Boosting Your Immune System For The Upcoming Cold Season
Well if you haven't noticed yet it's that time of year when colds and other bugs start to circulate. And if you are anything like me and you can't take any (or very few) of the over the counter medication it can be tough. Since I'm sensitive or allergic to many of the added colour, flavouring, artificial sweeteners and sugar they add it's virtually impossible for me to find anything.
Many of the old tried and true remedies, like hot honey and lemon are something I can no longer have either. So I've done a lot of searching over the last few years (mostly in desperation) to find other options, including immune boosting foods, because every little bit helps.
So first things first, diet plays a pretty big roll in your immune systems ability to work at it's best for you. So eliminating as much processed food from your diet as possible will help your body.
Did you know that consuming 75 grams or 15 tsp of sugar reduces your immune system and your bodies ability to fight infection?
If your not paying attention it can all add up. For example, if you have one of those snack sized puddings you can easily consume 20 plus grams, bottled teas can start around 45 grams, a mocha at your favourite coffee shop can be over 30 grams. So it really doesn't take much to reach 75 grams.
The right vitamins and supplements (pay attention to the ingredients and do your best to avoid things you don't need like dyes, sugars etc.) can do your body a whole lot of good.
Zinc has been proven to help shorten the duration of a cold by a few days. Once you feel a cold coming on, you can take zinc supplements or lozenges for a short period of time. Since zinc is an antiviral the lozenges are great at soothing a sore throat. I used to take the lozenges before I was allergic to sugar and they really did help.
You can also find Zinc in foods like pumpkin seeds, nuts, beans, and spinach.
Vitamin C, (but you already know this one right?) is one of those supplements that a person can usually take quite a lot of as it basically flushes through your system. An old pharmacists of mine once told me, take it in smaller amounts throughout the day as much as your body will tolerate, which for me is easily between 2000mg - 3000mg a day. By taking it in smaller amounts your body is able to absorb more of the vitamin C. All that Vitamin C can help boost your immune system and shorten the length of a cold.
High vitamin C foods include: strawberries, kiwi, oranges, papaya, tomatoes , kale, and snow peas.
Vitamin A, C and D are all known to help shorten the length of a cold.
Vitamin D is a great immune booster as well as antioxidants. Those who have frequent respiratory tract infections tend to show lower blood levels of Vitamin D.
Foods high in Vitamin A include cod liver oil, herring, sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, dried apricots, cantaloupe, and pumpkin pie.
Foods high in Vitamin D include fatty fish, egg yolks, cheese and fortified foods like cereals, dairy, and orange juice.
Probiotics wheather it's in a supplement or in your food it can reduce "cold frequency" by up to 55% by helping out all those gut based immune cells.
Echinacea has also been proven to increase white blood cell numbers to help fight off infection. If you have a sensitive stomach like me you might find this option hard on your stomach.
Homeopathic and other remedies found at you local health store. Talk to your pharmacist and those knowledgeable people at the store to learn what might be right for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions because you might just find something that can help you.
Immune boosting foods:
Fruits and Vegetables of course, specially citrus, red peppers, broccoli, garlic, ginger, spinach, yogurt, almonds, green tea, and papaya.
Thyme, garlic and oregano are antimicrobial and are perfect to add to your everyday cooking or even as a supplement.
Ginger - It's well known for its ability to help upset stomach, support digestion and nausea but it's also an antioxidant and it's antibacterial so it helps you strengthen your immune system. It contains a type of anti-inflammatory that may help relax blood vessels.
It's quite soothing as a hot tea or if that's not your thing try adding it to your cooking.
Other easy steps to take:
- Clean surfaces - especially those known germ hot spots like, phones, computers, etc...
- Exercise.
- Invest in a non ionizing air cleaner for your home.
- Wash your hand and use hand sanitizers.
- Cough or sneeze into your arm and not your hands.
- Keep your skin and lips moisturized.
I recently found a great recipe for a Honey Coffee Cough Syrup from alive.com. Which you can find on the link or go to our Pinterest page Cold And Flu Alternatives And Recipes If I could have honey I would definitely try this one, but with real coffee since I'm not a fan of the instant kind.
For a sore throat and cough I sip Pineapple juice or chew on some dried pineapple. The bromelain found in it is actually an anti-inflammatory so it helps sooth a sore throat. Other recipes include honey and you can drink it warm, cold or even add it to your tea.
