4 ways to boost your immune system this season.
Fall season feels like it has finally arrived, and as the leaves change colour and temperatures start to drop, we also slowly start to transition into the cold and flu season.
This time of year can be a workout for our immune system, but there are many ways that you can be proactive in supporting your immune system for this upcoming season.
Whole foods, herbs, and spices
A diet rich in a variety of whole foods, herbs, and spices is a great way to make sure you're getting a wide range of vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, antioxidants, fibre, and much more, that not only helps feed a variety of bacteria in your gut, but also keeps your immune system strong. Seasonal foods are great to incorporate into your meals, and trying new herbs and spices into your meals and drinks are a great way to “spice things up.” Some herbs I love in particular for supporting the immune system are garlic, thyme, ginger, oregano (fresh or dried, not oil), elderberry, echinacea, and astragalus.
Oregano oil is not for everyday use
Many of us are aware of the problem with overusing antibiotics and how this kills off beneficial bacterial species in our gut along with the bad ones. As a whole, we are using antibiotics far too much.
What most people don’t understand is that we can actually see similar results with herbal antimicrobial overuse. Antimicrobial herbs like oregano oil and those containing berberine (goldenseal, golden thread, Oregon grape, etc.) have the ability to change or alter our gut ecosystem—not always in a good way.
They can kill off the bad guys, but they can also kill off the good, just like antibiotics. They are potent and powerful herbs, and they run the risk of doing damage if not used with reverence and discretion.
Reducing Sugar
It's no secret that simple processed sugar isn't great for us, and the cooler months often bring more sugar with them. Think pumpkin spice drinks, hot chocolate, Thanksgiving baking, Halloween treats, and more. When we consume excessive amounts of sugar, we not only deplete our bodies' caloric intake but also disrupt our nutrient balance. Sugar can weaken our gut health, feed non-beneficial bacteria in our digestive tract, impact the immune system, and cause inflammation. While this is the season for pumpkin spice lattes and all the trimmings, it's something to be mindful of.
Vitamin D and Sunlight
Upping your vitamin D in the wintertime is a tried and true way to support your immune system, and besides taking a supplement, we can get this nutrient from foods like mushrooms, eggs, meats, fish, and other fortified foods.
However, don’t discount getting outside during the day (even if there’s no direct sun). One of this things that I think many people can relate to is that they stay inside more during the cooler months. Even though in the northern hemisphere the sun isn’t as strong at the moment, getting outside and getting some light exposure (especially morning time or sunset) can feed your cells and body in ways a supplement and food can’t. It helps regulate our circadian rhythm if we get outside in the morning light, which in turn helps with melatonin production—a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory hormone. Doing this will not only keep our immune system optimal but will also provide a wide range of other benefits like better sleep, boost serotonin, help with energy levels an reduce stress, just to name a few.
Getting enough sleep
I think we can all think back to a time when we were feeling run down and not getting enough sleep and how we felt. If you are not getting an adequate amount of sleep throughout the night (between 7-9 hours), you are missing out on a natural immune boost. When we sleep, our body’s activity slows down and frees up energy for our immune system along with many other systems to work optimally and reset. During this time our body is getting rid of waste, repairing cells, muscles and organs, restoring energy and so much more. Getting enough sleep not only helps the body achieve these things above and regulate its inflammatory response, but also helps in many other areas of health, including metabolism, mood, cognitive function, heart health, and almost all areas of the body.
Make sure you are doing these things to stay healthy this fall / winter time and as always these are meant to be a conversation. If you have questions more tailored to you, feel free to email and ask.
Take care.
