As the seasons change and winter comes rushing upon us, there are a few important dietary changes you can make to help improve your chances of staying healthy. As we all know, there's nothing worse than the flu! Who needs the missed days at work, not to mention the agonizing aches and lingering fatigue? To stay healthy you must have a strong immune system. Nutrition has an enormous impact on this. Below is a short list of some ways to boost your immunity through nutrition.
Get EVEN MORE Vitamin C: Ok, you know this one…but it really can't be overstated. Vitamin C is essential for a healthy immune system because it is the body's most important antioxidant (meaning, it's the first line of defense against infection). And it's cheap! Buffered C with bioflavonoids is the best for absorption. How much one can absorb is debatable. The body will absorb the amount it needs (so if you are getting sick, your body will need much more). While you can only absorb about 500 to 1000 mg at a time, you may be able to take as much as 10,000 mg per day, spaced out in smaller increments every couple of hours. It's very hard to go overboard with Vitamin C. Taking too much will result in loose stools, so you know when to back off. If you feel a cold coming on, try taking 500mg of Vitamin C every 2 hours through out the day.
Suck on Zinc: This is an important antioxidant that many of us are deficient in. A lack of zinc can lower immunity significantly. This mineral has a strong antiviral capacity and has been found to inhibit the common cold. A great tool is zinc lozenges, which dissolve in the mouth. At the first sign of a cold, suck on one every 2 hours. Many clinical trials have shown that colds can be completely wiped out and patients can become symptom free within just a few days on this treatment.
Avoids Sweets and Other Junk Food: Sugar can make white blood cells (which are essential in protecting against infection) sluggish. Junk food is also nutrient deficient and it can actually rob your body of nutrition. Don't waste your time on it, especially when you're fighting a cold or flu. Make every bite count – eat lots of fresh, organic veggies and fruits.
Take A Multi-Vitamin Year Round: The body naturally stores nutrition. The more you have "built up", the more able your body is to defend itself when it encounters enemies. A high quality multi-vitamin taken throughout the year will significantly improve your chances of fighting an infection before it gets you down.
Stress Less: Stress depletes the body of many essential nutrients including the immune boosting antioxidants. Stress also makes it difficult to get over a cold or flu. Take the time to meditate or practice a calming exercise daily. Also, be sure to get a full 8 hours of quality sleep each night.
Drink Herbal Teas: Warm herbal teas are not only soothing, they provide amazing benefits for immunity. Echinacea is especially helpful as it has been found to activate "macrophages" which are directly involved in the destruction of bacteria, viruses and other infectious agents. Also try Goldenseal or Oregon Grape Root, or check out our herbal section for more info.
Eat Garlic: This is a pungent herb that is widely used in natural healing. It is known for its antiviral, antibacterial properties. It is also helpful in fighting parasitic infections. While you can take garlic supplements, it is just as effective to ingest it in food, raw or cooked.
For more articles like this check out Whole Foods for Whole Health, Are Supplements Really Necessary? and Kick the Sugar Habit.
