With COVID-19 in the news and the challenges with this situation, I thought I would share some tips for building our immunity. Here in Minnesota we now have three people testing positive for the virus. Yes, in our house, we are being more diligent about our health; no, we are not getting stressed over the situation.
I found there is a lot of “information” being shared on what we should do to avoid this illness. Some of it is good advice and some is not. Let’s look at some guidelines from a holistic health perspective. With any illness, the best line of defense is a strong immune system. Here are some ways to strengthen your immune system to assist your body in fighting any type of virus.
About 70% of your immune system resides in the gut; therefore, it is important that your gut and digestion are functioning optimally.
Building your immune health starts by eating a nutrient-dense diet filled with immune boosting foods.
- Lemons and Limes are a great source of vitamin C.
- Cruciferous vegetables may help stop viruses in their tracks. They are packed full of vitamin A, C, E, antioxidants, and fiber. These vegetables include broccoli, bok choy, kale, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts.
- Mushrooms contain vitamin D2. In Eastern medicine, they have been used to boost immune health for thousands of years. Varieties include shiitake, maitake, reishi, and chaga for health promotion.
- Garlic and onions have been used to fight infection for thousands of years also as they have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Bone broth and meat stock both can be rich in nutrients that can boost your immune health.
Even though I am a proponent of using food for obtaining most of your nutrients, there are situations when supplementation can be beneficial. Supplementation of vitamin C, vitamin D3, and zinc can be helpful in boosting your immune function. When supplementing, it is important to seek guidance from a qualified health professional.
Thus far I have shared foods and supplements that are building blocks for a stronger immune system, but there are also foods that wreak havoc on this foundation,
- Sugar can deplete your body of vitamin C and zinc.
- Wheat can bring down the immune system.
- Processed and junk foods provide no value to your immune system and can create more challenges.
- Caffeine may modify various measures of immune function in a negative way.
- Alcohol disrupts immune pathways and can impair the body’s ability to defend against infection.
Providing nutrient-dense foods for your body provides the tools to build a solid foundation of health, while processed foods will put weaknesses in that foundation. Your body knows what to do with real food.
There are lifestyle actions you can do to support your immune system, too.
- Hand washing is basic common sense for COVID-19 and other sickness. We all know we should do this; the CDC and media are both stressing this action.
- Keep hands off your face, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Get plenty of sleep, 7 to 9 hours per night is recommended; your body does a lot of work repairing and rebuilding while you sleep.
- Exercise, light to moderate, can strengthen your immune system. Walking is a great moderate exercise.
- Stress reduction is vital. Stress weakens your immune system; this includes worrying about this virus.
These are simple and doable actions you can take to improve your immune health. If you would like more in-depth information, I did a three-part series on building your immunity in 2018. Part one discussed Nutrition, Part Two Lifestyle Choices, and Part Three Social Connections. I would encourage you to check out these posts.
What actions have you done to improve your immune function?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather
Sources:
- https://drjockers.com/immune-health/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2303315
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590612/
- https://www.apa.org/research/action/immune
- https://www.apa.org/research/action/immune
- https://drjockers.com/immune-health/
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
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