Is your immune system fighting fit?
Our body is under attack daily from bacteria, viruses and other living organisms that want to take up residence on and in our bodies.
At this time of year, we might want to ‘boost’ our immune system to protect us from the inevitable bugs in our environment caused by;
- being indoors more frequently.
- working in close proximity to others.
- travelling on public transport.
- being around young children etc,
Unless we live in a bubble we are going to be attacked. V
Can you BOOST your immune system though?
The short answer is no.
To be healthy we are looking for balance, Homeostasis, the physiological term for balance. For instance, If we take too much vitamin C our body will just flush it out and we have an expensive wee but too much of a fat-soluble vitamin or mineral can be harmful.
During a period of illness though, your needs for certain vitamins and minerals may increase, especially
If you are lacking in a particular nutrient your body will more readily absorb this from the food you consume, for instance, if you have a vitamin B6 deficiency, your body will aggressively absorb that nutrient from its food source to maintain Homeostasis.
The first line of defence is a healthy lifestyle
- Exercise – at least 30 minutes per day. This improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure and helps to control body weight. Also promoting good circulation allows the cells of the immune system to move around the body and do their job.
- A diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables
- Hydrate! Keep fluids moving around your body and excreting toxins
- Getting enough sleep, ideally 7-8 hours for adults
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Good hygiene routines, consider an antibacterial hand gel, especially in public places.
Further reasons for immune deficiency
Drinking alcohol and smoking can weaken our immune system. Long term illness, an over active immune system caused by allergies or an immune system that turns against you with autoimmune diseases such as Arthritis or L
As we age our immune response is lowered which contributes to more infections. There is definitely a connection between nutrition and immunity, the elderly tend to eat less, therefore ingesting fewer nutrients, lowering their immunity.
Malnutrition is common even in affluent countries, contributing to illness. The most common form is ‘Micronutrient Malnutrition’ the deficiency of some essential vitamins and trace minerals that we are not getting from our diet.
We should be able to get all our nutrients from our diet but this isn’t always possible. Therefore you may wish to take a good bio-available multi vitamin & mineral daily. If your immune system doesn’t kill a cold virus within the first 24 hours symptoms should improve after 5-7 days, the common cold is a self-limited virus, meaning it usually clears without intervention but you don’t want to feel rubbish for aweek!
Prevention is better than cure
At that first sign of a scratchy throat I reach for:
- Bee Propolis – natures natural antibiotic! The makeup of Bee Propolis is too complicated for bacteria to become resistant to.
- I up my intake of Aloe Vera drinking gel which is a cocktail of nutrients to support my whole immune system.
- Make sure I am drinking enough fluids throughout the day.
- Take a look at my meals planned for the week, are they full of nutritious, fresh, healthy ingredients?
- lan a couple of early nights, making time for some self-care.
Good habits are key, and getting into good routines to consistently take care of your health.
If you would like to chat with me about your unique menopause transition, book a Wild Well-Being call and come away inspired and motivated to begin your journey to optimal health.
