Key Strategies to Support Your Immune System
In addition to diligently following Health Guidelines to stay safe, we can implement strategies at home to keep our families as healthy as possible. Being proactive with our own health and fortifying our bodies and immune systems can shorten the duration and minimize symptoms if we become ill.
There is never one perfect strategy for health, and each of us may find a different approach works best. Visit my blog Key Nutrients to Support the Immune System, to learn how to incorporate nutrition into your immune supporting regime, and check out the lifestyle recommendations below to further support your immune system.
Inflammation and your immune system
A key strategy to supporting your immune system is to remove, or add in, habits that affect the level of inflammation in your body. Nutrition, exercise, stress, and sleep can contribute both negative and positive reactions to your immune system. By choosing wisely, you can create a body that is less inflamed and therefore more resilient to potential pathogens.
When your immune system fights pathogenic bacteria or viruses, it utilizes many tools to neutralize the problem. Inflammation, either localized or throughout the body, is one of the tools your immune system uses to help fight anything it sees as harmful to you.
Controlling inflammation is important as too much inflammation can cause severe damage (e.g. excessive inflammation in the lung can cause life threatening impaired breathing). People who have chronic inflammation are at risk for serious complications should they contract an infection as additional inflammation will occur to combat any virus.
When supporting the immune system, strive for balance so overactive immune systems (as in the case of autoimmunity) won’t become more active. Focusing only on building and boosting the immune system may cause immunocompromised individuals more distress. In cases where immune systems are overactive, working with a health practitioner may be advisable.
Supporting Your Immune System
Nutrient dense foods, daily exercise, stress management, and sufficient sleep can all help increase your body’s ability to fight infections and viruses. Incorporate the below strategies to achieve a higher level of support.
Re-evaluate habits
Focusing on how best to reduce the incidence of disease and stress can be the key to your best path towards a strong immune system. The below suggestions can significantly decrease the burden on your digestive system, thereby decreasing overall stress to your entire system.
Improve digestion by learning to chew properly and eat slowly
Limit refined and processed foods: sugar, white-flour
Limit alcohol
Refrain from eating too much at meals
Limit late at night snacks
Decrease or eliminate caffeine and nicotine
Avoid rich, greasy, highly seasoned food
2. Move your body to manage stress and support your immune system
Moving your body daily improves circulation and allows cells and your immune system to function better.
If you are mobile, head outside for a walk or jog.
For at home workouts, look for free apps or YouTube videos. Nike Training Club app and Yoga with Adriene are popular choices.
Purchase online a DVD for yoga, pilates or any other any type of exercise that appeals to you.
Set a time to remind you to get up frequently and walk around your home for a few minutes. Break up your day into sections standing/moving and sitting.
Visit Britte’s blog posts: Exercises and Stretches for Computer Users, and 5 Tips to Prevent You from Computer Neck.
3. Implement stress management techniques
Acute and chronic stress uses up valuable nutrients that are needed to support your immune system. During a crisis your body creates a stress response: Adrenaline and cortisol flood the body; blood pressure, breathing and heart rate increase; glucose is released into the bloodstream for ready energy; digestion, growth, reproduction and immune system functions are suppressed or put on hold. To manage stress, actions such as exercise, socializing, meditation, deep breathing, journaling (video or written) can reverse or resolve many of these processes.
You may be finding yourself in a constant, low-grade state of emergency, especially if you are isolated or quarantined, and are less likely to physically or emotionally dispel stress hormones. Chronic stress diminishes the strength of your immune system, making fighting infection much more difficult.
It’s essential that you take steps to address acute and chronic stress. Try some, or all of the following:
Practice energy medicine, meditation or mindfulness – Becca at Core Potentials shares energy medicine videos, exercises, and tips to help you through these challenging times. Join an upcoming class.
Move your body daily. See #2 above.
Connect socially by calling friends or family.
Take regular breaks from the news or your work. Take a holiday from social media or search for positive stories.
Watch a movie that makes you laugh. Laughter is healing - it strengthens human connections helping us bond, it helps relieve tension, it lowers stress hormones that are suppressing our immune system.
Listen to your favorite music; sing along and dance.
Make time for your favourite hobbies.
Journal or write about your experiences, feelings, or create a novel.
4. Incorporate strong sleep hygiene routines
Sleep is essential to give your immune system time to repair and regenerate. Correctly functioning sleep and wake rhythms play many important roles such as:
Physical and mental activity and attention spans.
Cardiovascular function.
Temperature regulation.
Melatonin and growth hormone.
Cortisol regulation in response to inflammatory signaling and stress.
To get the best sleep possible try some of the following:
Go to bed at the same time every night and get at least 7–8 hours of sleep.
Create an optimum sleep environment with a room as dark as possible and limited sound distraction. Sleep masks and earplugs may help.
Avoid caffeine or eating a large meal close to bedtime. If you cannot sleep on an empty stomach, choose a light snack that contains protein, unrefined carbohydrates and a high quality fat (rice cake with nut butter, rice cake with wild salmon & avocado).
Disconnect from electronics like computers, cell phones and TV at least an hour before bedtime.
Read a book, take a warm bath or practice some deep breathing or relaxation exercise before bedtime to quiet the mind and prepare the body to fall asleep more easily and get a better-quality sleep. For breathing, meditation, and relaxation exercises try Insight Timer, a free meditation app. Becca at Core Potentials shares energy medicine videos, exercises, and tips to help you through these challenging times.
Consider taking an herbal sleep formula or magnesium to help you relax so that you can have a better sleep.
It’s never too late to invest in yourself and create the most resilient you. Let me know how you are doing and what other strategies you have incorporated into your life. Contact me at krista@corepotentials.ca, or book a free discovery call below and let us get to know each other better.