What lies between us and covid19 or any virus for that matter is our immune system.
What we’re eating at the moment is extremely important plus getting enough vitamin D (especially those with darker skins). But there are other factors that affect our immune response, even if we are eating an amazing diet ! So how can we give it a helping hand…
1. Stress load – the more stressed we are the worse we eat. The more stressed we are the more the body uses vitamin C. The adrenal glands require vitamin C to stay healthy and manufacture the adrenal hormones that cope with stress, particularly cortisol. The more cortisol made, the more vitamin C used, so vitamin C is so essential to help alleviate stress.
2. Sleep – the less we sleep the poorer the food choice/caffeine choice the next day. It’s on high alert during the day when we’re more likely to get injured and needs us to sleep so it can replenish and repair. Poor sleep puts our immune system into hyper drive. Get 7-8hrs a night if you can.
3. Detoxification – our lungs, kidneys, liver, skin and gut need some TLC otherwise toxins can re-circulate and puts more stress on our immune systems. So how can we help the detoxifcation…
Lungs – keep window open at night for detox to circulate fresh air
Kidneys – drink water-up to 2L a day
Liver Drink lemon or a bitter tea on waking
Skin – Bath in Epsom salts for 20 mins
Gut – Eat slowly, reduce sugary processed foods and foods high in fat. Additionally, eating plenty of plant-based foods and lean protein which can positively impact your gut. A diet high in fiber has been shown to contribute tremendously to a healthy gut microbiome. Our gut houses 2/3 of the body’s immune system.
Finally, movement – exercise is really important to keep the lymphatic system healthy – the system which delivers B and T cells, the special forces of the immune system.
So, look after yourselves and stay healthy everyone x
