In a world where we have very little control right now, it is important to focus on the things we can do.
One positive thing we can achieve is to support our immune system by maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle during this time. I have tried to make this a quick simple guide because we are all experiencing information overload right now.
Foods to strengthen your immune system
Fruits and Vegetables – 4-5 servings are realistic for many due to the availability of food (although under normal circumstances, ideally as 8-10 servings). Fruits and vegetables contain immune-boosting compounds and keep your gut healthy Help to keep. Use foods that work to increase the amount of your soup and nutrients by including beans and lentils in your soup.
Zinc rich foods – like meat, fish, shellfish, legumes, pumpkin and sesame because zinc is required for the proper functioning of white blood cells.
Garlic – Because it has antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties, it is actually very good at helping to fight infections, along with other anti-viral foods such as ginger, cinnamon and turmeric.
Vitamin C – Chilli, green leafy vegetables like spinach, bananas, cabbage and hyacinth, broccoli, kiwi, cauliflower, tomatoes and berries. Research shows the powerful antivirals of vitamin C.
Vitamin D – is found in small amounts in oily fish, egg yolk and mushrooms. Vitamin D is one of the most powerful nutrients to support the immune system. However, during the winter season we need to complete with vitamin D3 supplementation but we cannot get any from the sun until the end of April.
Water – Make sure you drink enough water as adequate hydration will allow your immune cells to function optimally.
Reduce/avoid
Avoid drinking fizzy drinks, sugars and sweets, pastries, cookies and sugary beverages in your diet. Sugar will increase your blood sugar while reducing the effectiveness of your immune system.
Alcohol and caffeine, as they suppress the immune system and affect the darker stages of sleep. Alcohol is also a depressant and if you are struggling, it will reduce your mood even further.
Lifestyle tips to support your immune system
Manage your risk and control the information you are taking. Limit the amount of news you see, trust reputable news sources and be careful of where you are receiving news and information. Be careful what you hear or see on social media because there is a lot of ‘noise’ and it can all be very heavy.
Sleep – Make sure you get plenty of sleep as lack of sleep reduces our immune defenses making us susceptible to disease.
Exercise – Anything that requires you to be active because exercise will feel good hormones, improve your mood, support sleep and increase the body’s ability to fight infection.
Manage your stress levels – Stress levels are at an all-time high and cannot be avoided at this time, the issue is that stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) suppress the immune system and therefore relax with these levels. Find ways to reduce it. Relaxation is really important during this time. If you can, take some time each day for ‘me’ and give yourself a break. Listening to music, reading, meditating, bathing are good ways to relax.
Set a routine – because it will structure your day and help you gain some control in a world where we have very little right now. However, follow a routine that works for you
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