Doing things that boost your immune system is important during this time.
There is lots that can be done to support your body physically, nutritionally, herbally and lifestyle wise.
As a Naturopath and Personal Trainer here is my top recommendations for boosting your immune system:
Exercise
Exercise has been shown to help boost the immune system
The type of exercise is particularly important for this to occur. Intense exercise has been shown to temporarily affect the immune system so if you are concerned, have a lowered immune system or are immunocompromised then this type of exercise isn’t recommended. Intense exercise includes things like HIIT (high intensity interval training), boxing, sprints and crossfit training.
The best type of exercise to help your immune system is moderate intensity exercise. This type of training can be done at home in your lounge room, garage or backyard. If you are unsure of the right type of exercise for you, then send me an email at inspiredhealthbydee@gmail.com. If you are looking for a personalised exercise program to help your immune system and to work on your specific goals etc, then let me know. I am now doing Online Personal Training which means that we have a 20 minute phone call for me to ask you the questions required for me to design a program for you and then your program is created online. This service offers instructional videos and full support from me through the app so that you fully understand your program and keep on track to achieving your goals.
Eat a Wholefoods Diet
Ensuring that you fuel your body with a variety of nutrients is important in boosting your immune system. Aim to eat all the colours of the rainbow so that that way you get all the vitamins and nutrients required for managing stress and the immune system. Unsure of how to increase your vegetable intake. Here’s a previous Blog I wrote on Ways to Increase your Plant Intake.
Ensure your Gut Health is Optimal.
Did you know that over 70 % of your Immune system lives in your gut? Addressing and improving your gut health is one very important step in boosting your immune system. Poor gut health can present as:
- Issues digesting foods
- Stomach pains
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Weight Gain
- Bowel issues
- Skin issues including acne, eczema, psoriasis
- Period Pain or ovulation pain
- Migraines
- Sleep Issues
What’s the best way to do this? Working with a naturopath and having a personalised protocol designed for you and your symptoms. It is complex and can’t be summarised in one short blog post. If you suffer from any of the above symptoms or want to work on improving your immune system from a holistic point of view then let’s have a chat. Book here.
Download by Endo Gut Health book.
Sleep and Reduce Stress
Sleep is required to help the body rest, rejuvenate and recover during times of illness and stress. Stress causes an increase in both adrenalin and cortisol which in turn suppresses the immune system. Whilst it is important to be cautious, prepared and aware during this time, getting caught up in the fear and hysteria is not good for our minds or our immune systems.
The recommendation is to sleep 7-8 hours per night and ensure that you are doing something everyday to help calm the mind. One of my favourite things to do is to meditate and I have also recently added in Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping into my daily routine. This is good for stress, anxiety and emotions and works by tapping on meridian points to help restore the balance to the body.
If you are looking for a EFT practitioner, I highly recommend Lisa Gumieniuk
She is a wonderful practitioner who teaches EFT specific to your goals and has such a warm and friendly energy about her. I highly recommend working with Lisa if you are feeling stresses, overwhelmed or anxious. Her sessions are online and can be done from the comfort of your home or work place.
Take Herbs
There are many herbal medicines that can help to boost your immune system and to help the body deal with stress. Echinacea, Olive Leaf and Garlic are 3 of the major ones which I mention and use often in my clinic. There is a class of herbal medicines called adaptogens that are have an important role in helping the body deal with stress. During this time ensuring you are taking both immune herbs and an adaptogen is important. If you would like a personal supplement plan worked out for you and your immunity then give me a call.
In the discovery call we can have a brief chat and I can explain more about how my Immune Boosting Consultations work and how to book in for one.
Eat Garlic
Garlic is one powerful plant. It has been traditionally used for centuries to help the immune system and has been shown to enhance immune cell function and may reduce the severity of colds and flu.
It can be added to foods or taken as a supplement to help the immune system.
Vitamin C.
Vitamin C supplementation has been shown to help boost the immune system and to also reduce the severity of colds and flu. Foods that are high in vitamin C are gold kiwifruit, pink grapefruit juice, oranges, strawberries, sweet red pepper and broccoli.
Vitamin D.
Vitamin D can modulate the innate and adaptive immune systems. Lowered vitamin D status has been associated with increased autoimmunity and an increased risk of infection. If you are unsure of your Vitamin d levels then get these checked with your doctor. Supplementation of vitamin D can help boost up your levels and best if you know the levels so that you can adjust the dosages accordingly. The sunshine is a good source of vitamin D so spend some time outside every day to soak up the Vitamin D.
Avoid sugar
Whilst there is temptation to stock up on chocolate, lollies and Tim tams. I encourage you to think twice. Sugar suppresses the immune system. Sugar can reduce how white blood cells perform and increase inflammatory markers. For those women with endometriosis that I treat, this is a double whammy. As Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition, eating sugar increases inflammation and therefore pain and it also suppresses the immune system so not a good mix when during these times the most important thing is to boost your immune system and reduce flare ups.
Drink Bone Broth
Bone broth is one of the ways in which you can heal the gut. A healthy gut can have a healthy immune system. Chicken broths tend to help more of the respiratory system and beef broth more of the gut. Both have an important role in boosting the immune system during this time.
There are many things that can be done to boost the immune system. If you would like more in depth information about any of this or would like to book an online acute immune boosting consultation (30 minutes $55) then here are the links.
For Endometriosis Specific Info:
To book a Discovery Call with me and chat about how I can help you get started in your Endometriosis & Weight Loss Journey Click here.
If you are ready to get started then here is the link to book straight into a Initial Consultation for the Gut Restore Program. This is a 6-8 week Program that addresses the inflammation side of the Endometriosis. Click Here to Book.
If you are just at the start of your journey and would like more information about Gut Health then here is the link to download my Endo Gut Health book which explains a little of the link of Endometriosis & the Gut Health as well as some yummy recipes!
Dee
Great post, Good to be here. The information was really good, some time ago I was also suffering from gut health issues that I have to go through a colon cleanse. I would love to read a brief article on gut health. Keep sharing.