Immune System Boost

 

Hey BA!

Immune System Boost.jpg

Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest questions I get asked as of late is “how do I boost my immune system?” Thankfully, the answer is simple. It begins with a consistent, healthy diet and lifestyle year round.

Let’s take a look - 

Basic Principles

  1. Eat real food. Minimize inflammatory foods like refined grains, sugar, and highly processed dairy.

  2. Sleep. Consistent, high quality sleep is crucial. Chronic sleep deprivation lowers the immune system and increases susceptibility to illness. Conversely, quality sleep allows your body to heal properly and wake up refreshed and ready to fight.

  3. Get outdoors. Sun exposure increases vitamin D levels which boosts the immune system.

Simple enough, right? Sometimes easier said than done though… especially if you’re like me and sleep often becomes elusive. The good news is that if you prioritize these principles year round your body can handle those days (maybe weeks) that go wonky.

Let’s dive a little deeper into the real food principle. I’ve listed what not to eat, but what exactly should we eat? There are specific nutrients that have been shown to boost immune function.

Here’s the top nutrients to emphasize in your daily diet -

Top Nutrients to Emphasize

Vitamin C 

  • Red bell peppers 

  • Chili peppers

  • Acerola cherry

  • Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower)

  • Citrus fruits

  • Papayas

  • Mangoes

  • Strawberries

  • Cantaloupe

Vitamin D 

  • Fatty fish

  • Sun exposure

Zinc  (for full list, see zinc blog article)

  • Pasture-raised red meats and poultry

  • Sprouted pumpkin seeds

  • Hemp seeds

  • Spinach

  • Avocado 

Feeling a little run down or maybe just want to be proactive heading into cold and flu season?

Here are my favorite immune supplements - 

  1. Navitas Immune Powder - contains camu camu, acerola cherry, and orange powder for a concentrated dose of whole food sourced vitamin C. I’ve started drinking it daily in my morning glass of apple cider vinegar and water!

  2. Turkey Tail Mushroom - available in powder or tincture form. Turkey tail is an adaptogenic mushroom that has been shown to boost natural killer cells to help fight disease and illness. Foursigmatic makes awesome mushrooms powders that you can incorporate into your daily routine during cold and flu season.

As always, start with the basic principles and build from there. Let’s keep those immune systems healthy and strong! 
































 
Park Roberts