Immune support by Renata Trister DO

Orange Peel Tea for Immune Support
During these uncertain times, supporting your immune system and the microbiome is important. You can drink this tea throughout the day and swish it around your mouth (unsweetened) to support the oral and gut microbiome.
Ingredients:
Orange or any citrus peel (from 4-5 fruits)1/4 Onion1 inch Ginger2-3 Sprigs of Rosemary2 tsp Whole Cloves2-3 Star Anise1-2 tbs Fennel seeds
8-10 cups water. Bring to a boil & simmer for 20 minutes (or up to an hour)
Keep in mind that you don’t have to have every single ingredient.  There is no way to do this wrong.  A simple tea of citrus peel is helpful.  The other ingredients can be rotated.  The goal is to use what you have on hand and get lots of polyphenols from these plants.  Boiling these plants in water helps get the nutrients out.  You can use a vegetable peeler to peel the citrus and save the peels in a bowl as you go in your fridge.  Once you have enough, you can make tea.  If you are having digestive issues, prioritize the ginger and fennel after the citrus peel.  The onion provides quercetin, a flavonoid, useful for immune support, and is very antimicrobial.  You don’t taste it in the tea, but it provides benefits.  The spices all function to support the gut flora.  Star anise contains shikimic acid and is used as a base material for the production of Tamiflu.