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It’s that time of year, when many people are or know someone who is sick. There are natural ways to keep the common cold and flu at bay.

Kelly Morrow from Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle has some tips about how you can protect yourself with food.

These immunity-boosting foods are a good addition for your diet in the winter.

Food can be used as preventative medicine and a solid building block of good health.

Other ways to stay healthy this winter include getting good sleep, exercising and lowering stress whenever possible.

Recipe for Elderberry Syrup:

From Rosemary Gladstar’s, Family Herbal

1 oz dried or 3 oz fresh, Elderberries (Sambucus nigra)

2 cups water

Yields: 1 cup concentrated decoction

  • Sweeten/preserve with ½-1 cup honey or choice of preserving sweetener.

Directions:

  1. Add 1oz dried elderberries, or 3 oz fresh berries, to 2 cups cold water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmering until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup.
    • In order to know when the liquid has reduced in half you can measure the water level at the beginning by placing a chopstick into mixture and mark the water line with a sharpie.  As the liquid begins reducing simply place the chopstick into the water and when it falls halfway below your original mark it is done. 
  2. Once the liquid has reduced in half, strain and compost the herbs using a fine mesh strainer.  Press out as much liquid from the herb as possible, and compost the marc (spent herb).
  3. To each cup of liquid, add ½-1 cup honey.
  4. Gently stir the honey into the liquid until they are well mixed. 
  5. Pour in sterilized bottles, label, and store your preparation in a cool, dry place.

​If you are interested in learning more about immune-boosting foods, Bastyr Center has a free talk on Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.

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