Dr. Colbert’s Favorite Immune Boosting Dinner Recipe
Dr. Don Colbert – There’s never been a better time to focus on immune boosting dinners and meals. Today, we have an easy one that most people can make with simple ingredients on-hand.
It includes foods with nutrients that boost the immune system via specific nutritive components, cellular detoxification, and proteins.
Here’s a great immune boosting dinner, perfect for a time when we want the best immune systems to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. Start this recipe about 1 1/2 hours before dinnertime (or you can do all the prep work way ahead of time). Most of the work is during the first 30 minutes…then, sit back relax and wait for a delicious immune boosting dinner.
Dr. Colbert’s Favorite Immune Boosting Dinner
Ingredients
- 4 4-to-6-ounce chicken thighs (organic, local, and/or free-range if possible)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh preferably)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- garlic powder (optional)
- 1 lemon (make sure to wash)
- salt
- pepper
- 1 head cauliflower
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Place chicken thighs in large baggie or bowl. Cover with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (okay to use ground pepper if needed). Allow to set in refrigerator and marinate at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
- Slice onion into thin slices, each about 1/4-inch.
- Crush garlic cloves and chop into thin slices.
- Slice lemon into thin slices, about 1/4-inch each.
- Chop entire cauliflower into 1-inch pieces, discarding stem and leaves.
- Prepare 1 large or 2 smaller sheet pans (cookie sheets) with oil or parchment paper (or silicone liners). Place 1/2 of the chicken thighs in a single layer in the middle of each pan. Place onion slices and cauliflower around the chicken. Place chopped garlic and lemon slices on top of chicken.
- If you’d like extra garlic-flavor, sprinkle garlic powder over everything.
- Sprinkle all food with additional fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. If you like baked whole black peppercorns, add a few (see why below).
- Drizzle cauliflower and onion with additional extra virgin olive oil.
- Place pans in the oven. If possible, place side by side on the same rack. If they are too large, place on 2 racks and off-set slightly (so they are not directly above and under other).
- If using 1 pan or 2 on the same rack, bake for 40 minutes total, turning chicken and stirring vegetables after 20 minutes.
- If on different racks, bake for 50 minutes total, turning chicken, stirring vegetables, and rotating pans on the different racks after 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and enjoy immediately. Drizzle with additional olive oil if desired.
Nutrition Info: 313 calories, 23 grams fat, 6 grams net carbs (9 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber), 13 grams protein
Immune Boosting Dinner Nutrients
Why make this dinner for an immune boost? Every single ingredient in it has the potential to boost your immune system and help your body fight viruses.
And what’s more, you may just find that “sheet pan dinners” are so easy and delicious they cut down dinnertime stress. Your reduction of cortisol is another immune booster! Here are the details of this sheet pan favorite:
Chicken: The protein from chicken can be used by the body to support hormone balance, repair cells and boost the immune system.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Especially if it’s an olive oil high in oleocanthal (such as Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone Harvest Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil), it provides amazing health benefits from your head to your heart to your immune system. Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, anti-cancer compounds, supports heart health, and reduces inflammation. In fact, oleocanthal is strongly anti-inflammatory and works similarly to medications, like ibuprofen (1). What’s more, its components also exhibit antibacterial and anti-viral action (2).
Lemon Juice: Lemons and lemon juice is high in vitamin C and other strong antioxidants. These boost the immune system directly. What’s more, it contains anti-bacterial compounds that can reduce putrefactive bacteria in both the intestines and the mouth.
Garlic: Garlic is a virus-fighting machine, and you can get a double-dose with fresh garlic and high-quality garlic powder. Garlic is known to be a very effective immune booster, killing bacterias and viruses while supporting cellular detox. In fact, some lab studies have found garlic to be effective against antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria (3) and difficult-to-fight viruses.
Onions: Like garlic, onions boost the immune system with anti-bacterial components, anti-cancer compounds and strong antioxidants.
Fresh Ground Black Pepper: Perhaps one of the most under-rated health foods in your cupboard, black peppercorns contains potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Both support the immune system. What’s more, its components including piperine improve curcumin absorption and have strong anti-cancer effects on many different types of cancer cells (4).
Cauliflower: Cauliflower is an amazing vegetable. While it may seem bland, it’s nutrients specifically support cellular detoxification to keep cells healthy and thriving. Its phytochemicals enable both Phase 1 and Phase 2 cellular detoxification. Furthermore, its glucosinolates group, including glucobrassicin, glucoraphanin, and gluconasturtiin support and help boost immune function.
Bottom Line
It doesn’t take fancy ingredients to boost your immune system. Oftentimes, simple, common, real-food ingredients make the most delicious and healthy dinners. Try Dr. Colbert’s Favorite Immune Boosting Dinner. It will likely become one of your favorites now and for years to come.
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