How to support your immune system?
“The ultimate goal when attempting to achieve optimal immune health is to have a well-balanced immune system that responds appropriately when challenged.”
Drink lots of liquids, get some vitamin C, and eat healthy, right? Well, that’s it in a nutshell, but what does it actually mean in practice? I hope you can learn something new from this article and use it as a cheat sheet to take control of your health and well-being.
The aim is to keep your immune system in balance, rather than simply boosting it. Balancing means striking the right equilibrium between a sluggish immune response and an excessive one, which can also be harmful. It’s best to be somewhere in the middle. This includes eating the right foods, getting quality sleep, and restoring the body both physically and mentally when it becomes out of balance. Remember, balancing your immune system won’t happen overnight; it takes time for dietary and lifestyle changes to take effect.
Mental health & Nervous system
Acting from a state of panic, stress, anxiety, and fear is counterproductive for our immune system. When we live in a constant state of stress, the brain signals to the body that it’s in danger and needs to protect itself. This unbalanced mental state activates the fight-or-flight response, engaging the sympathetic nervous system.
This means that our rest-and-digest system (the parasympathetic nervous system) is unable to function properly. Under high levels of stress, the body secretes a hormone called cortisol through the adrenal glands, which reduces the production of white blood cells, thereby suppressing the immune system. This is why you might get sick after an extended period of stress.
During a crisis or a stressful situation, focus on the things that you can control, rather than the uncertainty in front of you. Simple actions, like spending time outdoors, taking care of your health and well-being, and reducing screen time, can help you move in the right direction. Keeping the body active provides an opportunity to reset and rebalance, reinforcing the parasympathetic nervous system.
“All diseases begin in the gut.”
Gut health
Did you know that 70% of our body’s immune system is located in the gut?
The gut, often referred to as our second brain, is a microbiome made up of almost 100 trillion organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These microbes not only aid digestion but also regulate our immune system.
Low-nutrient foods weaken your defense system. When you question whether something is healthy and unprocessed, ask yourself: “Where does it come from? Where did it grow?”
Maintaining healthy gut flora is key to your overall health. This can be supported by eating foods rich in probiotics, such as fermented cabbage or sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha (fermented tea), and kefir. Of course, you can also find probiotics in supplement form. Be cautious with antibiotics and other medications, as they can affect your stomach lining and destroy beneficial bacteria.
TIP: Next time you open a yogurt, don’t pour off the liquid (whey) which sits at the top. That is the probiotic liquid you want to feed the gut with.
Prebiotics are also essential in our diet as this is what probiotics thrive on. Prebiotic foods include: asparagus, onion, bananas, garlic, apples, leeks, cocoa, flaxseeds, oats, just to name a few.
Gentle reminder: Keep it easy on the sugar (cake, cookies, soda, etc) it suppresses the immune system, and reduces the reactivity of white blood cells.
“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather cure and prevent disease with nutrition.”
Natural Remedies
There are a few natural remedies that play an important role when it comes to your health and fighting off disease.
Garlic is a superfood, it kills viruses, bacteria, parasites, yeast, fungus and mould. Garlic only kills unproductive bacteria (parasites and viruses) in the intestines. Garlic is very powerful in the sense that it fights off and eliminates pathogens. It’s your go-to food when it comes to fighting colds, flu and strep throat.
Ginger is a tonic for the nerves and the muscles, it also helps to calm the stomach. Ginger is packed with vitamin B6 and magnesium, and serves as a powerhouse for the immune system with its antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Curcumin is derived from the root of the turmeric plant. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and prebiotic properties which influence the gut microbiota and thus support the gut-immune connection. When it comes to stress, curcumin is able to lower cortisol levels, and helps to regulate the immune hyperactivity.
Echinacea is a plant, part of the daisy family, and originates from the wood areas of Northern America. This powerful plant is high in antioxidants, it has antiviral and antibacterial effects. It stimulates the immune system by increasing white blood cells.
Lemon contains nourishing elements such as vitamins C, B6, and A. Lemon is also a powerful fruit for expelling mucus when sick with the flu or a cold.
Raw honey (unpasteurised and straight from the beehive). Honey is one of the most adaptogenic foods in the world, that is why it is crucial for our immune system. Honey ensures the strengthening of neutrophils and macrophages which fight off pathogens (whether it’s the flu, cold, stomach bug or food poisoning). Honey is anti-inflammatory and helps the body to release toxins.
TIP: Start your day off with warm lemon water in the morning. You can also add a teaspoon of raw honey.
