It is common knowledge that bacteria and germs spread more during monsoons and a strong immune system becomes our first line of defense against any infection. To help you build up that defense, here are some immunity boosting kadhas to help you stay safe and healthy during monsoons.
4 Immunity Boosting Kadhas
1. Tulsi & Black Pepper Kadha
Ingredients:
- Water – 2 cups
- Crushed black pepper – 1 tsp
- Finely chopped ginger – 1 tsp
- Desi ghee – ½ tsp
- Cloves – 2pc
- Few tulsi leaves
Method:
- Heat the ghee in a saucepan. Add cloves, black pepper, ginger and tulsi leaves
- Once the crackling of the spices stops, add water
- For the next 15-20 minutes, cook the mixture on a medium flame and stir it occasionally
- Have the kadha while it is hot
Benefits: This immunity boosting kadha improves the energy levels in the body. Tulsi and pepper are used to treat common cold and flu. It also helps reduce the inflammation of the chest and helps to expel mucus.
2. Turmeric and Cinnamon Kadha
Ingredients:
- Black cardamom (badi elaichi) – 2 pc (you may use green elaichi if you don’t have black elaichi)
- Kacchi haldi – 1 inch
- Cloves – 2 pc
- Kali Mirch (according to taste)
- Tulsi (few leaves)
- Cinnamon -1 inch
- Ginger – ½ inch
- Small piece of jaggery (optional)
Method:
- Peel the turmeric and ginger and crush them
- Bring the water to boil and add all the spices
- Let it boil for 20-30 minutes till you get a nice yellow-coloured and aromatic drink
- Jaggery can be added for sweet taste.
Benefits: This kadha is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, thus, it helps in relieving sore throat and cold.
3. Triphala Kadha
Ingredients
- Triphala powder – ½ tsp
- Lemon – few drops
- Honey – ½ tsp
Method:
- In a pan, add 1 cup water and triphala powder
- Bring it to boil and simmer for 5 minutes
- Let it cool down for a few minutes and add a few drops of lemon and honey to it.
Benefits: The antioxidative properties of three fruits i.e haritaki, bibhitaki and amla are there in kadha and the presence of vitamins like vitamin A and vitamin C are helpful for booting immunity.
4. Minty Herbal Kadha
Ingredients:
- Fresh neem leaves – 5-6
- Mint leaves – ½ bunch
- Methi leaves – 4-5
- Fresh turmeric – 2 inch
- Cumin powder – ½ tsp
- Jaggery powder – ¼ tsp
- Water – 1 cup
Method:
- Pour water in a pan. Then add the neem leaves, mint leaves, methi leaves, raw turmeric and cumin powder to it and keep it on medium flame
- Let it cook for about 10 minutes, till some liquid vaporizes and the concentrate is formed
- Turn off the cooktop and allow the decoction to cool down a bit
- Strain the brew, blend jaggery powder and consume it warm.
Benefits: Neem is renowned for its antimicrobial traits and also purifies the blood. The herbs present in this kadhas are good for immunity as they guard against a host of bacteria and other viral ailments.
To ensure that our body remains fit and healthy, it’s important to build up its first line of defense. Natural immunity boosting herbs are easily available at home, convenient to incorporate in your daily routine and highly effective! So try out these immunity boosting kadhas. If there’s a special kadha you make at home, share it with us in the comments below!
For more on building immunity during the monsoon, check out Healthy Reads or get these tips directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr
#BeTheForce
With the monsoons here in full swing, most of us worry about getting sick with an infection. With the weather change, the virals in the air also start reacting. The side effects of cold, fever, viral and sore throat get rampant with drastic changes in weather. A strong immune system will help you recover quickly and mostly without the need for medication. The lower your immunity, the longer the healing process and you may have to resort to antibiotics.
Monsoons and the subsequent change in weather often result in low immunity and viral infections such as a sore throat, cold, fever, etc. which drain us. Yoga therapy has a holistic approach, works on 5 different levels i.e. Physical Body, Energy Body, Mental, Intellectual, Emotional and Spiritual level, which can help you overcome these ailments. Let’s look at how these levels help fight viral infections. 
Helps in clearing out the sinus passages, thereby clearing out blockages and allowing for more complete breathing. It invigorates the nervous system and relieves stress and tension.
Opens up the chest. It also sends fresh blood to the head, which helps open up the sinuses further. This asana also activates the thymus glands, one of the main organs of the immune system.
The Legs Up the Wall Pose is a great pose to practice to counter respiratory ailments. When you practice this asana, you might find relief from headaches or backaches that accompany a cold. Practicing this asana calms the mind and makes you strong as your body deals with the cold and helps in reducing fatigue, which usually follows common cold. This asana helps the immune cells to move through your body.
In this asana, your heart is placed higher than the head. There is a reverse pull of gravity that happens when you do that, and this aids in the proper circulation of the lymph and the blood. The mild inversion allows a free flow of white blood cells throughout the body and also helps to drain out the sinuses.
This asana opens up the chest and clears out all the passages. It is essential to try and breathe as much as you can while you are in this pose. This will help open up all the blocked areas that are causing the cold.
When you assume this asana, your chest is raised and your throat is opened up. This improves your breathing and might help alleviate a cold. During colds, one can support the upper thoracic back with a cushion, bolster, or yoga blocks, aiding optimal recovery.
Regular exercise has a major effect on the immune system. Staying active supports our immune system in a variety of ways such as reducing inflammation, increasing the presence of innate immune cells and positively affecting our gut microbes – all of which support our body’s defense mechanisms.
