This super-simple-to-prepare, inexpensive Citrus Immunity Shots made with immune-boosting citrus, turmeric, and garlic, a delicious way to start your day!
Citrus Immunity Shots
This wellness shot recipe nourishes, fuels and aids your body in the morning and it’s so easy to make. If you’ve ever purchased immunity shots in the store, you will know how expensive they are. Making them from scratch saves money! Make a batch each week, keep it in the fridge and drink it twice a day.
Immunity Shot Ingredients and Health Benefits
The phytonutrients in plants are very beneficial. Especially when it comes to helping your body’s natural detoxification systems and boosting your immune system. Here’s how each of the superfoods in these Immunity Shots nourishes, fuels and aids your body to prevent sickness:
- Grapefruit Juice: Rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A, two powerful vitamins that benefit immunity.
- Lemon Juice: A good source of Vitamin C, providing antiviral and antibacterial properties.
- Orange Juice: Also high in Vitamin C and it’s high in beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid that your body converts into Vitamin A.
- Ginger Root: Contains gingerol, which can help lower the risk of infections and inhibit the growth of many different types of bacteria. Ginger juice is helps with nausea or upset stomach.
- Turmeric: Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and a very strong antioxidant.
- Black Pepper: When you add a little black pepper to your turmeric, and you increase the absorption of curcumin by almost 2000%!
- Garlic: Enhances immune function and it contains sulphur compounds that get into the body through digestion and exert many medicinal effects.
Make a fresh batch of this potent daily immunity shot at least once a week. Have one shot in the morning and another later on to boost your afternoon!
Variations:
For an added boost of Vitamin C, throw some fresh squeezed organic pineapple juice, or a red pepper and some fresh lime juice for a different flavor.
Reduce Stress to Boost Immunity
Hi Everyone, I’m Heather K. Jones. I’m a dietitian and the nutrition expert for the Skinnytaste cookbooks. I also work with women who struggle with emotional eating. Without the inner tools to stay centered, we can easily become overwhelmed and drained. Then use food in an unconscious attempt to feel safe, to create a false sense of control, or to soothe or suppress uncomfortable emotions.
Plants are your best source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. This super-simple-to-prepare Citrus Immunity Shot from my dietitian friend Danielle Omar, is a delicious way to supplement your day to prevent illnesses, especially during flu season.
Creating soulful, practical routines that support your mental, emotional and physical health will not only naturally boost your immunity and reduce stress eating, it will also re-connect you with the healing and strengthening power of your own heart. You’ll remember just how capable, resilient and powerful you truly are!
Know too that when you take care of yourself and prioritize your health, this also provides you with the energy to support others from a grounded place.
I have a ton of FREE resources, articles and videos to help you Love Yourself Healthy RIGHT HERE, including this powerful 30-day Master the Weight Loss Mindset Challenge.
More Immune Booster Favorites:
- Superfood Smoothie with Kale, Banana, Chia and Hemp Seeds
- Matcha Green Tea Shots
- Green Apple Lemon Cucumber Ginger Smoothie
- Green Detox Soup with Toasted Hemp Gremolata
- Carrot Ginger Soup
Your comments are helpful!! If you’ve tried this immune booster shot or any other recipe on Skinnytaste, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! And if you took some photos of video, share it with me on Instagram or Tiktok!
Citrus Immunity Shot
Ingredients
- 1 medium grapefruit, peeled
- 1 medium orange
- ½ medium lemon
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh organic ginger root, peeled
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh organic turmeric root, peeled
- ½ clove garlic
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a blender, combine (whole) grapefruit, juice from the orange and lemon, ginger, turmeric, garlic and pepper. Blend until smooth (adjusting ingredients to taste, if necessary).
- Place a small sieve or strainer over a mason jar or glass cup. .
- Pour liquid into strainer and serve immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 4 days
I ended up using 100% real orange juice (orange juice was the only ingredient,) 100% real grapefruit juice (grapefruit juice was the only ingredient,) organic ginger paste, organic ground turmeric, and the rest of the ingredients as called for. It tasted like spicy ginger grapefruit juice to me. Is it supposed to taste that way, or is it because of the ingredients I used?
