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Achieve Winter Wellness with these 5 Immune Boosting Tips

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Building yourself up for winter is by far the best strategy for staying healthy
throughout the cold and flu season. By making your health a priority, you stand the best chance of fending off would be invaders.
Begin now by applying the following tips so you can power through the winter months without giving viruses a window of opportunity to pounce when your defences are down. Being run down, tired, stressed and malnourished sets the stage for illness to take root.

Top 5 Immune Boosting Tips:
1. Be well nourished and hydrated
2. Reduce stress
3. Exercise for 30 minutes daily
4. Load up on sunshine
5. Be well rested
1.Be well nourished and hydrated

Being well nourished with a diet high in fresh whole foods, is the absolute cornerstone of healthy living. Food is Medicine. Eating a variety of different coloured fruits and vegies every day, is essential to attain the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients necessary to stay well. Two small pieces of fruit and 5 vegies is considered the gold standard for a healthy diet. It’s also important to incorporate protein and fat into the diet. This includes foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, pulses and legumes. And healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, nut oils, etc. In addition be sure to drink plenty of filtered water and other drinks such as herbal tea.

2. Reduce stress

Reducing stress is another significant area to address to boost your immunity this winter. The demands you make of yourself, running on empty, leaving home without breakfast, dashing all over the city for work, school and children’s activities eventually take their toll. What starts as a sniffle can quickly escalate into a full blown cold or worse if you’re unable to manage your busy lifestyle without becoming run down. Taking just ten minutes once or twice a day to sit quietly, breathe deeply and zone out can do wonders. It’s also important to be aware of your environment. Electromagnetic radiation from mobiles, computers, tablets, TV’s, wi fi, etc. in addition to air conditioned offices, fluorescent lighting and carpets and furniture that off gas chemicals can all deplete the indoor air quality and make you sick and stressed. Ionisers and salt lamps can improve air quality and are a worthwhile addition to your home or workplace. Failing that opening windows for fresh air and escaping the office for 10 minutes or on your lunch break can also help. Try to incorporate something you find enjoyable into your life weekly. It can as simple as taking yourself out for a coffee to listening to music or visiting a favourite shop, park, etc. Whatever bring you joy will decrease your level of stress.

3. Exercise for 30 minutes daily
Exercising for 30 minutes a day enhances your entire body. It improves your mood, physique and energy levels not to mention reducing stress and boosting immunity! Exercise is different for everyone but I recommend doing something that you find enjoyable and doable without it placing too big a strain on you. Pushing yourself too hard is counter-productive as the stress it creates depletes your immunity.
A simple brisk walk and incidental exercise such as washing the car of doing daily house maintenance chores all counts as exercise.
4. Load up on sunshine

Sunshine or Vitamin D is absolutely essential to immunity. During the winter months it can be difficult to get exposure to sufficient sunlight. I recommend that you supplement with up to 4,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily to maintain your immunity during this time.

5. Be well rested
Make sure you are getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep a night. This allows the body to repair itself and fend off any bugs that you may have encountered during the day. And finally, if you are being proactive with your health and somehow you still get sick, continue with all of the above and incorporate some healing herbs into your regime and you will be feeling better in no time.

 

Written by Feeling Healthy’s Naturopathic Nutritionist, Merril
To find out more about Merril click here or to book an appointment click here

 

Disclaimer: Please note this advice is general in nature and it’s recommended that you consult with your natural healthcare practitioner for an individually tailored treatment plan.