If you’ve been feeling a bit under the weather lately, rest assured that you’re not alone. The plummeting temperature seems to have brought with it a smorgasbord of viruses just in time for the Christmas season. Yay.
So it’s extra important to nurture your immunity at this time of year. But a healthy immune system is not just about keeping those pesky colds at bay, it also has a profound impact on our reproductive health and fertility with a healthy immune system playing a crucial role in successful conception and pregnancy.
So how exactly can we care for our immunity, I hear you ask! I’ve got you - check out my 5 top tips for a fighting fit immune system below.
Eat the rainbow
Aim to include 7 portions of brightly coloured produce daily to provide your body with a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Not only do these help to support a healthy immune system, but they also feed the beneficial bacteria in our gut to create a healthy gastrointestinal system, the home for an estimated 80% of our immune cells.
Not sure what to eat to get the colours in? No problem! Download my FREE rainbow foods guide for some daily inspiration, complete with a weekly checklist to see how you're getting on!
Include probiotic and prebiotic foods
Probiotic foods, by definition, are foods containing live beneficial bacteria, whilst prebiotic foods are foods that contain compounds which feed the beneficial bacteria residing in our gut and encourage them to thrive. Both types of food encourage a healthy gut and with it, a healthy immune system (did I mention that an estimated 80% of our immune cells live in the gut!?), so it’s a good idea to regularly incorporate these foods into your diet.
PRObiotic foods include foods such as yoghurt with live cultures and fermented foods including kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled foods, miso, tempeh, kombucha, and some aged cheeses.
PREbiotic foods include onions, leek garlic, bananas, asparagus, beans, apples, mushrooms and Jerusalem artichokes.
Manage your stress levels
Stress, acute or chronic, can have a detrimental affect on our immune system. So it’s extra important to learn to manage our stress levels effectively. For acute stress, consider some deep breaths - in for 3, hold for 3, out for 6 - to instantly calm your nervous system.
For more chronic stress, make relaxing techniques such as meditation, yoga or journalling part of your daily routine. Personally, I love a yoga nidra and there is a great selection of free guided options online.
Get your zzzzzzz’s
Prioritising a good night's sleep can work wonders for your immune system. Not only have studies shown that insufficient sleep can make us more prone to illness and infection, but studies also suggest that it can have an effect on how quickly we recover if we do get sick. If you're struggling to get to sleep at night, be sure to turn off any screens well before bedtime (at least 2 hours if possible) and create a routine that calms your body and mind - think a relaxing bath or a soothing book to help you drift off.
Supplement
As a nutritionist, I'm all for the food first approach but there is a lot to be said for a really great quality supplement regime. Sadly, even eating an amazingly healthy and balanced diet these days leaves us vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies due to soil depletion of minerals, production processes etc. Not sure what to take? No problem! Why not book in for one of my supplement reviews? You can find all the details here.
You can see that nurturing the immune system is very much a whole body approach. If you are currently TTC and you'd like to speak to me about 1:1 support, drop me a message at hello@sarahnash.co.uk, I'd love to chat! :)
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