“People are beginning to realize that it is cheaper and more advantageous to prevent disease rather than to cure it.”
This is especially true now with all the worry about the Coronavirus! There are many things you can do to help protect yourself not just from this virus, but others too.
The basics are to wash your hands, get plenty of sleep, and eat whole vitamin-rich foods to boost your immune system.
The most important thing to know - DON'T PANIC! Living in a state of fear can actually weaken your immune system!!!
Plus, there really is no need to panic. Consider taking a break from the news if everything happening in the world is stressing you out.
Here are 2 important tips on how to boost your immune system so you can hopefully feel empowered and at ease!
An Immune Boosting Grocery List
Coronavirus or not it is always a good idea to eat so that you support your immune system. Here’s an idea of a few grocery list items so you know exactly what to buy to help boost your immune system and protect yourself.
LEMONS - Get 7 Lemons per adult for the week (3 for children). Lemons pack a good source of vitamin c and they also help remove toxins from your body. Drink lots of fresh lemon water throughout the day.
RED BELL PEPPERS - These peppers produce twice as much vitamin C as citrous sources, and they are delicious. You can slice them up and eat them raw by themselves, add them to a salad, or dip them in hummus.
BROCCOLI - Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals including A, C, & E as well as many antioxidants and fiber. Eat raw, steam and add some lemon garlic and grass-fed butter, or add raw to salads.
GARLIC - Garlic packs a potent immune-building force. When you are trying to boost your immune system I suggest adding a healthy amount of garlic to your recipes.
Get more sleep
Sleep is the best gift you can give your body! Most people are more susceptible to colds, the flu, viruses, bacterial infections, and chronic fatigue when they don’t sleep. There are many ways lack of sleep can interfere with your immune system.
Let’s look at some of them and come up with some common interventions that will help you get a better night of sleep.
Have too much on your mind? To prevent going to sleep with a full head, start a journal that you can review at night to help you release your worries before bed. You can’t solve anything while sleeping, so put your worries to rest before you put yourself to bed.
Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. Drinking before bed is a big mistake. Make sure you take your last (alcoholic) drink at least 4 hours before bed. Avoid caffeinated beverages up to 6 hours before you go to sleep. This will make a very noticeable difference in the way you sleep.
Don’t exercise too close to bedtime. You should exercise if you can first thing in the morning. Exercise in the morning gives your metabolism a boost for the day and then allows you to sleep better at night. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you will feel too charged to sleep.
Avoid watching television in bed. The worst place to work or watch television is in bed. While it may seem comfortable, it can wreak havoc on your sleep. Some studies suggest the light from a television or the light emitted by a computer is enough to give a person chronic insomnia. This light tricks your brain into thinking it is time to wake up, so you have a harder time sleeping.
If you avoid the above and still have trouble sleeping, it is probably time to book an appointment so we can get to the root cause of your sleep problems. It is so important to get adequate rest!
Remember, all bodies are different so it is best to work with your Naturopathic Doctor to see what immune-boosting methods are right for YOU.