School has begun! How to protect ourselves against the spread of cooties...
Time to be proactive! Our bodies are always responding to the input we give to it, and that holds true for our immune system, too. The good news is that there are several actions you can take to support your immune health, starting today!
1. Top of the list is hand washing. Washing your hands often with soap and water is basic hygiene, but oh so important! Frequent hand washing helps reduce our exposure to immune challenges.
2. Another way to support immune health that is often overlooked is getting enough restorative sleep. With our busy schedules and long to-do lists this is easier said than done, but we need to sleep at least 7-8 hours each night to rest and recharge all of our systems. Make sleep a priority to support immune and whole body health. If you need a little help catching those z’s, consider herbal sleep solutions, such as valerian, hops, or passionflower (all of which can be found in Herbal Sleep).
3. In terms of nutrition, eating a wide variety (and colors!) of fruits and vegetables feeds our body with antioxidants. Think foods like kale, blueberries, spinach and citrus fruits. Try incorporating more probiotic-rich foods as well, such as miso, sauerkraut and kefir.
4. And don’t forget vitamin C! Vitamin C supports healthy immune function.* It accumulates in certain immune cells that help make up our defensive team.* Interestingly, vitamin C is also stored in your adrenal glands, where it’s used to make stress hormones. So, it stands to reason that when you’re under additional stress, you may want to supplement with additional vitamin C.*
5. Zinc is our powerhouse “immune mineral”. It actually helps to activate our white blood cells that we need for healthy immune function.*
6. There is also a strong connection between gut microbiota and overall health. Since 70-80% of our immune system is found along our gastrointestinal tract, a probiotic supplement can help support both intestinal health and immunity.*
Remember these are some easy checks to boost it up, but being active and getting outside is always a great way to keep the "bugs" away. If you are looking for ways to keep yourself active feel free to reach out!
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