It’s fair to say that Winter knocked me around a bit. I had 4 infections in less than 10 weeks…..ridiculous. I would recover, stay healthy for a week and then catch another virus. I was over it to say the least.
Being sick is no fun for anyone. Being a PT I couldn’t afford to lie in bed and keep getting sick, my training and nutrition got quite shocking, set me back majorly and I was very embarrassed when I would get sick, yet again.
During my last infection I made a declaration of war… war against illness, and I meant it.
Obviously my immune system was not up to scratch, so I went on a rampage to sort it out.
First I did some research and discovered natural ways to boost immunity.
My first stop was Harvard Health Publications:
“Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward keeping your immune system strong and healthy. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:
- Don’t smoke.
- Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Control your blood pressure.
- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
- Get adequate sleep.
- Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
- Get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category.”
But I already did these things so I kept looking and bumped into a site called Ask Dr Sears and he enlightened me with the top 8 foods that boost your immunity
- Vitamin C. Vitamin C tops the list of immune boosters
- Vitamin E.Vitamin E stimulates the production of natural killer cells, those that seek out and destroy germs and cancer cells. Vitamin E enhances the production of B-cells, the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria.
- Zinc. This valuable mineral increases the production of white blood cells that fight infection and helps them fight more aggressively.
- Garlic. This flavorful member of the onion family is a powerful immune booster that stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white cells, boosts natural killer cell activity, and increases the efficiency of antibody production.
- Selenium. This mineral increases natural killer cells and mobilizes cancer-fighting cells.
- Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Bioflavenoids. A group of phytonutrients called bioflavenoids aids the immune system by protecting the cells of the body against environmental pollutants.
- Carotenoids. Beta carotene increases the number of infection-fighting cells, natural killer cells, and helper T-cells, as well as being a powerful antioxidant that mops up excess free radicals that accelerate aging.
From reading page after page of other sites I was able to pull out a few more tricks:
- honey
- green tea
- lemon
- ginger
After talking with a nutritionist friend of mine we decided upping my dosage of probiotic was important, which makes sense as your digestive system is related to your immune function.
So this is what I did (and still currently doing):
- daily garlic supplement (extra dosage), plus including fresh garlic and onion into meals whenever I can (my poor family)
- lemon squeezed into hot water first thing in the morning
- doubling up my probiotic while i’m getting myself back on track
- drinking green tea
- diligently consuming multiple servings of Vitamin C through supplement and natural i.e oranges, over the day
- taking my liquid fish oil for my omega 3 fatty acids
- eating my veggies and fruit
- LOTS OF WATER! I drink a lot anyway, but decided to up the efforts 😉
So far so good, no one likes getting sick, I for one am going to do whatever I can to prevent it 🙂
If you think someone else would benefit from a boosting their immune system, share this article by using the share buttons below 🙂
*Photo coutesy of Ping Ming Health