5 SPICES TO SUPPORT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Ayurveda is always about a supportive, long-term, sustainable lifestyle and spices play a major role in this. They are powerful, medicinal ingredients that have been linked to a wide variety of health benefits (which is exactly why they were once worth more than gold!), plus they’re so much fun to play around with in your cooking. During this time, it’s more important than ever to stay as healthy as we can in our mind-bodies, so we can either avoid getting ill or recover that much quicker. By taking care of ourselves and not leaving ourselves vulnerable by being run down, we can make lockdown easier on our digestion, sleep or mental health. Spices are a wonderful everyday tool to help support your immune system, so I’ve outlined some of my favourites to use at the moment.
A couple of these will already be familiar and two or three might be completely new to you but worth looking into. Three of these are used in the Immune Boom recipe, an Ayurvedic tonic I’m making most days right now. The great thing about spices is that they keep well, taste great and work well in so many combinations — whether as a tea or tisane, to flavour food or as more of a remedy — but do be sure to use them within 6 months to a year. Although they are usually good for several years, their potency will fade, as will their wonderful flavour and aroma.
TULSI
Tulsi, or holy basil, is an Ayurvedic adaptogenic herb commonly used in herbal teas to help with coughs, congestion and flu, as well as helping to reduce blood pressure and stress, among many other benefits. Holy basil can sometimes be found fresh and it’s delicious in Thai-style stir fries, but it’s much easier to purchase it in dried form or ready packaged in tea bags. Try it in the Immune Boom or simply sip on Pukka’s Tulsi tea.
TURMERIC
Modern science has proven what Ayurveda has known for 5,000 odd years: turmeric is one of the most versatile medicinal spices out there. It’s also one of my all-time favs. This amazing yellow powder not only helps boost your immune system, but is also anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and great for digestion. Try it in Golden Milk or Sri Lankan Mustard Fish Curry!
PIPPALI (AKA LONG PEPPER)
Long pepper, or pippali, is traditionally paired with turmeric, to help the body assimilate it. Pippali has been shown to help fight diseases such as inflammation, depression and diabetes, among others, so it’s a great one to add to your repertoire right now. In my day-to-day recipes, I’ve always subbed with black pepper, which is so easily available, but as the need to boost our immunity increases I found Pippali online at Steenbergs. This long pepper is spicier than the black pepper we’re used to seeing, and has a more complex taste, but the difference remains subtle. Try it in the Immune Boom (an Ayurvedic remedy from my Panchakarma family in India) or use in Golden Milk or anywhere else you might use black pepper.
AMLA
Amla, or Indian gooseberry, powder is another great one to boost immunity. It helps you stay hydrated and provides vitamin C as well, both of which are really important to stay on top of your health. Available online as a dried, ground powder, you can enjoy it ready mixed in Triphala — the classic Ayurvedic herbal formula — alongside Bibhitaki and Haritaki. Triphala is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties as well as other benefits. Or you can use amla as an ingredient and add a dash to your dishes — it gives a nice sour taste to dal or kitchari.
GINGER
Ginger will lift up any dish into a lovely, fragrant treat, and it has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, as well as helping with digestion, nausea and congestion. Whether fresh or dried, I love it in this Ginger Broccoli and Baby Corn Kitchari and Ginger Chickpea Cookies.