A Three Step Guide To Boost Your Immunity!

“People are taught that sickness comes from bad genes, bad bugs, or bad luck, as opposed to bad behaviours” – Dr James Chestnut

We need to recognise that our behaviour matters, and what we do day to day influences your health. We live in world governed by stress, and we often make poor decisions regarding our health when faced with physical, chemical, and emotional stress daily.

Ask yourself – how many times have you grabbed the closest chocolate bar/ordered take away instead of preparing healthy nourishing meals, or maybe you’ve skipped exercise/walking the dog due to working overtime or having a busy schedule? How many times have you had a constant body ache or niggle that you haven’t sought treatment for because you just don’t have the time? The list goes on.

We push ourselves to exhaustion, lack adequate fuel to keep us going and expect that our bodies will keep up. This puts a huge strain on our immune system. Today’s blog post will cover three top tips to boost your immunity!

Immunity Boosting Tip #1 – Remove Chemical Stress

You are what you eat – the less chemical stress your body is under the better it will respond to harmful pathogens. We can do this by eating good wholefoods and using appropriate supplements.

Wholefoods:

Anti-Inflammatory, Prebiotic & Probiotic Foods:

Some really good foods to incorporate into your diet are foods that have anti-inflammatory, and pre/probiotic properties. Bone broth and alkaline foods are also great for boosting immunity.

Immune boosting Supplements:

• Vitamin C and D
• Zinc
• Olive leaf extract
• Echinacea
• Fish Oil

Dosage requirements may differ from person to person – we recommend enquiring with a health practitioner before supplementing.

Immunity Boosting Tip #2 – Remove Physical Stress

Maintaining physical health is very  important when it comes avoiding and/or fighting off cold and flu symptoms. Now is the time to break habits and put in the hard work so you not only look great, but you feel great too. Here are some ways you can improve your physical health –

• Exercise – 20 minutes of exercise daily is the minimum your body needs to refuel. Exercise promotes the flow of oxygen which naturally helps remove toxins from your body. Exercise promotes the production of endorphins released by the brain that make us feel good, and also plays a role in relaxation and sleep.
• Sleep – The recommended amount of sleep is approximately eight hours – more so if you are sick. Sleeping is when our bodies do most of our healing. It’s your body’s natural way to recover and repair. You must not compromise on sleep and get as much as possible.
• Treatment – Get regular Chiropractic adjustments – joint dysfunction creates nerve irritation which interferes with your body’s innate ability to heal itself. A well-adjusted body is more equipped to remove of toxins and pathogens that may be running rampant in your system.
• Technology – TV’s, phones and tablets should be switched off at least one hour before bed. Too much exposure to blue light from devices can wind up your nervous system, increase stress, and disrupt your body’s natural sleep/wake cycle.

Immunity Boosting Tip #3 – Remove Emotional Stress

Your mindset and thoughts greatly influences your body’s chemistry, and therefore can alter your overall health and immune function. Stressful thought patterns release hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin into the body, causing a “fight or flight” response.

Historically the “fight or flight” response was a survival mechanism that would switch on when you were confronted with something life-threatening (e.g. a lion). This response is temporary and should be switched off naturally by your body once the danger is gone, however in modern day society,  switching off this mechanism can be quite difficult. When the “fight or flight” mechanism is switched on, your blood flow and energy is redirected to your muscles allowing you to run or to fight. This down regulates your immune system as well as other body functions such as digestion and reproduction.

Here are some ways you can reduce emotional stress:

• Meditation/ yoga
• Deep breathing
• Posture pole exercises
• Removing yourself from stressful situations
• Reserving some time for yourself each day to do something you love

Blog post written by Dr. Romina Troiani (Chiropractor)