Food Freedom Friday Edition 232 - Boosting immunity

Your immune system works constantly and consistently to protect you on a daily basis. Fighting off viruses and defending your body against disease and illness is no easy or simple feat. In order to keep yourself and your loved ones as healthy as possible, there are several ways you can boost the immune system function naturally. When you do your part to strengthen the abilities of your immune system through a few dietary and lifestyle strategies, you protect your health and the health of those around you. 

Strategies To Strengthen Your Immune System

Wash Your Hands

And wash your hands often!

The lesson of washing our hands is a familiar and (hopefully) well practiced one. Use soap and water, scrub thoroughly and keep hand sanitizer handy for those in-between times. You have likely been taught this from a young age, but how well and how often are you genuinely following this simple yet imperative advice? The CDC provides statistics on hand washing and basic hygiene to prevent the spread of germs and keep your body guarded against the spread of illness.  It is by far the simplest way to help protect and boost the immune system. It is important that each individual do their part by getting back to the basics of simple hand washing practices.

Stay Home

Especially if you are feeling unwell

Nobody likes venturing out when they are feeling a little under the weather or less than optimal. To add to that, nobody wants to be at work, the store or dropping off and picking up their children only to be put in the line of germ fire. Staying in and nursing yourself or sick loved ones back to health is doing your body an excellent service but even as important, you are helping others maintain their health. It may sound easy enough, but have probably been guilty of this on more than one occasion Stay in and fill up on beneficial foods for immunity and strengthen your immune system health before heading out or dropping your sick kiddos off to avoid further or longer illness and protect others in the process.

Maintain Optimal Sleep Hygiene

Healthy sleep habits are a must for a variety of reasons. When your body suffers from a lack of sleep, you increase the hormone, cortisol. Over time, an increase in cortisol leads to suppression of your immune system. Ensuring a consistent and restful night’s sleep not only helps boost the immune system but helps alleviate:

·       Stress and anxiety

·       Chronic fatigue

·       Weight gain

·       Moodiness

·       Depression

·       Illness and disease

Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet and go to bed earlier. In the early part of the night (11pm – 3am), the majority of your REM and non-REM sleep cycles are composed of deep non-REM sleep and very little REM sleep. In the second half of the night (3am – 7am) this balance changes, such that the 90-minute cycles are comprised of more REM sleep (the stage associated with dreaming) as well as a lighter form of non-REM sleep.

This is important because it is during the very deep stages of sleep (experienced earlier in the night) are the times when your body regenerates and repairs tissue and engages in other restorative processes. When this deep sleep is compromised, you are unable to fully rejuvenate and heal.

Manage Your Stress Levels

Stress plays an enormous role in your ability to maintain and strengthen your immune system health and function. The immune systems consist of billions of cells that travel throughout your organs and tissue. The B cells produce the antibodies that work to destroy foreign and unwanted viruses and bacteria that wreak havoc on your system. The T cells function by acting as the guardians, locking onto an infected cell, multiplying and destroying it. When you are faced with excess and unmanaged stress (and honestly, who is. Not facing this right now?), your immune system is weakened, and its ability to fight off antigens is no longer optimized. This in turn cretes an atmosphere where you may become much more susceptible to illness and infection.

Lowering your stress level helps boost immune system functions and strengthen immune system health and fight against:

  Headaches

·       Flu and additional infectious illness

·       Asthma

·       Diabetes

·       Gastric ulcers

·       Cardiovascular disease

If stress is a problem, try getting more low-strain exercise, like walking or yoga.  Also eating a moderate-carbohydrate paleo diet. A diet too low or too high in carbohydrates can both be problematic and if unsure, measuring your blood glucose levels with a glucometer may provide some guidance. Limiting caffeine especially coffee, getting sufficient vitamin D3, and getting a large amount of dietary omega-3 fats (lots of cold water, fatty fish!) will help mitigate your stress response too.

Optimize Your Nutrition

Solid nutrition forma the foundation for a healthy body, on all levels. When searching for ways to strengthen immune system health, choosing the right foods for immunity is vital. Making healthy, whole, real food part of your lifestyle rather than a once-in-a-while diet plan will serve your body well. This will support and boost immune system function, fight belly fat, boost energy and mood levels, and fight off those dreaded signs of aging.

Garlic is one of my regular suggestions for many things and is known to help boost immune system health. As a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, garlic will strengthen immune system abilities, keeping your body healthier and your food more flavorful!

Foods To Include:

Broccoli

Broccoli is full of vitamins and minerals including the immune-enhancing vitamins A, C, and E, antioxidants, and fiber.

Spinach

Spinach is rich in vitamin C and an excellent food for immunity. You can use it in your smoothies, salads, soups, and more. It is rich in antioxidants and beta carotene, which can help increase your ability to ward off infections and continue to strengthen immune system function.

Citrus Fruits

Vitamin C provides has always been touted as having fantastic immune boosting potential. This is no myth. Loading up on your vitamin C will help strengthen immune system health, boost immune system function, and keep your body looking and feeling vibrant, youthful and radiant at the same time. Lemons, limes, tangelos, grapefruit and oranges to name a few will support keeping your body healthy both inside and out!

Optimize Gut Health

If you are a regular reader of my blogs, you will know that a healthy gut is the key to ensuring optimal nutrients are entering your body. Incorporating foods for immunity is crucial. Maintaining a healthy gut frees your system of the toxins that often lead to an unhealthy immune system and health challenges, including:

·       IBS

·       Bloating

·       Constipation

·       Inflammation throughout the body

·       Joint and muscle pain

·       Diabetes

·       Early signs of aging

By changing your lifestyle to include beneficial foods for immunity, you support boosting the immune system. Bone broth, collagen and l-glutamine are great additions to the diet to support a strong and healthy gut. Through a variety of foods for immunity, healing collagen, nutrients, and clean proteins to strengthen immune system functions and quickly boost immune system health are key to ensure your GI tract is working to get these nutrients into your bloodstream. In essence, you will be filling up on delicious foods that are great for your entire body.

We are each responsible for doing our part in keeping each other healthy. Strengthen immune system health for yourself and loved ones for a happier, healthier you!