Boost Your Immune System By Doing one or more of these things
The coronavirus pandemic puts our health at stake. We are worried about our well-being and for a good reason. We experience stress, overwhelm, anxiety, maybe even panic. Understandably so. We face a lot of uncertainty.
But how we deal with this situation is up to us. We control how we feel. We control our emotions. We control our anxiety. We control what we put in our bodies. We control our biology, which is so essential for how we fight viruses. So, let’s focus on what we can control.
Here are my ten tips to boost your immune system and improve your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
A healthy immune system is essential for fighting off diseases. It’s our defense mechanism that protects our bodies against viruses. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention encourages us not to touch our faces, wash our hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, use alcohol-based sanitizer and bleach at home, and keep our distance from other people. According to a 2015 study in the American Journal of Infection Control, we touch our face 20 times on average in one hour and 44% of the time that involves touching your nose, mouth, or eyes. It’s easier said than done not to touch your face.
Boosting your immune system can save your life right now and the life of others and, at a minimum, make you stronger to deal with viruses. To maintain a robust immune system, you want to avoid chronic sleep deprivation, lack of physical exercise, poor diet, chronic stress, and negative thoughts. Some of these things are prevalent in our lives at the moment.
So what can you do to boost your immune system? Below are ten ways to boost your immune system (biohacks included).
1. Clean up your diet
70% of your immune system is in your gut. Now is the time to clean up your diet. Avoid sugar and processed foods, and minimize all foods that cause inflammation. Having inflammation in your system is not good for your health or longevity. If you need a diet to follow, you can try the Whole30, Paleo, or Bulletproof diet. But you can also use a common-sense approach and eat unprocessed, whole-foods that nourish your body. A compromised gut system increases your risk. It takes about 30 days to clean up your diet, and now that you have more time and you are staying at home, it may be the perfect time to start eating better. Avoid the Standard American Diet (SAD), which includes processed food, farm processed meat, and sugar – they are hurting your immune system and putting your health at risk. You can help your immune system by adding things like flax seeds, avocado oil, fish, kimchi, Boswellia.
So, in general, make sure to add a lot of green leafy vegetables and decrease sugar in your diet.
Top Immune boosting foods include:
- Asparagus
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Grapefruit
- Blueberries
- Kiwi
- Rice
- Chicken
- Wild fish
- Chickpeas
- Coconut
- Walnuts
- Mushrooms
- Honey
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Miso
(Source: Dr. Axe)
2. Practice intermittent fasting- skip breakfast if you can
Just as important it is what you eat, it’s also essential when you eat. There’s been a lot written about doing three-day intermittent fasting to reset your entire immune system. However, right now, doing a 3-day fast is probably too much for your body and will spike up the cortisol level. So instead of doing a 3-day fast, you can do 16:8 intermittent fasting (Source: Ben Greenfield). Eat for 8 hours, and don’t eat for 16 hours (your fast state). You can also experiment with Bulletproof coffee to extend your fast or to avoid the feelings of being hungry.
Leave space between meals to give your digestive system time to reset and allow your body time to heal. By all means, listen to your body. You don’t want to add additional stress. If you are hungry, eat, if you are not, don’t eat just because it’s dinner time. Everyone has different needs but giving your body some time to heal itself is essential.
3. Take a cold shower
I implemented cold showers a while back in my routine and have learned to love them. A cold shower can boost your immune system, although we don’t have too many studies proving this. At a minimum, it will minimize your stress level, wake you up and leave you energized. According to Wim Hof: “The 2014 Radboud study showed that WHM practice upregulates your immunity by increasing the production of white blood cells and B-lymphocytes. These are the little critters that protect you from foreign marauders such as viruses. WHM practice won’t keep COVID-19 from invading your body, but a strengthened immune system means a bigger arsenal to combat the infection, and therefore fewer and less severe symptoms. You can incorporate breathing with cold therapy by using this free-breathing video showing the Wim Hof Method.
4. Get extra sleep - 8+ hours
Good quality sleep allows your body to heal. Your immune system kills pathogens while you are sleeping. Focus on quality sleep. Avoid blue light from screens at least 60 min before your bedtime as it will disrupt your circadian rhythms. Read the news from reliable sources like the CDC and WHO and stay educated, but don’t go down the rabbit hole of stressing out before your bedtime. Instead, read a good book, play games, stretch, drink some chamomile tea, have conversations with your significant other, or engage in another relaxing activity.
Do your best not to eat 2 – 3 hours before bed as it may disrupt your sleep.
5. Manage stress and anxiety
You can control your level of stress and anxiety. Your stress affects your immune system, so minimizing stress is a way to optimize your well-being.
Some tips for managing stress and anxiety are:
- Minimize screen time. Stay informed, but there’s no need to check the news 100 times/day.
- Stay present
- Find time for exercise – you can work out at home, make your home gym, or simply use your body weight to work out. I like Yoga with Adriene for some simple free yoga practices, or you can try Erica Ziel’s home workouts for women.
