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Keep your immunity high

We are coming up to the change in the season and of course it’s at this time of year particularly when the kids are returning to school that taking natural products can help to keep the immunity high. Many of my clients tell me how they just don’t catch anything when everyone else around them is dropping like flies, hurrah, that tells me that their immunity is doing well.

But we are in a time where bacterial resistance is becoming more fact than fiction, and the very real threat of antibiotics no longer working is something both the UK and US governments are very fearful of. So from my perspective it’s time that they looked at the alternatives because nature provides everything we need to keep our health high and here are some ideas for you which can be kept in your kitchen cupboard and can be easily applied.

Keep sugar low in your diet.

I know in fact we all know that sugar just isn’t good for us, but it’s loveliness just keeps drawing us back, and it’s addictive, but just consuming 90g of sugar or even honey will cause a drop in white blood cell activity by 50% for up to 5 hours. This leaves you vulnerable to invading pathogens and bacteria.

Keep alcohol low as well

I know it’s really not good news for those of you using sugar and alcohol to unwind at the end of the day, but seriously these things are reducing your immunity. It also depresses white blood cell action, it causes vitamin and mineral deficiency, and the really bad news is that it suppresses your natural killer cells. Even worse news for me is that my mother used to send us off with a shot of hot whisky and milk to school each day, and in the evening of the cold Northern Winters. I used to love a hot tea and whisky but what she was doing was shutting down my white blood cells antibody production for about 24 hours, suddenly it all makes sense!!

Smoking

Just stop it, the time of doctors telling you Players were good for the chest are over since the tobacco industry got sued. It’s known to compromise the immune system.

Stress

If you are using the above and now trying to give them all up, you are probably suffering from stress alongside the other stress that you had in your life anyway. But all aspects of the immune system are depressed when you are stressed, and it’s not by a small amount but by up to 60%! It’s one of the key things you should get on top of, reducing your stress levels.

Sleep

I see so many people who are just not getting enough sleep when you are too tired and are resting too little you are suppressing your natural killer cell activity, and you need them to well go out and kill!! Get to bed at a decent time, leave the mobile devices behind and sleep.

Probiotics

Probiotics or fermented foods are incredibly important for keeping our immunity high. The internal ecology of our body is finally in science being recognised when the flora is healthily in balance the body is far less vulnerable to undesirable bacteria! Many of my clients are often taking probiotics from a health food shop when they come to see me, most are not taking the right strain, are taking the wrong amounts, at the wrong time for what they need to achieve.

Good quality nutrition

What we eat matters, malnutrition is now an issue in the Western World and yet obesity is a growing problem, it’s the first time in history that people have increased in size and are known to be clinically malnourished. But if you are suffering from malnutrition then you are weakening your immune system. Nutritional factors will determine how vulnerable you are to infection and disease, the other issue is that no matter what else you do if you are not having a good quality diet then just taking a supplement is never going to resolve the nutritional gap. A balanced wholefood diet is essential, eat whole foods, eat your foods fresh, frozen fruits and vegetables can be very good as a secondary choice. Go organic as much as you can, remember to eat fish, or have your plant oils, algae and seeds as a replacement if you are vegetarian or vegan. Eat a wide variety of foods, most people only eat the same choice of foods each week, and less than a variety of 7 different meals! Avoid caffeine mostly it’s making you stressed and reducing your ability to digest your foods.

Vitamins

Beta Carotene is very useful as a free radical scavenger, and for reducing viral loads on the body.

Vitamin C is powerful and controls many viruses and bacteria.

Zinc has an important role to play with enzymes but getting the balance right is key because if taken in excess it can suppress the immune system.

B vitamins are needed for antibody function and essential in digestive functioning.

Cytoplan often have 2 for 3 offers on and they have a couple of great antioxidant mixtures that I love Phytoshield, and CoQ10 Antioxidant so if then are running the offer it could be well worth stocking up on their food state supplements.

Garlic

This is powerful because of it’s antibacterial properties, it’s antiviral, antiparasitic, and antifungal, what more could you want in your kitchen for killing these things off! I grow it in the garden it’s very easy, and add it to your foods when cooking, I even give it my dogs and they rarely pick up worms. It’s been used for thousands of years, when I was a student my main tutor used to reek of it, and ate it by the bucket load, now I would be analysing his health, back then a one to one tutorial in a room without a window was not to be sniffed at!!! Sorry couldn’t resist.

Astragalus

This increases the body’s ability to eat invading pathogens whilst enhancing the formation of new cells in the white blood cells.

Echinacea

A very safe herb to use, and is very useful to have in the house, and enhances the immune system as well as inhibiting viral or fungal infections.

Ginseng

A great adaptogen which helps the body to withstand the effects of stress.

Licorice

Enhances the immune system, often a client will show up and say they are addicted to either licorice or licorice tea, it has antimicrobial effects as well as being a great antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and acts on pathogenic bacteria. A great place to start with viral infections.

Melaleuca or tea tree oil

Many people use this on a day to day basis and as an essential oil it can be incredibly useful to have around the home. It can be used diluted as a gargle, and is shown to be effective against antibiotic resistance bacteria such as MRSA. It’s known for being safer than antibiotics. Buy good quality oil such as doTerra which is pure because the majority of essential oils in the shops are a poor relative to the real thing.

Remember that herbal compounds are not to be used in excessive amounts and if in doubt come see me for advice!

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