As we get closer to colder weather, people start to get sick more often.
Some even refer to the late fall and winter season as “Sick Season”. Oh no!
We don’t have time for that, especially with the holiday season.
So I decided to share with you some Fixes, Tips, & Tricks (FTT) to boost your immune system.
1. Diet – Eat quality whole foods. Avoid processed foods. Cook at home whenever possible. Do not eat any added sugars. Eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals that are good for your immune system.
Let’s make this easy. I’ll list the vitamins and minerals that’ll boost your immune system. Then I’ll list the best sources of these from foods. If you don’t eat some of these foods, no sweat – I’ll tell you the daily recommended amounts you can supplement with.
Vitamin C
Foods: Citrus fruits, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli, and brussels sprouts
Supplement: 90 mg for males, 75 mg for females
Vitamin D
Foods: Cod liver oil, salmon, mushrooms, sardines, and eggs
Supplement: 15 mcg for males and females (600 IUs) – Personally I take 5,000 IUs
Fun fact: You can actually expose yourself to sunlight to get adequate vitamin D. Fairer skin individuals will need less sun exposure compared to darker skinned individuals. Anywhere from 15 minutes to 40 minutes a day during 10AM – 4PM will do it.
Zinc
Foods: Oysters, lean beef, blue crab, pumpkin seeds, and pork
Supplement: 11 mg for males, 8 mg for females
Selenium
Foods: Brazil nuts, tuna, halibut, sardines, ham, and shrimp
Supplement: 55 mcg for males and females
Other FTT’s
2. Sleep – 7 to 9 quality hours a night of sleep is extremely important for maintaining your immune system.
3. Exercise – There are a wide variety of benefits of exercise including an immune boost. Ensure to include cardiovascular and strength training in your routine. HIIT workouts are a great way to reduce the amount of time required for exercise benefit. 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise is the recommendation. If using HIIT or another form of vigorous exercise, you only need 75 minutes a week. Translation: There are 10,080 minutes in a week. Math = 10,080 – 150 or 75 = 9,930 to 10,005 minutes may be spent sitting on the couch a week watching TV. (You can do this! 💪)
4. Fasting – I sent an email out a bit ago about the benefits of prolonged fasting. Last year I did at least one 72 hour fast a month and found it to be very beneficial. Your immune system will completely rebuild itself by the 72nd hour of fasting.
5. Reduce Stress – This ties in with exercise but I will add meditation. Both meditation and exercise are fantastic for reducing stress. Just a few minutes of guided mediation is extremely helpful. Try looking up on YouTube “Guided meditation” followed by how many minutes you have to meditate. It’ll go a long way. 😀
6. Avoid or Limit Alcohol – This will help the body with other FTT’s on this list including but not limited to sleep quality, reducing stress, and maintaining proper nutrition.
Doing this will make your body a fortress when your body encounters a pathogen. It’s up to you to build that beautiful moat and castle walls.👑
Recent Comments