Essential vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals essential for maintaining a balanced immune system are: vitamins A, C, D, E, as well as selenium, zinc, and omega-3 (DHA).
Vitamin A plays an important role within our immune system as it stimulates the production of antibodies. Foods rich in vitamin A are for example, cereals, egg yolk, carrots, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin C aids in the creation of immune cells. Some of the highest doses of Vitamin C are found in bell pepper, guava fruit, kiwi and papaya. Bear in mind when buying dissolvable vitamin C as a supplement, that you get something of higher quality, which is not synthetic, full of additives and/or sugars.
Vitamin D should ideally be taken all year round, even if you feel that you got enough sunshine during the summer. In 2016 “large observational data have suggested that ~40% of Europeans are vitamin D deficient, and 13% are severely deficient.” This vitamin is crucial for regulating the immune system and is powerful in preventing the evolution of certain auto-immune diseases. Food sources include: fatty fish, egg yolk and cheese. More importantly, best to take your vitamin D supplement in the morning since it hinders the production of melatonin and thus effects the sleep-wake cycle.
Vitamin E is especially important for older persons as it compensates for the loss of the immune function as we age. This vitamin is most commonly found in sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts and green leafy vegetables, but can also be taken as a supplement.
Selenium enhances the functioning of the immune system, by lowering oxidative stress hence decrease inflammation in the body. Selenium can be found in spinach, eggs, beans and legumes, sunflower seeds and brazil nuts. Most commonly, selenium is also taken as a supplement.
Zinc: “About 30% of individuals over the age of 50 are deficient in zinc”. Zinc deficiency means that a person has lower blood levels of zinc thus making it harder for the immune system to fight off infections. Zinc can be found in foods such as: oysters, soybeans, baked beans, mushrooms, spinach, kale, broccoli and pumpkin seeds.
Omega-3 has anti-inflammatory properties and reinforces the functioning of the white blood cells, key for a healthy immune system. Omega-3 is most commonly found in fish, nuts and seeds such as walnuts, pecans, flaxseeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds.
Sleep hygiene
Sleep is vital for protecting your health. Try to sleep in a slightly cooler room so the body can properly relax and not be disturbed by heat. Focus on routine, that includes the weekends. Your body doesn’t actually know it’s the weekend hence staying up longer than usually just disrupts your sleeping routine and the body’s clock. If possible, try to go to sleep and wake up every day around the same time. For more guidance on the importance of sleep check out my previous blog post.
Our most important sleep cycle is between 22.00 and 02.00 in the morning. During this time the body produces vast amount of melatonin, which influences HGH secretion. HGH is essential for regeneration of body tissue, enhancing the immune system, and the repair of cells.
Dr. Michael Irwin at University of California, has demonstrated that a single night of four hours of sleep (from 3 to 7 a.m.)- swept away 70 percent of the natural killer cells, relative to a full eight-hour night of sleep. The sympathetic nervous system is forced into overdrive by a lack of sleep. Provoking an unnecessary inflammation response.
In case you want to read more about the importance of sleep, there is a fantastic book called “Why we sleep” by Matthew Walker.
Movement
Move as much as possible and ideally outdoors. No, you don’t need to sign up for a marathon, but many studies have shown that physical activity reinforces our immune system, while a non-active lifestyle keeps the immune system asleep.
Find an activity that best suites you and your lifestyle, whether that’s jogging, walking, biking, hiking, or another favourite exercise of yours. It sounds very obvious and easy, but many of us don’t do it.
“When we exercise, blood pumps through our body at a rapid rate. This helps white blood cells to be absorbed into our body tissues more rapidly. White blood cells are an essential part of our immune system that fights disease.”
Moreover, physical activity lowers stress (cortisol), increases the production of antibodies and white blood cells. On the contrary, excessive physical exercise may cause the immune system to become imbalanced, by temporarily decreasing the immune function as cortisol and adrenaline rise, leaving you more susceptible to infections. Remember it’s all about balance!
To summarise...
No one is perfect, but do the best you can. It is YOUR health, we are talking about. No one else can be in charge of it, except for YOU.
It’s not about boosting the immune system but more about finding a good immune balance.
Take charge of your mental health. Stay grounded and de-stress, over and over again.
Avoid processed foods, too much sugar and alcohol.
Focus on maintaining a healthy gut.
Include supplements such as Vitamin D, and Zinc into your diet.
Get plenty of good quality sleep.
Keep active, ideally outdoors.
In case this feels slightly overwhelming and like a lot of information, feel free to book a free 30 minute consultation, and let’s get you on track towards better health!