What am I doing to support my immune system? 5 tips

I've always believed that self-care is health care and is really a necessity, not a luxury. Right now is a good time for us all to tap into the diet and lifestyle self-care tools we have at our finger tips. On top of following the public health guidance for Covid-19, these are things I'm paying attention to at the moment. Hope this helps you too:

🍌Supporting my gut health with prebiotic foods such as onions, asparagus, leeks, bananas, garlic. These help feed the friendly bacteria in the gut. Plus, onions and garlic have natural antiviral and antibiotic properties 👊I'm also enjoying my sauerkraut and taking probiotics as the beneficial bacteria in the gut are a line defence when it comes to engulfing pathogens. Please PM or talk to me if you need pointing in the right direction when it comes to navigating the supplement market.

😴 Making sure I rest, switch-off and prioritise sleep! Sleep = immunity! Sleep helps boost natural defences but also supports mental and emotional health and keeps me energised. Conversely, not making time to rest and relax and letting worries and anxieties get the better or compromise sleep is a challenge to the immune system. Whilst many of us will naturally be feeling anxious right now, excessive or chronic stress may lead to higher circulating cortisol levels, which in turn suppresses the immune system. So, drop the to-do list, make a little time in your day to breath, rest when you can and sleep well!

🍓Increasing foods high in Vitamin C - fruits and vegetables, particularly the red ones, which are powerhouse of nutrients and contain antioxidants. I'm also having fresh lemon and ginger in hot water in the mornings and supplementing daily with 1g day of Vitamin C. Again, please do PM or talk to me if you need specific recommendations on supplements - quality, purity, delivery mechanisms and dosage are everything when it comes to efficacy.

💦Drinking lots of water! Keeping well hydrated helps support the immune system through a number of mechanisms, from keeping cells plump and hydrated, blood oxygenated, flushing out any unwelcome toxins through urination, and aiding the lymphatic system.

🍊Incorporating various essential oil blends to help purify the air at home, clean surfaces, and to cleanse bacteria on the hands. Bonus, that some blends have calming properties too and smell fantastic when diffused. If you need guidance on essential oils, please talk to me and I can point you in the direction of an expert in this field and where to buy high quality oils with antibacterial and antiviral properties.

How's your self-care? Are you doing any of these already?

If you'd like an exploratory conversation to find out how I can help you support your gut health, boost your immune system (at a general level only), help support a healthy stress response through nutrition, diet and lifestyle, and get in charge of stress-eating, please do get in touch.

I'm well-versed in delivering consultations via video link which are effective immediately, and am moving to virtual consultations only for the time-being.

Let's all get through this together.