WeLoveBlog #043: Building Your Family's "Immunity Defense Plan" – A December Health Guide for Caregivers

——WeLoveBroth Winter Defense Series

As the festive atmosphere of December grows stronger, so does the peak season for flu and common colds. This is especially true for families with school-aged children, as kids in elementary, middle, and high school are more exposed to various viruses in group settings. The sound of coughing seems to become seasonal background noise in offices too. For those of us safeguarding our family's health, this is often our greatest concern.

This month, we hopes to share not just wellness knowledge, but a practical "Family Immunity Defense Plan" with you. We believe the best protection isn't reactive, but about proactively building a solid health barrier for your entire family.

I: Understanding Our "Body Fortress": What Exactly is Immunity?

Imagine your body is a castle, and immunity is its innate defense system.

• The First Line of Defense: Skin and Mucous Membranes – These act like the castle walls and moat, physically blocking pathogens. Keeping skin intact and nasal/oral membranes moist is key.
• The Core Guards: Immune Cells – When "enemies" (like the viruses causing hand, foot, and mouth disease or influenza) breach the first line, immune cells (like white blood cells) inside the body are quickly mobilized to identify and destroy them. Their effectiveness directly determines whether we get infected or how severe the symptoms become.
• The Command and Supply System: Overall State – Adequate sleep, stable emotions, and balanced nutrition are the cornerstones of an efficient immune system. Staying up late or high stress is like the command system failing, making the defenses vulnerable.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to this powerful defensive and self-healing capability as "Zheng Qi" or "Upright Qi". The saying "When Zheng Qi is strong within, pathogenic factors cannot invade" from the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon captures this idea. Ultimately, all our winter wellness practices are about nurturing and fortifying our family's "Zheng Qi".

II: Building the "Nutritional Foundation" of the Fortress: Foods Immunity Loves

Providing the right "building materials" allows the immune system to construct a strong fortress.

1. High-Quality Protein: The "Essential Raw Material" for Immune Cells
   • Why Needed: Antibodies and immune cells are fundamentally made of protein. Without sufficient high-quality protein, the immune "army" can't be built.
   • Examples: Chicken, fish, eggs, tofu (gentle and easy to absorb).
2. Colorful Vegetables and Fruits: The Antioxidant "Guard Force"
   • Why Needed: Rich in Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and various phytochemicals, they protect immune cells from damage and enhance their vitality.
   • Examples: Broccoli, spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes, kiwifruit, citrus fruits.
3. Mushrooms: Natural Immune "Modulators"
   • Why Needed: Shiitake, Maitake, and other mushrooms contain beta-glucans which effectively activate immune cells.
   • Examples: Dried shiitake mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, enoki mushrooms.
4. Fermented Foods and Probiotics: "Guardians" of Gut Health
   • Why Needed: The gut is the body's largest immune organ. Maintaining a balanced gut flora is fundamental to strengthening overall immunity. Probiotics can directly supplement beneficial bacteria, helping optimize the gut environment.
   • Examples: Unsweetened yogurt, miso, kimchi, or high-quality probiotic supplements.

III: [This Month's Defense Soup] Mushroom & Cordyceps Militaris Chicken Soup

This soup combines high-quality protein with multiple natural “immune modulators,” making it a warm, nourishing choice to strengthen the whole family in winter.

Benefits: Gently nourishing, boosts Qi and supports spleen health, helps enhance resistance.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4):

• Chicken thighs, 500g
• Dried shiitake mushrooms, 4-5 (soaked)
• Cordyceps Militaris (Caterpillar Fungus), 10g (soaked)
• Fresh mushrooms, 100g
• Red dates (jujubes), 5
• Ginger, 3 slices
• Goji berries, a small handful
• Salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Blanch the chicken and set aside. Separately soak the shiitake mushrooms and Cordyceps Militaris. Reserve the shiitake soaking liquid.
2. Place the chicken, shiitake mushrooms, Cordyceps Militaris, fresh mushrooms, red dates, and ginger into a soup pot. Add the reserved shiitake liquid and enough water.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour.
4. Add the goji berries 5 minutes before turning off the heat. Season with a little salt.

Why this soup is good: Chicken provides high-quality protein. Shiitake mushrooms and Cordyceps Militaris are rich in polysaccharides, which help modulate immune function. Red dates and goji berries gently nourish Qi and blood. This soup offers comprehensive nourishment, making it an ideal choice for winter wellness.

IV: "Family Defense Plan" Action Checklist for Everyone

Good daily habits are the cement that solidifies your defenses.

• Action 1: Entry/Exit Management
  • Before Going Out: Check bags/backpacks for individually wrapped disinfectant wipes or hand sanitizer.
  • After Coming Home: Stick to the "Entryway Three-Step Ritual" – change shoes, change into home clothes, wash hands and face thoroughly with soap.
• Action 2: Observation and Early Warning
  • Watch for signs in children like easy fatigue, decreased appetite, or restless sleep – potential early "flare signals" of lowered immunity. Respond by arranging for quieter rest and lighter meals.
• Action 3: The Sleep Guard
  • Establish a family "electronics curfew" to ensure both kids and adults get sufficient deep sleep – the prime time for immune cell repair and regeneration.
• Action 4: Emotional Warmth and Family Time
  • A warm, happy home is the best "psychological immunity." Beyond pleasant dinners, schedule a dedicated family chat time to share about the day. A hug or a relaxed conversation can effectively lower stress, allowing the immune system to function better.

V: When Life Gets Busy: Let Chicken Essence Be Your Efficient "Defense Supply Station"

When time doesn't allow for slow-simmered soups, let WeLoveBroth's Chicken Essence become your efficient "nutritional supply station."

Chicken Essence extracts small-molecule proteins and various amino acids from chicken through long-hours of low-temperature steaming and dripping. These can be absorbed quickly without digestion, serving as premium raw material for synthesizing immune proteins.

• Why It Fits the Defense Plan:
  1. Zero-Burden Supplement: Contains no fat or cholesterol, adding no extra burden to a busy or tired digestive system.
  2. Highly Absorbable: Quickly provides "ready-to-deploy support" for the immune system, making it an ideal core nutritional backup for a fast-paced lifestyle.
  3. Comforting and Reassuring: Drinking a warm packet is not just nutritional support, but also an act of self-care amidst busyness, helping to stabilize your mood.

Start your day by warming a packet of Original Chicken Essence/Reishi Chicken Essence in a cup of hot water, ready to face the day with abundant energy and robust defenses.

Finally, A Word to You:

Safeguarding health lies in consistency. Those seemingly small habits – a bowl of soup, going to bed a little earlier, thorough handwashing, and precious family moments – accumulated daily, form the most solid protection of all.

Please believe that every bit of care you put into your family's well-being becomes their source of strength and warmth this winter.

We hopes to join you in turning love for family into every simple, daily action.

Reference：

1. WeloveBroth. (n.d.). Chicken Essence. Retrieved December 6, 2025, from https://welovebroth.com/collections/broth-chicken-essence
2. 台灣癌症基金會. (n.d.). 認識免疫系統──預防疾病，保持身體的健康平衡. Retrieved December 6, 2025, from https://www.canceraway.org.tw/page.php?IDno=3637
3. Mayo Clinic Health System. (2022, November 16). Fight off the flu with immune-boosting nutrients. Retrieved December 6, 2025, from https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/fight-off-the-flu-with-nutrients
4. Continental Hospitals. (2025, December) [blog post]. Why children catch more infections than adults. Retrieved December 6, 2025, from https://continentalhospitals.com/zh-CN/blog/why-children-catch-more-infections-than-adults/