Naturally boosting your immune system and metabolism (and some yummy baking tips to help)

Lately I've been thinking a lot about natural alternatives to prescription medicine and just a lot about holistic well being in general. After the birth of my little boy I was on heavy pain killers which ended up having some pretty awful side effects. What I discovered about myself is that pain is really relative and unique to everyone, it depends on what you’ve been through in your past experiences or what you might be currently going through too (especially your current mental health).

When you're in so much pain that even the big opioids (e.g morphine type) drugs don't work then you suddenly realise you are a lot stronger than you ever imagined possible!

Heres the thing…

4 month on I still feel as though those drugs only work sometimes.

I have painful days where my muscles and organs ache and yes thats pretty weird but I’ve found natural ways to manage it. Boosting my immune system has  been one key aspect of getting back to a healthy and happy me.

Immunity:

1. Try natural anti-inflammatory foods

I’ve been using a lot of turmeric in dishes I cook which is a natural anti-inflammatory properties and also popping in extra green veggies which can really help give your immunity a boost.

Turmuric lattes are a thing now and they are so yum! especially if you ask for extra cinnomon and honey like I do.

We are also also growing our own silverbeat this season and I’m looking forward to making a big spinach, silver beat and feta pie soon when we harvest it.

Click on the pie for a yummy recipe

2. Only eat when you feel hungry.

Getting up in the middle of the night frequently ( to feed my little one) has really helped to boost my metabolism, weird but true! Sometimes I will be awake for an hour or so and that means I get crazy hungry! I've decided to not fight my body anymore and instead eat when I'm hungry. That might sound silly but your body gets hungry for a reason and in those moments if you really listen instead of ignoring it your body it seems to be rewarding me with weight loss!

Metabolism:

Tip 1: Drink more.

This sounds easy but when you have a busy job or already low energy levels its very challenging! My tip is to buy a good quality drink bottle that you like drinking out of and preferable pretty with cats (ok thats just me). That way you’ll enjoy drinking out of it. Leave it on your desk or take it with you if you go out. Then in any spare moment chug some water back! If your not a big water drinker then how about cold tea? Iced tea is pretty much just brewed tea that has some sugar but I’d skip the sugar and try a lil honey for sweetness. Anything natural is better than a teaspoon or two of the ‘hard stuff’.

I’ve also been drinking green tea and only one coffee in the mornings. Green tea has some really wonderful immune system and metabolic benefits and if you don't like the taste you might just not have found the right one for you yet. Keep searching!

My favourite is this one from Tea Total an Auckland company that sells loose leaf and it is delicious!! My Dad actually introduced me to it- Thanks Dad!

 You can buy it online from their website.

Tip 2: Probiotics!

These beautful things are sadly not made by me they are called antioxident probiotic bites. Click the above photo to check out one of my favourite nutritionists x

Probiotic are my new best friend. I take one everyday or sometimes every second day. I really think they help a lot to aid digestion and also increase my energy levels. Did you know you can make probiotic cookies? OMG! So delish. Check out this recipe from

What is a probiotic? 

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your digestive system. We usually think of bacteria as something that causes diseases. But your body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are often called "good" or "helpful" bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy.- Thanks Dr Google for this Info!

So there you go a few little tips and tricks I’ve learnt in the last 4 months as I recover from my traumatic birth. I'm not a medical professional but these are some simple things that have really made such a difference in my life, I'm still not there just yet but I’m on the mend!

xx SR