Boost Your Immunity

Fall is hands-down my favorite time of year…crisp weather, cable knit, crunchy leaves, pumpkins and apples. And, unfortunately, the dive into cold/flu/COVID season. Here, I offer a few tips to boost your immunity year-round, as well as some quick-fix boosts for when you feel that scratch in your throat. 

Year-Round Immune Boosters

• Sleep
• Vitamin D
• Exercise
• Gut Health
• Dry Brushing
• Contrast Showers

Quick Fixes

• Sleep
• Hydrate
• Reduce Stress
• Fruits & Veggies

Year-Round Immune Boosters:

Sleep

This is my #1 tool for staying healthy. Sleep is when our body repairs itself and gets rid of toxins. If you find yourself coming down with lots of colds or infections, check your sleep schedule first. It really should be a priority year-round, but especially if you are experiencing a particularly stressful or busy period. You’re probably thinking “But stress makes it hard to sleep!” I’ve been there. A few of my favorite tools for a restful night’s sleep: 

• Blue light blocking glasses in the evening
• a bedtime routine that signals to your body it’s time to sleep (e.g. brush teeth, meditate, read)
• an eye mask
• CBD 
• Meditation or Journaling (or both!)  to clear your mind

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for keeping your immune system strong. Here in Chicago, nobody gets enough natural Vitamin D, so if you live in a similar climate or don’t spend much time outdoors, consider taking a daily supplement year-round.  My doc recommends 2,000 iu/50mcg a day, which should be taken in the morning as Vitamin D can disrupt melatonin production. Also, it’s important to take Vitamin D with food because it’s fat soluble–meaning that healthy fats help it dissolve into your bloodstream so your body can use it. Did you know if you’re wearing sunscreen (which you should!), you actually do not absorb Vitamin D from the sun? 

Exercise

Regular exercise promotes the movement of white blood cells to more locations within the body to seek out viruses and bacteria that shouldn’t be there. Plus, exercising helps keep those white blood cells around for a longer time (up to three hours afterwards). This is a great reason to make your workout routine consistent. Remember, exercise does not have to be kiling yourself at the gym for 2 hours every day. If you cannot find time, try three 10-minute walks a day. 

Gut Health

70% of the immune system is located in your gut. To keep it short, our gut bacteria, or microbiome, can elicit an immune response against viruses–and not only those that affect our digestive tract, but things like the flu, too. 

The best way to maintain a healthy microbiome is to eat a range of fresh, whole foods, mainly from plant sources like fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts and whole grains. 

Then there are probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are the “good” bacteria themselves, and we can get them into our gut by eating fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, miso), or by taking a probiotic supplement. I personally recommend probiotic supplements because I think it’s hard for most of us to eat enough fermented foods daily to get enough. If you’ve been prescribed an antibiotic, you might consider taking a probiotic supplement during and after the course of medicine to rebuild the healthy gut bacteria that antibiotics will kill. Be sure to talk to your doctor about probiotic supplements.

Prebiotics are the food for the probiotics. Think onions, garlic, flax, apples, asparagus, green bananas. Too much sugar, alcohol, and animal fats will feed the bad bacteria. 

Dry Brushing

This is a technique I learned about when doing a cleanse. Dry brushing is actually what those wooden brushes with long handles are for! Who knew? This is a technique done before showering, brushing your skin in long strokes towards the heart. It’s meant to help your lymph nodes clear out toxins. Bonus? It also reduces the appearance of cellulite and keeps skin exfoliated! Try doing this a few times a week. 

Contrast Showers

A contrast shower is where you alternate between hot and cold water in your shower. They have been shown to boost the immune system, as well as provide a nice energizing effect. Contrast showers improve circulation as they alter the blood flow with the differing temperatures. Potential benefits also include reducing feelings of depression and improved weight loss. Hey, even if there’s just a chance, it’s worth a shot, right? Maybe all the happy Norwegians doing cold plunges are on to something…

How to do it: At some point in your shower (I wait until the end), stand under hot water for 2-3 minutes, followed by 30 seconds-1 minute of cold. Do this for 3-5 cycles ideally. The more extreme the temps, the better the results. If the cold is difficult, you can always work your way up to it (I also find yelling helps), and always end your shower on cold. Tip: a towel warmer really helps in this case! 

Immunity Quick-Fixes

1. Sleep: see above! If you know you’re coming down with something, try to increase your sleep. If you cannot sleep more at night, see if you can sneak in a nap. At the very least, rest and take it easy. I’m convinced The Price is Right has medicinal properties, as I always felt better as a kid watching that when I was home sick from school. 
2. Hydrate: drink as much water as you can to help replace fluids lost through ridding your body of mucus (blowing your nose, coughing). Hydration also helps relieve congestion. I recommend lemon water, broth, herbal teas (especially turmeric, ginger, and hibiscus. Avoid caffeine), and electrolyte water (but no sugar or artificial colors!)
3. Reduce Stress: Stress produces the hormone cortisol, which is fine in small amounts. But having too much cortisol over time can lead to inflammation and suppression of the immune system. 
4. Fruits & Veggies: You know all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber in plant-based foods are going to help you fight that virus or bacteria. Look for fresh versions of foods rich in color, such as blueberries, strawberries, spinach and kale. Bananas and avocados are also easy to digest and provide a lot of benefits.

Best of health to you and your family as you navigate cold & flu season!

~Nicole