As the weather gets colder and the holidays draw near, most parents complain how their kids are always coming home with sniffles all the time, and how they seem to catch everything at the drop of a dime. Colds, coughs and influenza. Most parents complain that they themselves seem to catch all the everything their kids bring home too. It would be difficult or nearly impossible to clear out all the microbes we come in contact with, it would be beneficial to improve the immune function se we are better prepared to fight off and ward off harmful microbes that can cause common illness such as colds and coughs. Here are some suggestions to boost your immune function naturally.
1. Practice hand washing. Very important and self explanatory. Through out the day we keep on touching all sorts of things that are laden with different microbes that can cause various illness, hence the simplest and easiest way is to wash your hands properly and often. If you are out and about, keep a hand sanitizer with you at all times.
2 Getting enough sleep. Our lifestyles these days are so hectic from work, kids and lifestyles that we barely have enough time to look after ourselves, leave alone sleep, which is what gets compromised the most. Most people barely get 6 hours of sleep! Why is sleeping at least 7 or more hours important for your immune system to work properly? Your body needs rest to rejuvenate / replenish and sleep is what does that for us. If we do not get enough sleep on a consistent basis, various hormones in our body get affected, one is particular – is the cortisol hormone – which helps the body adapt to stress. Stress is anything that puts the body out of its normal state of being and a consistent lack of sleep, does suppress our immune function, which leaves us more prone to getting sick often.
3. Eating fruits and vegetables laden with Vitamin C – Vitamin C helps to boost the immune function and is important for adrenal glands to function properly. Adrenal glands help the body deal with stress. Dark coloured fruits and vegetables are high in Vitamin C, so having a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables helps to obtain this Vitamin naturally and in the right form and helps to fight off bugs and keep our body functioning properly.
4. Drinking lots of water – Fluids help to eliminate all the toxins as well as thin out of mucus, especially when you have congestion. Various teas such as ginger, rose hips, camomile and mint are not only good in taste but also have healing properties and are good for your immune function as well.
5. Exercise – Moderate amounts of exercise are good, not only for the heart and relieving stress but also to improve circulation of blood and your white blood cells are fight off microbes in the body. Its important as well to try to reduce our stress levels, as usually stress will suppress your immune function and leave you more prone to getting sick often. If you have been trying all sorts of natural remedies but still seem to get sick often, your adrenal glands may not be functioning optimally. Talk to your naturopath about testing your adrenal glands.
By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.