Immune health - colds & flus
With back to school, change of seasons, and COVID still lingering, many of us have immune health top of mind.
Though we don’t generally talk about “boosting” immunity, there is a lot we can do to optimize your ability to fight off illness!
What IS our immune system?
At its simplest, our immune system works through a series of processes to help protect us from foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria and parasites. We have physical immune barriers like our skin, our cilia (little cell hairs) in our lungs, the mucus in various parts of our bodies. We also have chemical barriers like the low pH (acidic) of our skin, gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract. Our immune cells in our blood and lymph can mount very rapid and immediate responses to new invaders, and others can remember past infections to be ready if they come back. Their tools to help fight invaders include fever, increased mucus, and inflammation.
We only want to mount these responses when there is a threat! It’s an intricate system that, in a healthy person, works incredibly well! The human body is nothing short of amazing.
Our lifestyle can play a role in how functional our immune system is, and there are many things we can start doing today that will help.
Having a healthy diet
Providing our body with the nutrients and energy to build the components of our immune system as well as the chemical reactions needed to fight invaders is important. Having enough calories is also crucial to have enough energy to fight off invaders.
Keeping stress managed
In some ways this goes along with proper nutrition - under-eating is perceived by our bodies as a stressor! Stress has been shown to dampen our immune responses and impair their ability to respond appropriately.
Being active
Exercise - as long as we recover well - is immune supportive! During and after physical activity, we have increased immune responses. Regular and consistent exercise has been shown to lower the incidence AND intensity of symptoms in viral colds.
Getting enough sleep
Sleep is a time for us to recover and adapt to stressors, viruses or bacteria. This is an important aspect of immune health - in both prevention and in fighting a cold!
These factors just happen to also benefit your overall health as well! The role or need for additional supplements and/or herbs really depends on your unique situation.
This is when consulting with a Naturopathic Doctor can ensure that you get the supports that are safe and make the most sense for you. We provide complimentary 15 minutes phone calls to see if we are the right fit!