5 Natural Immune Boosters For The Cold And Flu Season
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Cold and flu season is upon us and there are ways to support immune function beyond taking a handful of vitamins. Listed below are some products that you can reach for that are nutrient-dense and easy to find…even in our kitchen!
The most important thing we can do to cultivate a strong immune system is to start with the gut. In fact, 90% of our immune system resides in our gut making it important to support it, naturally and on a daily basis.
The fact is, by strengthening our gut health, we are much less likely to get sick.
Here are some top suggestions for supporting immune function:
Take a probiotic – Grab one with a wide array of bacteria to help keep healthy bacteria strong in the gut. In addition, you can add fermented foods like sauerkraut, naturally fermented pickles, yogurt, kefir, kimchi, tempeh, and miso.
Drink bone broth - The benefits of drinking and cooking with organic bone broth have so many positive effects on the immune system. The natural gelatin, collagen and amino acids tend to the gut, improve wound healing, and help support the health of individual immune cells. There is no better time to pull out the slow cooker, whip up some bone broth and use it to create soups and stews!
Get sun - Natural sunlight is one of the best sources of natural vitamin D. In fact, a vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased frequency of infection as well as autoimmune disease. It’s important to take some time out of your day to get in a little natural light for a boost. Plus, daily walks in daylight help to tame the stress hormone cortisol.
Natural antimicrobials – These key ingredients help to ward off infections:
Raw garlic: This common ingredient in most kitchens has very strong antimicrobial and antiviral properties. The potent sulfur compound called allicin in garlic is the key. At the first sign of an infection, start taking one raw garlic clove daily, or use concentrated allicin extract.
Oregano oil: This oil has a long history of being used and an antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal. Oregano oil is found in liquid or capsule form.
Honey: Quite a bit of research exists on the benefits of honey as a natural immune supporter, natural anti-inflammatory agent, and antimicrobial agent. Manuka honey, in particular, can kill bacteria topically, and when ingested, it can even work synergistically with antibiotics to improve their efficacy.
Manage your stress – If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, there is no better time to take a look at your lifestyle. Chronic stress actually suppresses our immune response. So, if you live with chronic stress and you find yourself sick on occasion, there is no vitamin in the world that will help you. While stress is inevitable (especially now), instead, try to curate evening and weekend unwind time. This way you gear your body for sleep to help ensure that the body gets healthy and adequate rest. Don’t forget to check out our videos on managing burnout here!
Julie Pecarski is the Director of Education for WORTH Association, a Human Resources Practitioner in the hospitality industry and a registered holistic nutritionist specializing in burnout and weight loss. You can learn more about Julie here: