I take a lot of supplements in winter. Our whole family does. Vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D, quercetin, echinacea, olive leaf. It's non-negotiable in this house, the same way locking the front door is non-negotiable.
And it helps. I'm not about to tell you to throw any of that out.
But I had a mini flare recently. Enough to stop me in my tracks. And it reminded me of something I know, something I've known for years, that I'd quietly let slide.
Food is still the most powerful thing I have access to.
The thing about a handful of capsules
When you take your supplements first thing in the morning, your body takes what it needs and moves on. The rest doesn't wait around. A lot of it passes through.
Whole food works differently. When nutrients come bundled with phytochemicals and enzymes, your body recognises them. It knows what to do. Absorption is better. Utilisation is better.
It's not that supplements aren't doing anything. It's that food speaks a language your cells already understand.
For me, this isn't just general wellness advice. I've been living with chronic Lyme disease for many years, and my immune system needs real, consistent support. A morning stack of capsules and then a day of beige food isn't going to cut it, and my body has a fairly direct way of telling me when I've forgotten that.
Why I made a green juice
I know juicing has its critics. I'm not here to debate it. What I know is that on the days when my body is struggling, a well-made green juice is one of the fastest ways to get nutrients in that my body can actually use.
Thyme alone is worth calling out. Most people think of it as something you throw on a roast. It's actually antimicrobial, high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and genuinely useful when your immune system is under pressure. Combined with dark leafy greens, you're getting magnesium, folate, iron and a solid hit of phytochemicals in a single glass.
Two recipes below. One that's easy to start with, and the one I actually made during my flare.
The Everyday Green
- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- 1 Lebanese cucumber
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 green apple
- Juice of half a lemon
- Small knob of ginger
Run it through a juicer. The apple makes it palatable without making it sweet. Ginger and lemon do the heavy lifting for your immune system.
The Flare Fighter
This is what I actually made. It's bitter. It's medicinal. That's the point.
- 1 handful of spinach
- 1 handful of cos lettuce
- Small bunch of fresh coriander
- 4 asparagus spears
- 5 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
- 1 green apple
- Juice of one lemon
- Splash of water if your juicer needs it
Thyme and coriander together are potent. Asparagus is one of the better detox vegetables going. This isn't a pretty juice. It's a pull-yourself-together juice.
What I actually want you to take from this
Keep your supplements. Mine aren't going anywhere. But if you're relying on a morning stack and then not thinking much about what you eat for the rest of the day, that's the gap worth looking at.
A green juice a few times a week. More fresh herbs in your cooking. More real food, less packaged food. It doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to be consistent.
My flare reminded me of that. I hope this saves you from needing the same reminder.
I work with women navigating chronic illness and burnout through private coaching and my Mojo Detox programs. If you want to know more, reach out to me https://www.livingmojo.com.au/contact
