Want to know how you can increase your immunity during the Corona Virus Pandemic?
Today we cover that in detail so you and your family can be proactive and feel just a little more in control during this time.
Here are some helpful tips on doing that:
Personal Hygiene (from Centre of Advanced Medicine)
- Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds or use alcohol-based sanitizer
- Sneeze and cough into your sleeve/inner elbow
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
- Avoid contact with people who are sick
- Stay home if you are sick
Natural Remedies To Increase Immunity During Corona Virus
1. Vitamin C (1,000 mg 3–4x daily) – KAYLIE’S RECOMMENDATION
Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defences.
Antioxidants are molecules that boost the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals.
When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a state known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases. Free radicals cause premature aging, widespread inflammation and weaken your immune system.
Studies show that consuming more vitamin C can increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This helps the body’s natural defences fight inflammation
Vitamin C helps encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infections
Take 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily to ward off a cold or the flu and up to 4,000 milligrams daily when you are experiencing symptoms.
For the most dietary vitamin C, eat whole fruits and vegetables
Foods high in vitamin C
- Yellow peppers
- Black currents
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Kale
- Oranges
- Kiwi
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Lemons
- Strawberries
- Papaya
2. Vitamin D3 – KAYLIE’S RECOMMENDATION
Vitamin D is produced in the body by sunlight and regulates the expression of over 2,000 genes, including those of the immune system. Unfortunately, up to 90 percent of people are deficient in vitamin D. Recent research shows that low vitamin D levels are linked to higher rates of cold, flu and respiratory infections
Vitamin D has several important functions. Perhaps the most vital are regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and facilitating normal immune system function. Getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D is important for normal growth and development of bones and teeth, as well as improved resistance against certain diseases.
3. Echinacea (1,000 mg 2–3x daily) – KAYLIE’S RECOMMENDATION
This herb can help your body fight off infections, but it is best to take it at the first sign of illness.
Echinacea acts as an anti-inflammatory, which can help reduce bronchial symptoms of cold and flu.
This makes it a very popular herbal supplement that’s available in many commercial products. One of the common ways to use Echinacea is to drink it in a tea.
The amount of Echinacea tea you need to drink to reap its benefits varies depending on the tea itself and how strongly you brew it. Echinacea can also be found in liquid tincture, tablets, ointments, capsules, and extracts. It’s important to only buy Echinacea from a reputable and established company and to verify its quality
Drinking Echinacea tea has been found to be effective in shortening the duration of your symptoms. Studies have shown that Echinacea can reduce the odds of developing a cold by 58 percent and reducing its duration by 1–4 days
4. Elderberry – KAYLIE’S RECOMMENDATION
It is believed that this herb can deactivate the flu virus and naturally boost immunity. The flowers and berries of elderberry are said to boost the immune system, treat flu and relieve sinus pain.
Elderberry does seem to attack flu viruses and reduce bronchial inflammation. A preliminary study found that when 15 milliliters of elderberry syrup was taken four times daily for a five-day period, it relieved symptoms of influenza an average of four days earlier than those taking a placebo.
5. Deep Immune – KAYLIE’S RECOMMENDATION
Kaylie takes this incredible supplement at the first sign of sickness. You can learn more about this product HERE
Top Foods To Increase Immunity During Corona Virus
Light, easy-to-digest foods: Include soups with bone broth, cooked vegetables or herbal teas to help with digestion. Don’t force yourself to eat.
- Getting adequate hydration is helpful in flushing out the virus from your system. Fluid helps your body to flush bacteria and viruses from your system. Drink approximately half your body weight in ounces daily. If you are really dehydrated, coconut water is great for helping to replenish your electrolytes. Many refer to coconut water as natures Gatorade.
- Organic Green Tea is a potent immune system booster and is loaded with antioxidants. Try to drink at least eight ounces every two hours.
- Hot water with Lemon, Honey, and cinnamon: Honey and cinnamon helps prevent mucus buildup and keeps you hydrated.
- Ginger: Make a ginger tea and add raw honey.
- Garlic and onions: Both of these vegetable help boost immune function.
Daily Habits To Increase Immunity During Corona Virus
1. Eat Real Food
Real food is the food that is most natural, found in nature with the least amount of processing involved before it reaches your table. This food keeps us healthy and helps us naturally fight disease. Foods like apples, carrots, raw nuts and seeds. Foods that haven’t been loaded with hormones, pesticides and other unnatural chemicals.
Best Foods to Include:
- Citrus – Because your body doesn’t produce or store it, you need daily vitamin C for continued health.
- grapefruit
- oranges
- tangerines
- lemons
- limes
- clementine
- Bell Peppers – If you think citrus fruits have the most vitamin C of any fruit or vegetable, think again. Ounce for ounce, red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus.
- Broccoli – Broccoli is supercharged with vitamins and minerals. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fibre broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your table
- Ginger – Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after getting sick. Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce asore throat and other inflammatory illnesses. Ginger may also help decrease nausea.
