How about using fibre to boost your immunity?

Keeping your gut functioning and healthy is one of the best ways to boost your immune system.

The most straightforward, efficient way to do this is to increase your daily intake of fibre.

The American Heart Association reports that the average person eats 15 grams of fibre/day.

That is about 1/2 as much as recommended for optimal health. Aim for 30-45 grams/day, meaning lots and lots of veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains.

There are 2 different types of fibre: soluble and insoluble

• Soluble fibre:
  Supports weight loss
  Stabilises blood sugar
  Functions to rid your body of excess levels of hormones like estrogen and testosterone.
  Studies have shown that increasing soluble fibre helps to regulate ghrelin levels (the hunger hormone which stimulates appetite).

• Insoluble fibre helps to keep you regular. In addition to vegetables, you find insoluble fibre in grains and certain nuts.

I think one of the most undervalued and underused foods is legumes- lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas. They are an incredible source of fibre, and the trick seems to be integrating them into daily/weekly meals. Or making them the main ingredient.

My 2 absolute favourite lentil soup recipes

They are perfect to freeze and have on hand for quick meals. Both are fabulous paired with cornbread and the combo is an awesome fibrous meal. Happy Eating!

• Curry Spinach Lentil Soup from The Night Kitchen Cookbook
  1 cup dried lentils- the green, standard kind
  1 Spanish onion, chopped
  2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  2 carrots, peeled and diced
  1 celery stalk. sliced
  10-12 cups veggie or chicken broth/stock
  1 TBSP curry powder
  1 1/2 cup diced potato- about 1 large potato
  1 10oz bag of spinach
  1 TBSP red wine vinegar
  pinch of salt
  
  Place lentils, onions, garlic. carrots, celery, curry powder and 6 cups of broth in a soup pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, for 2 hours. Add potato, spinach and 4 more cups of broth and cook, uncovered, for 2 more hours. Add vinegar and, if needed, the remaining 2 cups of broth. Add salt to taste.

Spinach- is used in Chinese Medicine to strengthen all the organs and to ventilate the chest. And those leafy greens are really how you pack in the fibre.
Lentils- Commonly used in Chinese Medicine as a dietetic remedy for vomiting. Used to strengthen the stomach and harmonise stomach qi.

• Curried Lentil, Tomato & Coconut Soup- adapted from Bon Appetite recipe
  2 TBSP coconut oil OR olive oil
  1 medium onion, finely chopped
  2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  1 TBSP fresh ginger, finely grated
  1 1/2 TBSP curry powder
  1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  3/4 cup RED lentils
  1 can of crushed tomatoes
  1/2 cup finely chopped coriander/cilantro
  2 cups water
  salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  1 can coconut milkshake well before using
  a little lime to squeeze on top (optional)
  
  Cook onion in oil for about 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and red pepper flakes- stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add lentils and stir and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, cilantro/coriander and water. Season with salt & pepper. Add coconut milk. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft but not mushy 20–25 minutes. Season soup with more salt and pepper if needed.

Cilantro/coriander has been used medicinally in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. Classically you drink cilantro with fresh ginger for a wind-cold pattern and cilantro with mint for a wind-heat pattern. It is used to promote sweating, to clear out the pathogen. Western herbalism has used cilantro, usually chopped and added as a garnish, as a carminative to promote digestion and to harmonise appetite.

My favourite cornbread recipe

• Healthy Cornbread
  1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour OR gluten-free flour
  1 cup yellow cornmeal
  1 tablespoon baking powder
  ½ teaspoon baking soda
  ¾ tsp salt 
  1 cup buttermilk - I never buy buttermilk. I use 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (easy to use regular milk) and add 1 TBSP lemon juice. Whisk and let sit for 10 minutes and voila!
  2 eggs
  ¼ cup honey
  ¼ cup olive oil

Oven to 400F/200C. Oil skillet or baking dish. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a food processor or blender, pulse together buttermilk, eggs, ¼ cup honey, and ¼ cup oil until combined, 15–20 pulses
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into the well. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture just to combine (small pockets of flour are OK.)
Pour batter into skillet and smooth top with a spatula. 
Bake cornbread until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 24–25 minutes.  

Corn is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to strengthen digestion through the spleen and stomach (the primary digestive organs in this system). It is also used to benefit the heart and to treat heart conditions like high blood pressure, and heart disease.