As the cooler months (quickly) approach, I find that I’m hearing a lot of the same things to the tune of:
“I’m sick, all of my friends are sick, my child is sick, my dog is probably sick….”
This may be your reality this cold and flu season, but it doesn’t have to be. There are so many things you can start doing right now that will stave off those pesky illnesses. If the worst does happen and you do get sick, these tips and tricks will also help keep symptoms to a minimum.
Okay, I am going to start with one that most people don’t want to hear. A healthy lifestyle is going to be hugely effective here. Listen guys, I know it’s hard. It’s hard for me too, even as an ND. That being said, the absolute best thing we can do for ourselves is maintain a healthy daily lifestyle.
Sounds daunting, but several small changes really do have a high yield impact.
1.
SLEEP
The first pillar we are going to discuss is a BIG one. Sleep is incredibly important to a high functioning immune system. In fact, most of our antibodies are made during sleep and sleep deprivation can significantly worsen illnesses by turning off our natural anti-viral function.1 One study actually found that those who slept less had higher inflammatory markers measured in the blood as well as more symptoms of inflammation such as joint pain, mental health struggles, and digestive issues2.
It is recommended that we all get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. The perfect number varies depending on the individual, so experiment and see which duration makes you feel best. If you’re having trouble achieving these numbers, it may be time to speak to a healthcare professional, to help you work on proper sleep hygiene.
2.
STRESS
I would be remiss if I got through this article without mentioning stress. Stress is a risk factor for almost every single chronic condition such as heart disease, diabetes, and you guessed it…immune dysfunction.
In our evolutionary past, stress was a fabulous tool to mobilize our available resources and get us moving in life or death situations. Today, we have that same chemical cascade from our day-to-day stress, but the body cannot discern the severity of the situation. We now have this massive response happening in the body but for mostly non-life-threatening situations.
The link between stress and the immune system is as follows:
Stressful situation -> cortisol release -> Release of epinephrine, adrenaline, along with other hormones -> blood/resources to muscles and brain and not so much left over to make immune cells.
The main aim of all these hormones is shunting blood (aka resources) to our brain and muscles so we can fight or flight. This is the “Sympathetic Nervous System” response. However, this situation becomes complicated because our other system, the parasympathetic nervous system, cannot coexist simultaneously. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for resting and digesting and can only work when we are calm.
When our body perceives the stress of a tiger attack, it immediately stops doing actions such as resting, digesting, and – yes making immune cells such as antibodies. If you need further convincing, I will share the example of how medicine uses this link to its advantage. Corticosteroids (such as prednisone) act identically to cortisol in the body and are used to combat inflammation and autoimmune conditions. They do this by supressing the immune system in situations where it is too active.
While we cannot always eliminate stressors, we can (and must) learn proper management techniques. Psychotherapy, meditation, yoga, other forms of mindfulness, and exercise can all be profoundly helpful here!
3.
FOOD
What we put into our mouths daily makes a very meaningful and powerful difference when it comes to fighting off illness and boosting the immune system.
Some general guidelines to follow are:
- Eat vegetables with every meal. It was found that those who consume 30 or greater plants per week had a better gut microbiome profiles and got sick less frequently3. Thirty may sound like a lot, but this can also include seeds, nuts, grains, and fermented vegetables. I encourage you to do a tally this week. If you feel that you are struggling to get in your daily veggies, a holistic nutritionist or naturopathic doctor can help you fit these foods into your lifestyle!
- EAT THE RAINBOW! It’s not only about quantity but also about variety. These colours aren’t just pretty, they have meaning. For example; the blues and purples are powerful antioxidants. The yellows and oranges contain carotenoids which are helpful for healthy eyesight, skin, and immune system function. Dark, leafy greens contain many vitamins and minerals necessary for cellular health. ALL vegetables contain fibre and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals to keep you healthy.
- Try to eat foods that most closely resembles how they came out of the ground. Less/no processing and if you can eat local produce, that’s even better.
Worst case scenario:
If the worst does happen and you or your child gets sick, here are some home remedies that can help you kick that illness to the curb.
- Lots of fluids— 2L minimum of filtered water per day
- Recommended, age-appropriate doses of vitamins C and D
- Green tea has been shown to have antiviral properties and can reduce illness length in viral infections. ** Keep in mind with youngsters, that green tea does have caffeine. Echinacea might be a helpful alternative/addition.
- This last one may sound a bit out there, but it is tried and true and trust me— IT WORKS. It is a practice of traditional hydrotherapy, and this is how you do it:
Step 1: Gather materials. You’ll need 1 pair of tall cotton socks, 1 pair of taller wool socks (must be wool), and some cold water.
Step 2: Wet the cotton socks in cold water and (this is the worst part) put them on.
Step 3: cover up the wet cotton socks with the wool socks and go to bed! Optional towel placed under the feet to protect sheets from getting wet.
The theory behind this method is that as your body works to heat and dry the cold wet socks, the wool traps that heat in, and you sweat out that virus through the night.
This has been an immunity crash course on how we can make a very real impact just by tweaking a few things in our lifestyle. My hope is that you find it just as empowering as I do that, we all have the capacity to improve our health with just a few simple tools!
Note: nothing in this article is intended to be medical advice. If you find that you are still struggling with poor immunity and frequent illnesses, it may be time to seek out additional help from an MD or ND for further testing.