- Spinach – Spinach is high in Vitamin C and is packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems.
- Almonds – When it comes to preventing and fighting off colds, vitamin E tends to take a backseat to vitamin C. However, vitamin E is key to a healthy immune system. Nuts, such as almonds, are packed with vitamin E. A half-cup serving provides 100 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E. Be sure to choose raw and unsalted nuts or nut butters.
- Papaya – Papaya is another fruit loaded with vitamin C. You can find 224 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C in a single papaya. Papayas also have a digestive enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects.
2. Avoid “Frankenfoods”
The other foods that many Americans consume on a daily basis are what I like to call “fake” foods. These are the foods you’ll find on shelf after shelf, aisle after aisle at the grocery store. Foods that have been highly processed, modified and so transformed from their original state that they hardly resemble the original food at all.
Think soda, sugary cereals, microwave meals, chips, foods containing: corn syrup, fructose, MSG, food dyes and colours, yeast extracts, carrageenan and preservatives.
Eating a variety of real, healing foods provides your body with all the nutrients it needs to function and stay healthy. This should be your first food choice on a daily basis.
3. Exercise
Although when you think of preventing a cold, you don’t necessarily think, “I’d better exercise if I don’t want to get sick,” this is one of the best ways to improve your overall health and stay healthy during cold and flu season.
According to researcher Michael Flynn, who studies the impact of exercise on the immune system at Purdue University, 30 minutes of exercise, three or four times a week, is the best way to boost your immune system.
4. Get Plenty of Sleep
When you’re sick you need to get plenty of rest. Getting enough sleep on a regular basis is key to maintaining good health. According to the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, one adverse effect of not getting enough sleep is a compromised immune system
Tips for improved sleep quality
- Supplements like Melatonin and Valerian
- Meditation
- Hot bath with essential oils like lavender
- Blue light blocker glasses
- Reading
- Calming tea like Tulsi, also called Holy Basil or Chamomile.
5. Reduce Stress
80 percent of our health problems are related to stress. Find daily ways to boost your happiness and reduce your stress. One example of this includes breathing consciously and slowly.
Slow, controlled belly breathing calms the brains parasympathetic nervous system, and sends the message to your mind and body that all is well.
Give it a try
Try “5 x 5 breathing” Slow your breathing down by slowly counting to 5 on the inhale followed by exhaling slowing to the count of 5. Feel your belly expand on the inhale and deflate on the exhale. Repeat six times to complete one minute.
The 5 x 5 breathing technique was proven to significantly increase feelings of relaxation.
6. Take a Whole Food Multivitamin
Taking a multi-vitamin is a great step towards protecting your health. But not all multi-vitamins are good for you. It’s vital that you choose a whole food multi-vitamin, not a synthetic one. Whole food multi-vitamins are as close to the real source of the vitamins and minerals that you can get. In fact, your body will be better able to recognize it, digest it and absorb the nutrients in it. Head to a health food store and talk with someone who works there, as they can help you find the best multivitamin for you and your needs.
7. Limit Sugar Intake
Sugar is one of the worst things to consume, especially if you’re trying to stay healthy during cold and flu season. Sugars weakens the immune system and helps the bad bacteria in your gut to grow.
There are great, all-natural sweeteners on the market, so you don’t have to go without. Try stevia, maple syrup or raw honey in moderation. (And avoid artificial sweeteners — they’re fake foods!) Be sure to check labels of the foods you’re eating and avoid hidden sugars.
8. Focus on Gut Health
80% of our immune system is in our gut, so gut health is centre stage when it comes to staying healthy.
You can improve your gut health by including:
- Collagen – I love ORGANIKA
- Fibre – feeds good bacteria in gut.
- Smoothies – I included a few smoothie options for you in your recipe E-book.
Immune boosting Progressive greens powder with water!
- Bone broth – Recipe in E-book, OR you as a time saver you can purchase a powdered form to add to your soups and stews. I love ORGANIKA BONE BROTH
- Green juice – I love PROGRESSIVE GREENS
- Reducing stress
- Fasting – aim to give yourself at least 12 hours between the last meal of the day and your first meal the following morning. This ensures your body has time to properly digest, rest and repair. Remember, it takes a lot of energy for your body to digest food, so it needs a break sometimes.
- Probiotic rich foods – miso, tempeh, fermented foods, coconut yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and Apple Cider Vinegar. Fermented foods fed the good bacteria in your gut which supports a healthy immune sys
Kaylie put this document together for a talk she was doing at a retirement home, but it still has relevancy to everyone – especially during this corona virus pandemic.
We hope you find it helpful – it’s the least we could do right now.
The badass approach to fitness, health & mental wealth.
Researched and written by Kaylie Ginn, RHN
kaylie@royallyfit.ca
www.royallyfit.ca
IG: https://www.instagram.com/kaylie.elizebeth/