Is there any reason this shouldn’t be given to children? If not, would the serving size be different?
Love love love this! I enjoy each ingredient for its own goodness – combined, wow! I omitted the garlic (love it, but not first thing in the morning) and used cayenne instead of black pepper, and it was amazing! Had an ounce, enjoyed it enough to add the other ounce (2 ounce serving suggestion) to my shake. Yum!
Re: substituting Cayenne pepper for the black pepper: Although both are nutritional additions to a recipe, the reason for including the black pepper is the presence of “piperine,” the compound responsible for the massively-increased absorption of the valuable Turmeric; cayenne pepper does not contain piperine.
What an amazing recipe !!!! First time to try it and i love ittttt❤️i just omitted the garlic because i was worried about its after taste
Can you peel and freeze tumeric or will it lose its powers?
You can actually buy whole tumeric already frozen in Asian and Halal markets and it’s good for a year, so I don’t think it loses its potency.
This is excellent! My husband always buys the expensive store bought wellness/immunity shots, but he said this one was much better! I push the pulp through the strainer and I actually save the pulp – I kinda like it by the spoonfuls. Definitely a keeper and nice to have during cold season or whenever you might need it.
Straining the pulp removes the fiber, which struck me as odd.
Easy to make (if you have all the ingredients!) and tastes exactly like the expensive shots you buy at the store!
I juiced this in my juicer. A little tart but oh so fresh.
My juice didn’t turn out with the same bright or age color.
I added a little carrot juice to the mix to help mellow out the sourness of the citrus. Great little boost for the morning. Thanks!
Can you use grapefruit juice??
Made as written and loved
it! I think I will add a little honey and maybe even cayenne for kick. I also am going to juice the grapefruit next time so the ginger, garlic and turmeric will stay in the shot and not the pulp when strained.
Can you use already prepared OJ that is bought in grocery stores with the same nutrition or ear it
If you buy freshly squeezed orange juice with just 1 ingredient 🙂
I have never tried a “shot” like this before. It makes sense though, and all the ingredients were unprocessed and fresh. It tasted good and I will see how I feel in the next few days! Flu season is pretty much here, and it is getting cooler and wetter in the PNW, so I want to be prepared!
Great!
Hi! If I don’t have fresh ginger, turmeric and garlic what can I use instead and how much? Thanks!
You can’t really substitute garlic and ginger, but you could used 1 teaspoon ground turmeric.
What if you can’t eat grapefruit because of statins
Sorry I should have read further comments
I wonder if I could double up on the orange because I can’t eat grapefruit because of the medication I take.
Never mind, I read your comment to other people and got my answer. 🙂
I also added a scoop of baobob powder because it’s also high in vitamin C and minerals calcium and magnesium
Love it!
I’m allergic to orange juice. Is there something I can substitute?
Just use more grapefruit or you can try a red pepper.
I really liked this ! Zippy and intense. The garlic comes through if you get a little heavy handed wutg it.
So happy you liked it! Yes, adjust the garlic to taste. I have a had a few potent batches LOL.
Thanks so much. The ingredients are on my shopping list for when I visit the store. I’m making two, one for me and one for my mom.
Perfect! Let us know me know how you like it! XO
The recipe calls for 11” of turmeric and ginger roots…should it be 1”? One teaspoon of ground replacement would be significantly less. I know these should be potent, but when I add ginger to my juices, a couple inches can be pretty spicy for a quart of juice. Thank you for the recipe.
1″!! 🙂
Thanks!
what would be the equivalent in teaspoons or tablespoons of the ginger root. I buy packaged finely grated ginger root or ginger paste.
About one tablespoon of grated or chopped ginger.
Made it! I love certain flavors and this was really delightful to me; I would easily consider pouring it in a cup of ice with a lime LeCroix (flavored sparkling water) as a refreshing beverage, not just taking it as a shot. My husband, on the other hand, who has horrible eating habits, hated it. So, a tale of two cities, here. 😂
Happy to hear this! Oh, and I love the idea of turning into a larger beverage!
Hi. Couple of questions… do we peel the orange and lemon? also is the amount of ginger root and turmeric root correct? an 11 inch (ELEVEN inch) piece of of each root?
