In addition to strengthening your protective army—our mucous membranes that is—here are my top 10 practical tips to get your immune system in tip top shape as we move through virus season and the upcoming winter in Australia. Hope, you find them useful.
1 – Take Care of Your Gut
About 70% of your immune system is in your gut, so supplying a good mix of probiotics and prebiotics will keep your gut – and subsequently your immune system – happy.
Probiotics are the good bacteria you need in your gut to fight the fight for you. You either get your probiotics from food or a supplement. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are the types of dietary fibre that actually feed the good bacteria.
Probiotic-rich foods and drinks include:
• Sauerkraut
• Yoghurt (vegetarian)
• Kimchi
• Miso
• Kombucha
• Coconut yogurt (fortified with probiotics)
• Tempeh
• Natto
• Kefir
• Pickles
Prebiotic foods include:
• Legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, soy and kidney beans.
• Wholegrains such as barley, oats and bran.
• Nuts and seeds like almonds, pistachio nuts and flaxseeds.
• Vegetables such as onion, garlic, leeks, Jerusalem artichoke, asparagus, garlic, cabbage and chicory.
• Fruits such as grapefruit, watermelon, custard apples and bananas.
2 – Exercise Regularly
You might have to adjust your normal exercise regime as gyms are closed at the moment. However, even if you cannot go to the gym, YouTube has many useful exercise videos online. Do what you can at home and remember any exercise is better than no exercise.
3 – Keep the Air Clean and Dry
Bugs love dark and damp environment. When they thrive, this changes the quality of the air we breathe in. In this case, it might be useful to consider using an air purifier or dehumidifier. By filtering harmful particles out of the air, we take the pressure of the immune system because it’s one less thing for it to do. Try and avoid doing things that make the air ‘dirty’ or ‘damp’. For instance:
• Make sure you use a micro-fibre cloth when dusting to trap the dirt/dust
• Avoid drying clothes inside
Essential oils can also help clean the air in your home and kill harmful bacteria in the air. These oils can be added to a diffuser.
Essential oils that may help include:
• Lemon
• Clove
• Eucalyptus
• Tea tree
• Thyme
Another way to improve indoor air quality is to have plants in your living space. I talked about this in one of my previous posts: Indoor Plants for Better Health.
4 – Supplement Your Diet with Vitamins and Minerals
I usually do not take any supplements other than B12. However, desperate times require desperate measures. Here’s my recommendations:
Zinc
Zinc keeps the immune system strong and can inhibit the common cold virus. I take zinc drops. It’s from a Canadian company called Vimergy.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a great antioxidant and can lower your risk of colds and flu. I personally use one that has bioflavonoids in it and I recently doubled my dosage. Because, certain situations like stress, trauma and infection increase our daily requirements.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is essential for optimal immune function. It also supports respiratory tract health and can protect against the common cold. And the good news is, it is possible to find high-quality vitamin D3 these days.
5 – Supplement Your Diet with Herbal Medicine
There are many foods, herbs and supplements in the world of herbal medicine to help your immune system.
Andrographis
Andrographis is an adaptogenic plant that is native to South Asian countries such as India and Sri Lanka. It is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine for the purpose of stimulating the immune system. It also helps prevent flu virus from binding to cells in the body. This is exactly what we need at the moment. Avoid Andrographis if you have autoimmune disease, bleeding disorders or low blood pressure.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is one of the best supplements for treating and preventing flu as it’s the precursor to our master antioxidant glutathione. Being a semi-essential amino acid, it is also found in legumes and sunflower seeds. For vegetarians, there is also dairy as a source.
Elderberry
Elderberry boosts immunity and helps prevent upper respiratory infections and eases coughs. That’s the reason why we use elderberry syrup when we have cough or respiratory infection.
Liquorice Root
Liquorice root can fight infection, can help promote a healthy mucous membrane, and has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and immune-boosting properties. Hence the mention of liquorice root tea in my previous post yesterday. Do not take if pregnant or nursing or if you have high blood pressure, though.
Garlic
Eating a whole clove of garlic once a day can reduce your risk of colds and flu and may reduce the severity and recovery time if you catch a cold. Some people find they get a stomach-ache from eating raw garlic. In this case, you can crush the garlic and mix it with some hummus or other food.
Oregano Oil
Oregano Oil has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antioxidant properties. It can lower your risk of cold and flu viruses, provides natural support for the immune system. I buy mine from Dr Earth and mix it with juice. It tastes awful on its own. So, you do the same to make it more palatable. Please be aware that oregano oil is not for children, pregnant or nursing women.
6 – Sleep
I believe you weren’t expecting this here. Well, sleep is one of the most under-rated yet most clinically effective strategies for improving immune function. Try to get adequate sleep (between 7 – 9 hours per night) so that your immune system has a chance to produce an environment which is healthy for you yet hostile for the bugs.
7 – Get Some Sunshine
When you are exposed to sunshine, you boost your vitamin D levels. And also, sunshine helps our immune cells wake up and be more effective. A study at Georgetown University found that sunlight exposure increased the ability of T-cells to get to an infection sight faster and respond.
I personally just sit outside when the sun is up. Just for a while. 15 minutes a day is all I need, and I use our outdoor area for it. If you have a balcony that gets sunshine, make use of it.
8 – Stay Hydrated
As I mentioned in my previous post, staying hydrated is very important when it comes to boosting the function of our mucous membranes. If you don’t like the taste of water, just jazz it up as explained in this post.
9 – Ditch Sugar
Sugar can weaken your immune system by stealing nutrients. If you cannot ditch the sugar completely, at least limit your intake.
10 – Increase Your Intake of Immune Boosting Foods
These foods include:
• Green leafy vegetables
• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Berries
• Sage
• Rosemary
Medical Disclaimer: All information contained in this blog is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent health problems. For all serious health issues, please contact a medical or nutrition practitioner. The information provided in this blog is based on the best knowledge of the author at the time of writing and we do not assume liability for the information within this email, be it direct or indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages. In all circumstances, it is always wise to consult your physician before changing your diet, taking supplements or starting any exercise or health program.