The cool Winter air has well and truly swept across the country, and with it, the looming threat of colds, flus and their sniffly, snotty sidekicks. But fear not, there are many ways you can help protect yourself and your family by stopping the sniffles in their tracks.
To strengthen your immune system naturally, your first line of defence is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental havoc, and boosted by healthy-living strategies like eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, washing your hands frequently, minimising stress and getting adequate sleep. Here are some of our favourite ways to help boost your immunity coming into these cooler months.
Our Immunity Boosting Tips
1. Create a Sleep Routine
So much of the way we function in our day-to-day is tied to having an effective sleep routine. This is especially true of the way your immune system responds to a good night's rest, with research indicating that quality sleep can strengthen your immune system by bolstering the T-cells in your body that fight off infection.
To support your sleep routine, it is important to identify the factors that are most disruptive to your sleep patterns and to build a routine that focuses on changing these behaviours. Running yourself a warm bath before bed, reducing time spent exposed to bluelight before you sleep or even incorporating aromatherapy, like our Goodnight Essential Oil Blend, into your evening are all simple ways that can work to better your sleep.
2. Stay Hydrated
Keeping hydrated is proven to help reduce stress levels! Many studies have shown that dehydration leads to higher cortisol levels – the stress hormone – making your body more prone to conceding to the attacks of pesky cold and flu virus particles. Not only that, but water functions as a toxin fighting machine, helping to flush out build ups of bacteria and toxins that could be having a negative impact on your immune system functions.
3. Stress Less
Public enemy number one, stress continues to be one of the leading causes of serious mental and physical health concerns. Prolonged stress promotes inflammation in the body, leading to imbalances in immune cell function and ultimately, a poorly functioning immune system.
Whilst it is certainly easier said than done, getting your “Om” on and embracing the calm is more achievable than you’d think. Stretching, journaling or popping on a guided meditation are all simple tricks you can easily incorporate into your morning or evening routine to help reduce the physical impact of stress in your life. Diffusing or applying our Calm Essential Oils range can help to rebalance your mood and energy levels throughout the day.
4. Eat Fresh
We all know a balanced diet is critical for a healthy body, but there are many tasty foods you can eat to specifically target a boosted immune system. Some of the best vitamins and minerals to seek out this Winter and where to find them are:
Vitamin C- Helps prevent infections and shorten their effects
- Kiwifruit
- Oranges
- Brussels sprouts
- Strawberries
- Papaya
Iron- Helps your body carry oxygen to cells, playing a role in many of the immune system processes
- Chicken
- Red Meat (in smaller quantities)
- Broccoli
- Kale
Vitamin D- Enhances the pathogen-fighting effects of white blood cells and decreases inflammation, which helps to promote immune response time
- Often referred to as the Sunshine Vitamin, sunlight is the best source of this nutrient. Few foods naturally contain Vitamin D, so it is often added into foods such as milk, yogurt and cheese to help people meet their dietary requirements.
Zinc- Important for the production of new immune system cells
- Legumes ( chickpeas, lentils and beans)
5. Start Your Mornings Moving
Not unlike maintaining an evening routine, taking on your mornings with a solid routine can be incredibly helpful in regulating your immune system. Take on those early birds and beat the morning chill by getting your body moving and incorporating some form of exercise into your morning. Not only does exercise boost your immunity by encouraging the flow of disease-fighting white blood cells through the body but exercising in the morning has actually been found to help you stick to routine and increase your metabolism, making you feel more energised and prepared to take on your day.
Unsurprisingly, exercise also works to improve your overall health, increasing the strength of your immune system and its ability to fight off nasty viral invaders. If you’re looking for some more support in your morning routine, take a few drops of our Morning Drops to boost your mood and energy levels.
Feel like you want a little extra help boosting your immunity this winter? Our Immunity Boost Kit is your all-encompassing natural immunity kit that will help to strengthen, fortify and support your body’s defence system. With expertly blended Immunity Pure Essential Oil and Immunity Essential Oil Roll On to use in your diffuser or on the go and our Cold + Flu Drops, this kit has everything you’ll need to supercharge your body’s immunity-boosting, self-healing system.
