Immune booster - Belberyy tea

Bilberry is a plant. Bilberry is also known as European blueberry, whortleberry, and a few other names. Bilberry tea which is made from dried bilberry leaves or fruits is extremely high in Vitamin C, which boosts the immune system. This tea is preferred for medicinal purposes rather than for the flavor as this tea has a slightly medicinal taste.

There are other benefits of belberry tea which we are learning from this post.
It is one of several species of low-growing shrubs, bearing edible berries.
The dried, ripe fruit and leaves are used to make medicine. Bilberry is a perennial shrub that grows to about 16 inches in height. It has sharp edged, green branches and black wrinkled berries, which are ripe for picking in late summer. Bilberry is a relative of blueberry, cranberry, and huckleberry, and its fruit looks and tastes much like the American blueberry.

Today, the fruit is used to treat diarrhea, menstrual cramps, eye problems, varicose veins, venous insufficiency (a condition in which the veins do not efficiently return blood from the legs to the heart), and other circulatory problems.

How to make the tea?
Bilberry Tea can either be made through infusing the dried bilberry leaves or fruits in hot water, or through decoction of these same parts in boiling water.

Bilberries contain levels of anthocyanin pigments that have been linked experimentally to lowered risk for several diseases, such as those of the heart and cardiovascular system, eyes and cancer.

The bilberry leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal ailments, applied topically, or made into Bilberry Tea infusions.

Bilberry Tea as an herbal decoction prepared from the dried fruits is said to be effective in treating diarrhea in children. It may also be used as a mouthwash in treating various oral disorders and throat problems.
Other Health benefits of Bilberry Tea:

• Bilberry Tea may help inhibit eye and vision disorders by strengthening the walls of blood vessels in the eye and benefit the retina. 
• Help reduce inflammation, and help stabilize ligaments and tendons.
• Support cardiovascular health.
• Treat gastrointestinal problems.
• Ease varicose vein appearance.
• Lower blood sugar in diabetics.
• High level of anthocyanin pigments, which have been linked to a lowered risk of heart disease and cancer.
• Helps improve skin quality in all ages.
• According to Dr. Oz it is one of the tea which help loose weight. Bilberry Tea helps to kill cravings during dinnertime. Its savory sweet flavor balances blood sugar. Drink 1 Cup before dinner.

For daily relief of gastrointestinal problems or to aid digestion, bilberry leaves have been shown to be highly effective, either when ingested in the tea form or made into topical ointments and tinctures.

Most tonics are made with the leaves, because they contain a higher concentration of antioxidants and other healthy compounds.

Immune booster - Echinacea tea

Echinacea tea has been proven to boost the immune system by stimulating the white blood cells. The tea is often used to treat individuals suffering from mild viral infections. These include the flu, the common cold and other mild infections. According to Holistic Online, some professional herbalists consider liquid echinacea to be the most effective because of its ability to coat the internal parts of the body most negatively affected by colds and congestion.                        


Echinacea also known as purple coneflower, is one of the top selling herbal supplements in American. Echinacea comes from an herb found in the southern section of the United States.

History of echinacea herb:                       
The echinacea herb has been used as an herbal medicinal treatment for hundreds of years, especially among Native American Indian tribes. Native Americans and Europeans have used Echinacea purpurea (and other species of the plant) to boost the immune system, prevent colds and flu, and fight infections.

Health benefits of achinacea tea:
Echinacea tea is a great source of vitamins and minerals. Echinacea includes iron, maganese, selenium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B, and several other vitamins and minerals.

Echinacea may also help fight off urinary tract infections, herpes, ear infections, strep throat, staph infections and bronchitis. It is recommended for those suffering with chronic respiratory infections and patients with cancer. Drinking the Echinacea can heal joint and muscle issues as well as reduce inflammation. Echinacea tea is the best herbal tea which contains infection-fighting natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Echinacea works to increase activity of our immune system by stimulating white blood cells. White blood cells attack viruses and bacteria that can lead to illness or infection. For this reason, research shows that its medicinal properties are very beneficial to those that suffer from AIDS since the disease attacks the immune system.
You can boost your immune system by adopting a healthy lifestyle and starting your day with a cup of Echinacea Tea.

How to prepare Echinacea Tea?
Ingredients:
2 cups cold water
1 teaspoon dried Echinacea fresh edible flower (or roots)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon honey
Preparation: Place the Echinacea leaves and ginger in a teapot and pour 2 cups of boiling water over the leaves.
Cover and steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain into tea cups. Add lemon juice and honey and stir to blend.


Remember:
Be advised that people suffering with diseases, such as HIV or AIDS, tuberculosis or multiple sclerosis, using Echinacea can irritate these diseases by making their symptoms worse. Check with your health care practitioner first before using Echinacea in any form.

 Echinacea tea has a number of known benefits to a person's health, though you should never use an herbal supplement, even in the form of tea, without consulting your health care practitioner.

Useful links:

* Echinacea May Boost Immune System More Than Previously Thought

Immune boosters - sleep

Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle and can benefit your body and mind. Experts say that not only does prolonged sleep deprivation wear down immune protection but getting adequate rest can help boost your defenses.

Your body may need anywhere from 6 to 10 hours of sleep each night. Sleep has been linked to balanced hormone levels (including human growth hormone and the stress hormone, cortisol), keeping weight down, clear thinking and reasoning, improved mood, and vibrant, healthy skin.    

 "We don't know the exact mechanism by which sleep impacts immunity, but we do know that a lack of it prevents the body from repairing cells. And when we skip that important physiological step, we get sick more easily," says Tierno.

To help give your immune system an extra boost during cold and flu season, Charnetski says get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. And if you can't sleep … try a little "immune sex therapy." Charnetski says that having sex gives immunity a healthy boost of IGA (a protein from the immune system that helps fight infections), which plays a critical role in keeping pathogens from entering your body -- and capturing those that do sneak in.

In studies of humans and other animals, scientists have discovered that sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions. Researchers looked at how lack of sleep may affect the immune system. Chronic sleeplessness may harm the immune system, since lack of sleep is linked to an increase in cytokine molecules that control immune response.
The resulting inflammation and changes in blood chemistry may be behind a variety of diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and neurological conditions.
"The foundations of good health are good diet, good exercise and good sleep, but two out of three doesn't get you there," said Dr. Anne Calhoun, a neurology professor at the University of North Carolina.

 "Sleep used to be kind of ignored, like parking our car in a garage and picking it up in the morning," says David Rapoport, MD, director of the NYU Sleep Disorders Program.

More links:

* Health benefits of sleep

* 11 surprising health benefits of sleep