Three Steps to Support Immunity

As the winter months approach, there seems to be a wave of sickness that circulates the air.

It is extremely important to support your immune system during this time of year. It’s the absolute worse when you have a packed schedule that comes to an abrupt stop due to illness.

Here are 3 key steps to take this winter season to boost your immunity and keep you healthy!

3 Steps

Step 1: Probiotics

That’s right! Believe it or not, there is a really strong connection between your immune system and your microbiome. In fact, most of your immune system lives in your microbiome!

Probiotics also promote growth of beneficial bacteria in your intestines. As a result, they help to strengthen the gut wall.

Why is this important? Well by strengthening the gut wall, your body is able to keep contents in your gut there until you are able to excrete them in a safe manner. Without a strong gut wall, there is risk of contents from the gut circulating and causing an inflammatory response (aka immune response) in the body.

Step 2: Optimize Your Nutrition

Just as you would expect, your immune system can be very sensitive to changes in the way you eat. When you fuel your body with nutrient dense foods that are jam packed with vitamins and antioxidants, your immune system will love you.

During flu season, be sure to eat plenty of leafy greens, organic antioxidant rich berries and delicious soups featuring healing bone broths!

Another addition to the diet is healthy fat. This means omega-3 fatty acids. This type of fat is anti-inflammatory and can help to promote good immune function. Try adding wild caught fish, avocados and walnuts (just a few examples).

Step 3: Rest and Recovery

The winter months can be particularly stressful with the holidays and additional traveling. Increased stress over long periods of time can weaken the immune system.

Ever think about when you are working on a difficult work project or go through a season of immense stress, just to finally come out of it all and endure a terrible cold? This means the immune system has been weakened.

So if you’re stressed and it’s flu season, you may be more susceptible to catching the sniffles. Try to take time and rest during these months. I know, you’re probably thinking… well I am super busy. How is that going to happen?

Let me put it this way, if you don’t slow down and end up getting sick… how much will your plans change then?

Try to make sleep a priority (7-9 hours every night) and set aside a few minutes daily to just slow down and sit in solitude! This might be deep breathing for five minutes, watching your favorite show, or taking an extra long hot, soothing shower.

Additional Support

Do you feel like this time of year just totally derails you? If you need additional support with nutrition and lifestyle changes, schedule your complimentary call with me today!

Disclaimer

This content is from the opinion of The Healing Roots, Nutrition Services, LLC doing business as Women’s Nutrition Clinic and is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of treatment or medical advice from a doctor. 

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