How to boost your immunity the Natural way

As we head towards Spring and I wind down my very popular Winter Wellness power hours, I thought it might be the perfect time to round up on what can be beneficial to boost our immunity. Besides which, after a nasty dose of COVID (yes, it’s still doing the rounds) I need to be reminded to practice what I preach. As the epitome of the sandwich generation (2 teens, husband away with work often and an elderly Mum in the picture), it’s all too easy to fall off the wagon and drop into bad habits.

There isn’t a magic pill that can fix your immunity for good but there are some simple immune-boosting tips that if you follow, should hold you in good stead for the rest of whatever Winter (and let’s face it, Spring in the UK) has to throw at us

Here are 4 simple immune-boosting strategies to keep you going 👇🏻

Nutrition

Cut out the junk to give your body a much-deserved rest. This may be an obvious one, but until we look at what we eat on a regular basis we’re always under the assumption that our day to day diets are healthier than they actually are. Keeping a simple food diary for a week or two can be perfect to help us identify patterns of eating behaviours, both good and bad.

Eating well doesn’t have to be about Michelin starred cookery. Even if you lack confidence in the kitchen, you can create something delicious and nutritious to eat just by prioritising a good quality protein source and some brightly coloured veg (think a good quality steak with a watercress, rocket and spinach salad). Yum! (Try this free recipe book)

The good stuff in real food (think antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals) help decrease the bad stuff that can happen in the body as a result of poor dietary decisions. So, next time you go shopping, stock up on a selection of good quality protein items (meat, fish, tofu, dairy, beans and legumes) plus a selection of fruits and veg aiming to try one new item each week. By changing your eating habits even if only improving one meal per day, you can make transformational changes to the way you feel and boost your immunity whilst you’re at it.

Water, water all around….but never enough to drink (ok so I made that bit up)

Never underestimate the power that water has on the functioning of the human body which, at it turns out, is made of up of approx. 80% water. It improves our ability to think and how we process information, helps keep our bowels running smoothly (constipation anyone?), improves the health of our skin and can even help control our appetite.

It’s the one that everyone seems familiar with yet struggles to implement. Give yourself a 2 week challenge of increasing your levels and you’ll marvel at the difference it makes. *NB caffeine is a diuretic meaning it causes the body to lose fluid more quickly so a cup of coffee or tea (unless herbal) sadly doesn’t count as part of your daily allowance!

Reduce stress

An oldie but a goodie. Living in a state of ‘fight or flight’ as a result of persistent stress means that our bodies produce high levels of cortisol. This, over time, reduces the immune system’s ability to fight off the nasty bugs that are always doing the rounds at this time of year.

One of the best ways to reduce your stress response is to get outside in Nature or alternatively choose a low level activity you love such as Yoga, Pilates or my favourite, a daily walk. Being outside in Nature for as little as 10mins per day has been shown to have beneficial effects on our stress response and in the moment, makes you feel pretty good too.

Lastly, don’t forget about sleep. Having a consistent bedtime routine is key to better immunity. If you are struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep or would like to know how to have better sleep, stay tuned for more information over the coming month of March.

If you feel that you have all the basics covered yet your immunity is still taking a nose-dive and you don’t quite feel like yourself, then you may need a more personalised 1:1 approach to get to the root cause of your issues. 

Book your free initial chat now and take the first step toward a personalised nutrition plan.