Now more than ever, it is a time to stay home, stay safe and support immune health—and citrus fruits are a great way to strengthen the immune system. Hey, everyone, my name is Megan Roosevelt, and I’m a registered dietitian nutritionist, the founder of Healthy Grocery Girl and spokesperson for Limoneira [lee-moan-ERA]’s Take a Healthy Stand campaign. Citrus fruits contain the antioxidant vitamin C, which plays a crucial role in helping support the immune system. A vitamin C deficiency can increase the risk of infections; in fact, adding vitamin C to the diet both protects and helps the body heal and repair. Vitamin C also supports collagen production and proper collagen production is important for gut health. This is important because seventy percent of the immune system resides in the gut. In addition, vitamin C helps iron absorption. About seventy percent of your body’s iron is found in red blood cells called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin plays an important role in transferring oxygen in your blood from the lungs to the tissues. As a registered dietitian, I always recommend meeting your nutritional needs through real, whole foods first, with supplementation as an aid to fill in the gaps. Although our bodies only need small amounts of vitamins and minerals, they’re vital for our health. However a Western diet high in processed foods and low in whole foods like fresh produce can result in a vitamin and mineral deficiency. Nutritional deficiencies can increase our risk of certain diseases. Limoneira lemons and citrus fruits are incredibly versatile and a great way to support your immune health and health overall. From adding fresh lemon juice to water, using whole lemons including the peel and zest in recipes, to using lemons for natural beauty and cleaning solutions, we have dozens of free recipes, beauty and lifestyle videos on the Limoneira Youtube channel, sharing how to enjoy more lemons and citrus every day. Lemon juice in its natural state is acidic; however, once metabolized, it becomes alkaline. Why does this matter? Believers in holistic health attribute many body ailments to the body’s P-H being too low or too acidic. Increasing your body’s P-H is called alkalizing. Drinking lemon juice, usually diluted in a glass of water or added to a cup of tea, is a simple, healthy way to support a more alkaline, anti-inflammatory environment within your body. Potential additional benefits include lowering cholesterol, lower inflammation within the body and increased metabolism and energy. Instead of cleaning with harmful chemicals, you can use equal parts lemon juice and water to clean most household items. Be cautious not to clean natural stone or anything brass plated with citrus. Here is a simple homemade disinfectant recipe which was inspired by our D-I-Y citrus all-purpose cleaner; however we are using rubbing alcohol in place of vinegar so that this solution disinfects and kills bacteria and viruses. You will need orange peels from Limoneira oranges, rubbing alcohol with at least seventy percent alcohol, Castile soap and essential oils. I’m using frankincense. Find a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and add the orange peel. Fill to the top with rubbing alcohol. Add lid and let sit for two weeks. Strain the orange infused alcohol and add two-thirds cup to a spray bottle with one-thirds cup filtered water. Next, add a fourth of a teaspoon of unscented Castile soap and four to five drops of essential oil. Add on a lid and shake together. Use on floors, doorknobs, the bathroom or in the kitchen. If you’re keen on natural solutions to boost immunity, look no further than Limoneira lemons. Lemons contain vitamin C, zinc and key antioxidants. Lemons also play a vital role in helping the immune system adapt to new threats and conditions. Thank you so much for watching. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Limoneira Youtube channel, follow Limoneira on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and look for sustainably grown Limoneira citrus next time you head to the grocery store. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you in the next video. Bye.