Sources:
everydayhealth.com/pictures/boost-your-immune-system-cold-flu-season/
alive.com/health/di4y-immune-support/
alive.com/health/need-a-boost/
helixia.com/en/cough-syrup/helixia-cough-prospan/#/overview
webmd.com/food-recipes/features/sugar-shockers-foods-surprisingly-high-in-sugar#5
healthydirections.com/5-Foods-That-Boost-Your-Immune-System
medicalnewstoday.com
Many of the old tried and true remedies, like hot honey and lemon are something I can no longer have either. So I've done a lot of searching over the last few years (mostly in desperation) to find other options, including immune boosting foods, because every little bit helps.
So first things first, diet plays a pretty big roll in your immune systems ability to work at it's best for you. So eliminating as much processed food from your diet as possible will help your body.
Did you know that consuming 75 grams or 15 tsp of sugar reduces your immune system and your bodies ability to fight infection?
If your not paying attention it can all add up. For example, if you have one of those snack sized puddings you can easily consume 20 plus grams, bottled teas can start around 45 grams, a mocha at your favourite coffee shop can be over 30 grams. So it really doesn't take much to reach 75 grams.
Zinc has been proven to help shorten the duration of a cold by a few days. Once you feel a cold coming on, you can take zinc supplements or lozenges for a short period of time. Since zinc is an antiviral the lozenges are great at soothing a sore throat. I used to take the lozenges before I was allergic to sugar and they really did help.
You can also find Zinc in foods like pumpkin seeds, nuts, beans, and spinach.
Vitamin C, (but you already know this one right?) is one of those supplements that a person can usually take quite a lot of as it basically flushes through your system. An old pharmacists of mine once told me, take it in smaller amounts throughout the day as much as your body will tolerate, which for me is easily between 2000mg - 3000mg a day. By taking it in smaller amounts your body is able to absorb more of the vitamin C. All that Vitamin C can help boost your immune system and shorten the length of a cold.
High vitamin C foods include: strawberries, kiwi, oranges, papaya, tomatoes , kale, and snow peas.
Vitamin A, C and D are all known to help shorten the length of a cold.
Vitamin D is a great immune booster as well as antioxidants. Those who have frequent respiratory tract infections tend to show lower blood levels of Vitamin D.
Foods high in Vitamin A include cod liver oil, herring, sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, dried apricots, cantaloupe, and pumpkin pie.
Foods high in Vitamin D include fatty fish, egg yolks, cheese and fortified foods like cereals, dairy, and orange juice.
Probiotics wheather it's in a supplement or in your food it can reduce "cold frequency" by up to 55% by helping out all those gut based immune cells.
Echinacea has also been proven to increase white blood cell numbers to help fight off infection. If you have a sensitive stomach like me you might find this option hard on your stomach.
Homeopathic and other remedies found at you local health store. Talk to your pharmacist and those knowledgeable people at the store to learn what might be right for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions because you might just find something that can help you.
Immune boosting foods:
Fruits and Vegetables of course, specially citrus, red peppers, broccoli, garlic, ginger, spinach, yogurt, almonds, green tea, and papaya.
Thyme, garlic and oregano are antimicrobial and are perfect to add to your everyday cooking or even as a supplement.
Ginger - It's well known for its ability to help upset stomach, support digestion and nausea but it's also an antioxidant and it's antibacterial so it helps you strengthen your immune system. It contains a type of anti-inflammatory that may help relax blood vessels.
It's quite soothing as a hot tea or if that's not your thing try adding it to your cooking.
Other easy steps to take:
- Clean surfaces - especially those known germ hot spots like, phones, computers, etc...
- Exercise.
- Invest in a non ionizing air cleaner for your home.
- Wash your hand and use hand sanitizers.
- Cough or sneeze into your arm and not your hands.
- Keep your skin and lips moisturized.
I recently found a great recipe for a Honey Coffee Cough Syrup from alive.com. Which you can find on the link or go to our Pinterest page Cold And Flu Alternatives And Recipes If I could have honey I would definitely try this one, but with real coffee since I'm not a fan of the instant kind.
For a sore throat and cough I sip Pineapple juice or chew on some dried pineapple. The bromelain found in it is actually an anti-inflammatory so it helps sooth a sore throat. Other recipes include honey and you can drink it warm, cold or even add it to your tea.
Sources:
everydayhealth.com/pictures/boost-your-immune-system-cold-flu-season/
webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/boost-immune-system#1 https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system
alive.com/food/a-is-for-antioxidants/alive.com/health/di4y-immune-support/
alive.com/health/need-a-boost/
helixia.com/en/cough-syrup/helixia-cough-prospan/#/overview
webmd.com/food-recipes/features/sugar-shockers-foods-surprisingly-high-in-sugar#5
healthydirections.com/5-Foods-That-Boost-Your-Immune-System
medicalnewstoday.com
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