Being sick is the worst! We all know that awful feeling of waking up in the morning with the dreaded sore throat or being up all night with a horrid cough. If you’re searching for a cure to your festy-ness or just looking for ways to avoid coming down with anything, here are 7 sure fire ways to boost your immunity naturally, without the need to spend heaps on vitamins!
Disclaimer: This is general advice to assist your body’s already amazing immune response, and should not be used solely to fight viruses such as COVID-19. You should see your doctor if you have any concerns.
1. Eat your greens
Thanks mum! It turns out there is a lot of truth to the well glorified benefits of eating leafy greens such as kale, broccoli, spinach & cabbage. Collard greens are the bomb diggity when it comes to anti-inflammatory green veggies however if you’re living in Australia and can’t find any – the next best thing is Kale. Leafy green veggies contain Beta-caroten and lutein which are amazing antioxidants that strengthen your immune system and fight against free radicals in your body.
2. Heal Thy Gut
The amount of studies coming out on the correlation between our gut microbiome and general health and wellbeing is outstanding! The gut is estimated to be responsible for over 70% of our immunity due to the insane amount of microbes, fungi, bacteria and viruses calling our intestine home. Therefore, it’s super important that we are eating the right foods that support our gut health. Our gut microbes love variety – so we should be aiming to consume a diet rich in grains, fibre and lots of different fruit and vegetables. Processed foods that contain artificial sweeteners and unhealthy fats should definitely be avoided if you want to boost your immunity naturally. Which leads us on to….
The gut is estimated to be responsible for over 70% of our immunity….
Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 153, Issue Supplement_1, September 2008, Pages 3–6, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2008.03713.x
3. Limit added sugar intake
It is well known that consuming a diet high in added sugar contributes to obesity and overall poor health outcomes. There hasn’t been many studies done which look at the effect of sugar on your immune system however one study performed in China showed evidence of the negative effect sugar has on immunity. It showed that a high sugar diet inhibits phagocytosis – where cells surround and engulf objects such as viruses and bacteria in order to destroy it. Basically, we know that sugar isn’t good for you and that it has no nutritional benefit in fighting colds.
4. Healthy fats
Its time to embrace the healthy fats! There are amazing benefits that healthy fats can give us to boost our immunity naturally. Try to include salmon, olive oil, walnuts & flaxseed in your meals. Not only are they delicious, you will feel so amazing knowing you are giving your body the fuel it deserves! Healthy fats are high in anti-inflammatory compounds such as fatty acids which help to, you guessed it – lower inflammation! This can help us manage stress to prevent chronic stress which is vital in maintaining a strong immune system, as stress can lower our immune response over time.
5. Vitamin C is for me
It definitely is! Vitamin C is an awesome antioxidant which can be found in various fruit and vegetables. Think of capsicum (bell peppers), asparagus, strawberries and citrus fruits to name a few. Vitamin C boosts white cell production, which are important cells that glove up and fight for us against infections and viruses. So get sipping on the OJ baby! (Just make sure its preferably homemade or freshly squeezed, as we don’t want no nasty added sugars!)
6. H20 is the way to go
Hydration station peeps! Drinking 2L of water daily helps your immune system to transport nutrients to and from vital organs in your body. If you are dehydrated you have a greater risk of getting sick due to your kidney and liver being unable to effectively clear toxins out of your body. Just remember, if you workout everyday and consume a coffee or two – you need to drink more water to compensate for the loss via sweat and the dehydrating effect coffee has.
7. Get Zinc’d!
Approximately 85% of Aussie women do not get enough Zinc in their diets which can be catastrophic for our health. Zinc plays a huge role in our immune defense and when we don’t have enough of it – our fighting cells can’t do their job properly. Zinc supplementation is proven to decrease the duration of the common cold by 33%. The recommended dose varies, but it is widely documented to suggest that 75mg is sufficient to take during your illness. You can also get your zinc in by eating cashews, pumpkin and sesame seeds, oysters and egg yolks.
Our immune system goes to battle so many times for us and its important that we support it by eating well and nourishing our body with the right nutrients. I truly hope you’ve learnt something in today’s post and if you’re sick – eat yo damn veggies & get well soon!
Sources:
Gut Microbiome: What We Do and Don’t Know – PubMed (nih.gov)
Phagocytosis: A Fundamental Process in Immunity (nih.gov)
Phagocytosis (article) | Cells | Khan Academy
Effects of stress on immune function: the good, the bad, and the beautiful – PubMed (nih.gov)
A high-sugar diet affects cellular and humoral immune responses in Drosophila – ScienceDirect
