Are you like me? You get near to the end of a week of feeling under the weather and you get bored. You think you can go back to doing more and then bang, 2 days later you are feeling worse than you have for several days and you have to rein back in to stop yourself from becoming more seriously ill which could take much longer to recover from and take more of a toll on the body and your immune system.
Well I’m at that point now and I’ve grabbed a pot of antivirals to help my body to manage this. I got these as a freebie and I’ve used them a couple of times. They come from Invivo; if you’d like to know more please get in touch. This blog isn’t about anti-virals it’s about making sure that you don’t have to take them in the first place!
Recovery from illness does not make exciting reading, but I can assure you that being prepared and in the best shape will help you stop those seasonal sniffles!
So finally, thanks for reading this far…
Here are my Top 10 Tips for Winter Wellbeing
1. Vitamin C: Found in citrus fruits, berries, bell peppers, and broccoli, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that strengthens the immune system. However, as you may well be aware, any fruit or vegetable that is ripened off the plant contains far less vitamin C than the one ripened on the plant. So supplementing at least 1g/day is a great idea when you are feeling unwell. I take at least 3g every day to help my body fight off infection.
2. Vitamin D: Support your immune function by getting adequate vitamin D from sources like fatty fish, fortified dairy, and supplements, especially during the low sunlight months of winter. You may not be aware that Vitamin D acts like an anti-inflammatory hormone and has a beneficial impact on several of the immune cells helping the body to fight infections.
3. Zinc: Ensure you’re getting enough zinc from foods like lean meats, nuts, and legumes, as it plays a vital role in combatting infections. When you are deficient in Zinc you are likely to be low in the T cells which help your body fight infections.
4. Echinacea: Consider echinacea supplements as they help your body to create more white blood cells. When you have a cold that affects your nose and throat these white cells help to fight the infection for you. Please talk to an expert before taking echinacea as there might be reasons that it’s not safe for you to do so.
5. Garlic: Look for recipes that include garlic as it works on viruses, bacteria and fungi by boosting the immune system.
6. Probiotics: A healthy gut microbiome is really important for immunity so I suggest having probiotic-rich foods like yoghurt and sauerkraut or taking probiotic supplements to support immune health. Please ask for help here as I am happy to suggest something for you. They don’t have to cost a fortune and they are not all created equal so it’s better to find someone who knows more about them before spending your hard-earned cash.
7. Regular Exercise: Keep moving, moderate exercise will help to boost the cells to fight infection, but high intensity without a sensible rest period could actually be detrimental. I would suggest you keep moving all winter, it will promote physical well-being, improve mood, and get that immune system in tip-top condition.
8. Adequate Sleep: Think about your bedtime routine, do you have one, give yourself time away from electronic devices at least 30 minutes before sleep, go to bed at the same time as often as you can manage and have a consistent waking time as well. Deep sleep helps the body to slow down giving the immune system more energy to fight infections.
9. Stress Management: This is so, so important. Stress has such a negative impact on our immunity. I’m not saying avoid stress, what I’m saying is look at the way you manage it. Using quiet practices such as breathwork, energy work, reading a book, listening to music or going for a walk in nature will all help you to manage your stress levels better. If you are finding that stress is impacting your health please do get in touch as I’m absolutely certain that we can find a way to work better with it that will help your wellbeing.
10. Hydration: Oh my word, we don’t drink enough water, it’s so hard to stay well hydrated, particularly when it’s not so warm outside. Drink warm drinks, herbal teas, soups and water as well as eat plenty of vegetables that contain water. It really helps the immune system to work efficiently when you are properly hydrated and it will help if you’re feeling feverish.
So there’s a lot here, I suggest you start with hydration, sleep and stress management to start with and you make sure you have some Vitamin C ready at home in case you feel the onset of a cold.
Please do get in touch with me or someone else who knows before starting a new supplement just to make sure it’s the right thing for you and if you want some help choosing I’d be happy to help.
