5 ways to naturally boost your immune system and beat cold and flu season
Have you ever wondered why there is a cold and flu “season” that runs from October through March/April? What is happening during this “season” that increases the risk of getting sick? Cold weather? The holidays? Bad luck? While there are several factors that can make people more susceptible to catching these “bugs,” the most important reason is due to a sub-optimally performing immune system. Before we get into the tips to boost your immune system, let’s first discuss how these diseases are spread.
Cold and flu viruses are transmitted through respiratory droplets that are released upon coughing, sneezing, kissing, and sometimes even talking. The viruses can enter through the eyes, mouth, or nose. The most common pathway for transmission of these viruses is through coughing/sneezing into the hands, then touching another person’s face or touching hands with someone who then touches their own face. For this reason, washing your hands is the best way to prevent SPREADING these viruses. The biggest difference between the cold and flu is the flu can begin to spread even before symptoms manifest. So, what’s the best way to prevent CATCHING the cold or flu virus? Boost your immune system, of course!
Here are 5 simple, yet powerful, ways to naturally boost your immune system and stay healthy through cold and flu season.
- Limit your sugar intake. Sugar consumption spikes around Halloween and continues through the holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas (eve and day), and New Years (eve and day). Sugar increases blood sugar and is a stressor to the body, causing the release of a hormone called cortisol (the stress hormone, literally). Cortisol down-regulates immune function. (We won’t get into the details of cortisol in this blog post, but maybe we’ll discuss it in a future post.) Another concern regarding the large consumption of sugar is that bacteria, viruses, and fungi LOVE sugar. These disease-causers flourish in a sugary environment. Don’t feed the “bugs” that make you sick! We’re not telling you to deprive yourself—allow yourself to enjoy sweets in moderation (on holidays), but eat healthy on other days. You could also avoid temptation altogether by not buying the sweets or just throwing away the extra Halloween candy. Remember, it’s not real food anyway.
- Eat a healthy diet. Beyond limiting your sugar intake, your diet should consist of plenty of vegetables, fruits, protein, some good fats, and plenty of water. Your immune system is dependent on several vitamins, minerals, and proteins to function effectively. At the bottom of this post, download the “Boost Your Immune System” cheat sheet for a list of immune-boosting foods and supplements.
- Manage your stress. The cold and flu “season” also encompasses common stressful times, like the holidays and tax time. More things on your to-do list, more shopping, more money spent, more family gatherings, more big meals, etc. all add mental and physical stress to the body. As mentioned above, the stress hormone (cortisol) is released which decreases your immune system response so that you can primarily deal with the acute stress you are currently experiencing. Think of it like taking care of multiple kids. One kid falls down. When you attend to the hurt child, you take your eyes off the other kids for a few moments. Before you know it, there’s toilet paper unwound all over the house, dog food spilled in the hall, and something green smeared on the wall! It is very important to manage your stress effectively. Short term stress is fine and sometimes even a good thing, but chronic stress can seriously hinder your immune system and long-term health. At the bottom of this post, download the “Boost Your Immune System” cheat sheet for some stress management tips.
- Exercise. As the weather cools down, it is vitally important to heat up your body via exercise. Body temperature increases the function of the immune system; this is one of the reasons why you get a fever when you are ill. You can mimic the effects of a fever by going for a brisk walk, doing an at-home DVD workout, or simply marching in place in your living room. Exercise also increases blood flow to vital organs, which helps the filtration portion (lymphatic system) of your immune system to function more efficiently.
- Attain and maintain a properly functioning nervous system. The nervous system controls and coordinates the functions of the immune system. When the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves) is functioning properly, it maintains healthy function of the body’s natural defenses (the immune system). Think of touching a hot stovetop. Ouch! Pain receptors detect the noxious stimuli and let the nervous system know that something’s wrong. Immediately, the inflammatory and healing responses of the body are activated. This is why you get redness, swelling, heat, tenderness, and/or temporary loss of function at the injured site. The same goes for any tissue of the body. An infection (noxious stimuli) is detected by immune cells, which then triggers the inflammatory response (with or without noticeable pain). It’s important to understand that the symptoms of illness are not the illness itself. The symptoms are merely symptoms, and they manifest due to the body’s response to the foreign invader. Coughs and sneezes help to get the “bug” out. A fever helps to improve the efficiency of the immune system. Feeling tired and achy is due to large amounts of energy being used to fully activate your immune system. At the bottom of this post, download the “Boost Your Immune System” cheat sheet for specific tips to attain and maintain a healthy nervous system.
We created a handy “Boost Your Immune System” cheat sheet with some specific action steps you can do to implement these immune-boosting tips. Download the cheat sheet, print it, and hang it on your refrigerator.
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