I don’t know about you, but ever since Juno came and invaded our city with her white fury, I have been longing for the salty ocean water washing away the sand from my warm, sun kissed skin.

I’m sorry, I got a little carried away there and jumped the gun big time. First of all, my skin is anything but sun kissed right now and second, I am currently under a pile of blankets wearing at least three layers.

A girl can dream. Five, more, months. We can do it!

At least that’s what I keep telling myself just to get through these next months—a new mantra, perhaps?

What’s worse than being held captive indoors during a snowpocalypse? Being sick at the same time. Flu season has sprung and because I refuse to get sick, I did some experimenting in my kitchen and came up with this delectable flu fighter that almost tastes like summer.

Who says you can’t drink cold smoothies in the heart of winter? Not even the Blizzard of 2015 can hold us back…

Immuneburst Smoothie 

• 2 navel oranges or minneolas
• The juice of 1 lemon (more if you don’t want your smoothie as sweet)
• A good chunk of fresh, peeled ginger (the more, the better)
• Fresh or frozen pineapple (1.5 cups, more or less depending on your sweetness preference)
• 1 banana
• A dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon of hemp oil or coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground turmeric
• Carrot juice (3 cups, more or less depending on your thickness preference)
• A few ice cubes

Beware: This smoothie has quite a punch to it. The spicier, the better, as those are the key immune boosting ingredients doing their job. Now, let’s kick flu season in the butt!

If you have any suggestions or renditions of your own, please share! I love seeing your recreations. Stay warm, stay healthy, and most importantly—stay positive! It’s easy to get the winter blues during this time, but remember there’s a white sandy beach at the end of the tunnel!

Relephant:  

3 Ayurvedic Tips for Staying Happy & Healthy During the Winter

Author:  Sophie Medina

Associate Editor:  Kendra Hackett / Editor: Renee Picard 

Photo:  Author on Tumblr