7 Ways To Safeguard Against Sickness

(Coronavirus Included)

We know you know: wash your hands every chance you get (with basic natural soap and water, no need to scrub your hands with Clorox wipes or spend $100 on hand sanitizer), avoid close contact with those that may be sick, avoid touching your face, and if you feel ill stay home.

While these preventative measures are certainly useful, we thought we would share some measures you can take every day to boost your own immune system. The good news is these tips are evergreen and can go a long way (beyond COVID-19) towards living a better-for-you life and providing good health overall. Here’s hoping these immune-boosting suggestions can help you feel empowered and less stressed during this and any time of uncertainty or illness.

Get Good Sleep
As Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer of the Cleveland Clinic, put it, "Sleep is the most underrated health habit." Instead of boasting about how little sleep we get/need, we should instead recognize its importance in both quality and time. Sleep has been known to boost T-cells, which help us fight disease, especially viral diseases. Always aim for at least 7-8 hours of natural, restful sleep. To create an environment that promotes good sleep opt for a cool, quiet, dark room. And, design a pre-sleep routine that includes a 30- to 60-minute wind-down period (think bath, read, meditate, and no lights from screens).

Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables (But Which Ones?)
Eating a healthy, organic-when-possible, plant-based diet always gives you the antioxidants needed for healthy immune function. Any and all in a rainbow of colors is the daily goal, but if you are trying to up your Vitamin C intake naturally, bring on the bell peppers, kiwi, golden berries, guava and strawberries. And for a zinc boost load up on legumes, hemp seeds and nuts such as cashews, if you can have.

Support With Supplements
If you are worried you may not be getting enough vitamins and minerals from your whole food intake, you can help provide vitamins and minerals necessary for a robust immune response by amping up especially with Vitamins C and D. We really like this Vitamin C capsule for adults and its liposomal (easier for the body to absorb) quality, as well as this one. For kids, try this powder mixed into water. And, for both kids and adults, this Vitamin D version is chewable and available in different mg amounts. We also really dig Four Sigmatic’s Chaga Mushroom Elixir for a daily dose of wellness. Always remember to cross-check your supplements through consumerlab.com for efficacy and purity and check with your practitioner to ensure safety and no cross-reactivity with any medications you are taking.

Add in Herbs
Herbs are another great support for your immune system as many have been shown to increase the activity of cells that either help us fight infection or lessen the duration/severity of symptoms. A few to consider are ginger and turmeric to aid in inflammation; astragalus, elderberry and echinacea for overall immune support; and ashwagandha and holy basil to help with your adrenal function and stress response. Many of these can be added to a cup of warm tea, blended into a veggie-filled smoothie or be taken in liquid/capsule form. If you are looking for an option that incorporates a few of these, we recommend this one.

Keep Moving
Simple daily movement is important for so many reasons and supporting your immunity is one of them. You don’t need to go beast-mode to gain benefits--walking, hiking, yoga, or anything you enjoy can help keep your stress levels down, which in turn supports the immune system.

Skips Stressors
Try and limit processed foods, alcohol, sugar, stressing out, and sitting all day. All of these zap your energy and can contribute to an adrenal imbalance, which make it harder for your body to cope.

Stay Positive
Stay informed, but in a healthful way. No need to listen to the news or check your phone every two minutes to see if there is anything new – this will only serve to put you on edge. Remember that stress hormones can reduce the effectiveness of immune cells so you always want to be doing things that reverse the stress response. That can be as simple as laughing with a friend, going for a massage, writing in your journal or meditating. Even just some slow belly breathing can calm the mind and increase the expression of genes that are beneficial to the immune system. Try counting to 5 with each inhalation and exhalation to slow down your breathing.