.
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
1-2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. dried oregano leaves
Molly’s Salt (also hydrating) and pepper to taste (DM me to buy salt)
1/2 clove pressed organic garlic
head of iceberg lettuce torn into bite sized pieces
1. Put all of the ingredients (except lettuce) at the bottom of your favorite salad bowl and whisk until creamy.
2. Add the lettuce and toss with tongs until the lettuce is coated.
3. Eat it up! And boost your immune system!