- Practice meditation and mindfulness
- Do something fun – maybe you can pick up a new hobby or learn a new skill. When you engage in a fun activity or learning something new, you can get into a state of flow and forget about the world for a while. There are practices you can do to help you get into this state of flow – you can listen to our podcast episode on the Unhustle podcast. This may just be what you need right now to be able to work from home.
- Laugh
- Read something funny
- Call an old friend
- Do the box breathing technique
Get Present
Here are a few quick presencing exercises you can do anywhere anytime.
- Take a deep breath in your lower belly. Count backward from 5. This exercise will help you achieve instant presence.
- Do a quick body scan. Can you locate feelings of fear, stress, anxiety, tension in your body? Breathe into these areas. Welcome the emotions, recognize them, and thank them for being there. They are for a reason to protect you and keep you safe. Breathe into the areas of tension and watch it soften up a little bit.
- Be mindful. Be fully present in everything you do. Pay attention and be aware and see things the way they are. Are you finding it difficult right now to stay focused and productive? Focus on one thing and commit fully to get it done before moving onto the next. Minimize all distractions while working. Shut down your notifications. Put your phone at a distance from your workplace. You can practice mindfulness throughout your day – when you are cooking, doing the dishes, talking with someone, making your coffee, sitting still. If you need a free app for guided meditations and excellent online courses, I like the Insight Timer. Many of the meditation and mindfulness teachers are currently doing free meditations like my friends, Lou Redmond and Justine Bloom or Tara Brach.
6. Boost your immune system with supplements
Vitamin C, especially liposomal Vitamin C, is an excellent supplement to take right now to boost your immune system. Additional supplements are below. Like food, supplements are highly individualized.
- Vitamin D – it has anti-inflammatory potential; it can kill bacteria and viruses. You can check your Vitamin D level with a blood test. You don’t want to have too much of it.
- Curcumin
- Zinc
- Glutathione
- Vitamin A
- Berberine
- Mushrooms
- Elderberry
- Oil of oregano
- Fish oil
There are hundreds of products in the market. Pick one that works for you. Liposomal Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Curcumin seem to top the list right now. If you are to take just one supplement, here’s one to consider to support your mitochondria.
7. Go outside while keeping your physical distance.
Sunlight is excellent for adding Vitamin D to your immune system. Spending time in nature will lower your stress levels. If you live near a forest, you can go out and practice forest bathing, which is very beneficial to your immune system. The trees release phytoncides. Phyton is Greek for “plant,” and cide is “to kill” – these are oils that the trees release to protect themselves from bacteria, insects, and fungi.
A study conducted in Japan showed that exposure to phytoncides:
- Significantly increased the numbers of NK cells and NK activity, as well as enhancing the activity of the anti-cancer proteins
- Significantly decreased the levels of stress hormones
- Increased hours of sleep
- Reduced tension, anxiety, anger, hostility and fatigue/confusion
- Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
- Increases heart-rate variability
- Suppress sympathetic nervous activity and increase parasympathetic nervous activity, bringing your nervous system into balance and making you feel comfortable and relaxed.
So if you live close to a forest or a park and can get outside, you can gain the benefits of movement, sunlight, and forest bathing at the same time.
8. Diffuse essential oils at home
In addition to smelling good, essential oils can benefit your immune system. Essential oils to use at your home right now are:
- Thyme
- Lemon
- Ginger
- Oregano
- Clove
My favorite place to purchase essential oils is Doterrra – here’s their immune system selection.
9. Practice good hygiene
Practicing good hygiene is always good advice, but right now, we need to pay even more attention to it.
- Don’t touch your face, especially your eyes, nose, or mouth
- Wash often hands, with soap, for 20 seconds
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer
10. What NOT to do
Just as important, knowing what to do, you want to know what not to do that makes you weak. Some things include:
- Stop smoking
- Avoid anti-inflammatory drugs
- Don’t use perfumes and air fresheners – don’t expose yourself to additional toxins
- Stop eating sugar and processed foods – they cause inflammation
The important thing right now is to stay calm, minimize stress, and incorporate some new ideas to help you boost your immune system. Don’t try to do all of these at the same time; this will just lead to more overwhelm. Pick one or two and start doing them.
You can lower inflammation in your body with certain lifestyle strategies. You can control your stress level. You can take control of your biology. I’d love to know: What one thing can you commit to right now?
This is not medical advice. Discuss with your doctor.
Research Sources and Additional Information:
https://www.drgailclayton.com/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/347457
Ben Greenfield Boost Your Immune System https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/lifestyle-articles/how-to-boost-immune-system/?preview=true
Ben Greenfield Podcast
https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/lifestyle-podcasts/how-to-improve-immune-system/
Erica Ziel Podcast
https://www.ericaziel.com/blog/social-distancing
2 Comments
This is awesome information. Thank you Milena.
Thank you so much Jean! Glad you liked it useful!