No, you don’t have to peel the orange and lemon. And it is 1 (1 inch) piece of turmeric root and ginger root 🙂
You can juice the orange and lemon without peeling, but don’t blend the peels 🙂
Dumb question… Do we peel the orange and lemon?
Not dumb 🙂
No you don’t have to peel them.
I mean you don’t have to peel to juice the orange and lemon, but don’t blend the peel!
I am trying it right now but, I have to say, I thought it was 11 inches of both ginger and turmeric root then I was like, “Nah! That can’t be right! It has to be 1 piece 1” long.” Good news is I have enough to make 11 batches now. 😂😂😂
HAHA! Yes, 1 (1 inch) piece of each!
Wow! Help me out here. Is this supposed to burn going down? I thought it would taste good but oh boy. Is it supposed to be mixed with something? I know it’s good for me. I followed the instructions carefully and rechecked after I tasted it. What can be done?
I would reduce the garlic, ginger and pepper by half and see if it’s better for you! It really varies person to person 🙂
Can you make a big batch and freeze it in “shot” size portions?
I make several batches at a time, freeze then in ice trays and then add how many I need to my morning protein drink.
I will also make a batch and keep in the fridge…tastes even better the next day after the ingredients have a chance to meld together.
Great idea, Wendy! Thanks for sharing 🙂
The directions say to peel the ginger but the photo shows a chunk of ginger in the blender not peeled. Can I skip peeling the ginger?
I have a terribly stupid question… when you say whole grapefruit, do you mean peal on or peal off? 🙂
Peel off! And I don’t think any questions are stupid 🙂
Thank you! I had the same question. Heather, you are extremely helpful. I love how you’ve responded to everyone. That’s dedication 😀
If I can’t have grapefruit… is it still a worthy thing to try?
Yes, for sure! Just use a whole orange instead of the grapefruit. You can also try a whole red pepper – just seed it before you put it in the blender.
I can’t have grapefruit because of taking cholesterol medication. What can I substitute for it?
You can use a whole orange instead!
Can ground turmeric be substituted for the turmeric root? If so, how much should be used?
Yes, use 1 teaspoon ground turmeric.
We can’t have any grapefruit due to medication interactions. Will all oranges substitute?
Yes for sure!
Can this be made in a juicer, thus eliminating the strain step?
Thanks.
Yes!
Can you make this with ginger stir-in paste and powdered tumeric? And if so, how much of each would you suggest?
Yes, use 1 teaspoon powdered turmeric 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of garlic paste – the garlic can be potent so try 1/2 first and adjust as need be.
I can’t find turmeric root where I live. Can I used ground turmeric instead and if so, how much should I use?
Yes, use 1 teaspoon
Garlic and citrus, that is interesting. I think I never had this combo before. I will give it a try. Thanks for the recipe.
Hello! Yes, it is such a healthy combo – and the garlic can be potent, so adjust as need be 🙂
I take a statin drug and grapefruit is contraindicated…..just leave it out I guess?
Yes, and use a whole orange instead 🙂
Should it say 11 inch piece of ginger? That would be nearly a foot in length.
Maybe it is a formating typo 1 x 1inch
Its 1 inch
Thank you for this, I’m looking forward to trying it. I do have one question–the recipe says that it makes one serving, but I’m guessing that if that is the case, then a “shot” isn’t a full serving, correct?
Hello! Yes, that was a little confusing – sorry about that. Hopefully this is a little clearer. The
recipe makes approximately six 2-ounce servings (or six 2-ounce “shots”), depending on the size of the fruit, of course. The nutrition information per serving is: Calories: 25kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein:0.5g, Fat: 0g, Sodium: 0.5mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4gBlue Smart Points: 1Green Smart Points: 1Purple Smart Points: 1
Sorry, just fixed. It makes 6.
How many fluid ounces is a shot or is this recipe considered to be 1 shot?
about 2 oz, depending on the amount of juice you get from your fruit as that can vary.
The
recipe makes approximately six 2-ounce servings.
Hi. Can I give this to my children? 6 and 9
Does this recipe make 1 shot or more?
It makes 6.