Natural Ways to Give Your Body an Immune Boost This Winter
Whether you’re eagerly anticipating the first snowfall – or counting down the days until Spring Break – there’s no denying that winter is quickly approaching Southern Illinois.
With the onset of winter comes the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. That means lots of gatherings with family and friends, and – you guessed it – the sharing of germs. Yuck.
We can all agree that this is our least favorite part about winter - and the holidays. More time spent indoors together inevitably leads to an influx in illness.
If getting sick this winter is not on your wishlist, there are many things you can do to boost your body’s immunity and fight off those nasty viruses.
You Are What You Eat
It can be more of a challenge to eat fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables in the winter months when they are not so readily available.
Keep your gut healthy with fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi. These foods contain active cultures that regulate the biomes of the gut to improve digestion and boost immunity. Read labels carefully to be sure that you are choosing products with live cultures. Read more about fermented foods here.
Don’t forget to include plenty of healthy fats into your diet like salmon, avocados, olive oil and even chia seeds! These foods are anti-inflammatory, as discussed in an earlier blog, which makes them able to fight off bacteria and viruses before they cause your body harm.
Just like eating healthy foods boosts your immunity, eating “junk” food will have adverse effects on your body. Try to avoid fast food, processed foods, and foods high in sugar. These foods have little nutritional value, make you feel sluggish, and contribute to being overweight or obese. All of these factors limit your body’s ability to stave off illness.
Simply put, you are what you eat so fill your body with healthful foods for energy, immunity and overall better health.
Here’s some quick tips for ways to pack in the nutrients.
Supplement Your Diet
Not all nutrients have to come from the foods you eat.
There are many dietary supplements specially designed to fortify your body with needed vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.
With so many supplements available, it can be difficult to know which to take. These are known to help boost immunity and are a great place to start:
Turning Point Wellness Center offers these supplements plus a wide variety of quality probiotic supplements to help boost immunity. We also carry special formulas, such as Ortho Molecular’s ORTHO-MUNE and/or VIRACID, that can be taken for extra defense against illness.
These can be purchased in the office or on our website. We offer convenient online ordering through FullScript. Contact Turning Point Wellness Center to learn more.
Sleep It Off
Sleep is the body’s way of rejuvenating itself. Proper rest, for adults this means seven hours or more, helps the body fight off illness naturally.
Likewise, when you do get sick, your body requires extra sleep to heal itself.
So what if sleep eludes you? Try increasing exercise throughout the day, get room darkening window coverings, limit screen time before bed, and establish a bedtime routine each night.
Those with healthy sleep habits tend to have healthier bodies and healthier immune systems so make sure sleep is a priority.
Stress Relief
It can be more of a challenge to eat fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables in the winter months when they are not so readily available.
Sure, it’s easier said than done but managing stress is imperative to your body’s health. Unfortunately, stress is unavoidable so the best way to combat feeling like you are anxious, overwhelmed, and stressed out is to learn tools to cope with these emotions.
Meditation, breathing exercises, yoga (also great exercise), and massage therapy are excellent ways to reduce tension. Not sure how to get started? Check out this article for tips on meditation.
Want to try massage therapy to keep your stress at bay? Turning Point Wellness Center has two fantastic massage therapists ready to help you feel relaxed and rejuvenated.
