Your immune system fights illnesses and infections, constantly battling invaders to keep you healthy. With cold and flu season upon us, it’s a good idea to do whatever possible to support and strengthen your immune system, including feeding it what it needs.
Research has identified foods believed to help boost your immune system cells and support their ability to defend you. These foods vary from garlic to turmeric, leafy greens, chicken and eggs, fatty fish and berries, citrus, and so many more.
The following recipe – Chicken Florentine – is a delicious main course meal that requires one skillet to prepare and is simply delicious to eat. It’s one of my family’s favorites, delicious over rice, pasta, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
And almost every ingredient in this recipe is an immune system booster – protein and zinc from the chicken, copper and vitamin D from mushrooms, vitamins A, C, K, magnesium, and iron from the spinach, and antioxidants from the garlic, shallots, and citrus.
Ingredients:
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 10 oz (1 bag) baby spinach
• 6 chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper
• 4 oz sliced mushrooms (button, cremini, shiitake)
• 1 shallot – chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 cups chicken stock (I prefer Knorr)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp lemon zest grated
• 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions:
1. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and put aside
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high
3. Add spinach and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. Transfer spinach into a colander, press to release excess liquid
5. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel
6. Add remaining oil to the skillet, heat on medium-high
7. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, approx. 4 minutes each side
8. Transfer chicken onto a plate and put aside
9. Add shallots, mushrooms, and garlic to skillet and cook for about 1 minute
10. Stir in chicken stock and heavy cream, mix, scraping up browned bits, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
11. Return chicken to skillet and simmer for 20 minutes.
12. Turn heat off, stir in Parmesan (leaving some for the top in the next step), lemon zest, lemon juice, and cooked spinach.
13. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan
14. Heat broiler, place skillet in the oven on the middle rack, and broil for about 3 minutes.
15. Serve warm over pasta, rice, or with crusty bread.
Nutrition Info:
Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 1 Chicken Thigh with Vegetables
Per Serving: 490 Calories, 41g Fat, 10g Carbohydrates, 5g Sugar, 2g Fiber, 24g Protein
Probiotics Support Immune System Health
Now, you know that taking a daily probiotic is one of the smartest ways to reinforce your digestive health…
But did you also know that probiotics are one of the most effective ways to reinforce your immune system?
Between 70% and 80% of your body’s immune system cells live in your gut, and there’s quite a lot of interaction between those cells and your gut bacteria.
Research shows that specific probiotic strains like those found in Stonehenge Health® Dynamic Biotics™ help rebalance good and bad bacteria, displace harmful pathogens, promote the production of antimicrobial peptides, and they help strengthen the gut lining. (1-2)
And numerous studies show that specific probiotic strains are more effective at fighting off harmful bugs, including Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. (3-5)
These are just a few of the strains you’ll find in the powerful 16-strain formula of Dynamic Biotics™.
Now is the ideal time to prepare for the coming cold and flu season. A combination of healthy immune system-supporting foods and a daily dose of Dynamic Biotics™ can make all the difference in you feeling your absolute best this season. Grab your supply of Dynamic Biotics™ now.
Sources:
1. Probiotics May Be Effective in Preventing the Common Cold (2013) newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/probiotics-may-be-effective-in-preventing-the-common-cold/
2. Maldonado Galdeano, Carolina, Silvia Inés Cazorla, José María Lemme Dumit, Eva Vélez, and Gabriela Perdigón. 2019. “Beneficial Effects Of Probiotic Consumption On The Immune System”. Annals Of Nutrition And Metabolism 74 (2): 115-124. doi:10.1159/000496426.
3. 2020. Probion.Com. probion.com/pub/media/papers/TM_Lp-115_June2010.pdf
4. “Lactobacillus Reuteri – An Overview | Sciencedirect Topics”. 2020. Sciencedirect.Com. sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/lactobacillus-reuteri.
5. Dimitrijevic R, et al. 2020. “Effects Of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus LA68 On The Immune System Of C57BL/6 Mice Upon Oral Administration. – Pubmed – NCBI “. Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24559976
