How to Boost Your Immunity Naturally

With all going on in the world right now, building and strengthening immunity is key to prevent infections and create robust wellbeing.

There are many ways you can easily do this such as making simple changes in your diet and lifestyle to ensure immunity is strong.

Remedies for Strong Immunity

Meditation

• Stress and fear shut down the function and power of our immune system. Cortisol, the stress hormone, greatly depletes immune function which leaves us vulnerable to disease. Meditation is the best tool to manage stress and therefore creates a positive mental environment for the immune system to thrive. Meditation has been shown to stimulate immune system brain-function regions and boost the T Cells and Antibodies (our immune soldiers).
• Twice daily meditation is your best support for optional immune function.

Keep moving

• Practice daily Yoga: The Sun Salutations sequence is ideal as they build up heat and work all the major muscles. Even 5-10 minutes per day creates tremendous benefits.
• Be up by 7 am at the latest and to do some vigorous exercise to get the lymphatic system moving to prevent congestion and give the immune system a kick start.
• Perform a daily self-oil massage. Black sesame is a great oil for most seasons, especially autumn/ early winter and spring. This will keep the lymphatic and immune systems moving and strong.

Keep rested

• Make sure you are getting enough rest. Our body heals and repairs when it’s at a state of rest. Make sure you are getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

Diet

• Eat whole food, real food and minimally processed food. Choose intelligent, easy-to-digest foods. Intelligent foods include; fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes. Eat light, warm vegetable soups that are lightly spiced to clear ama (toxic plaque), rekindle the digestive fire (Agni) and bolster immunity (Ojas).
• Eat more soups, especially broths; vegetable soups (carrot, celery, beet, sweet potato, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, green beans, onion, garlic), sattvic kitchari, whole green mung soup, porridge, congees, well-cooked vegetables.
• Avoid heavily processed food, foods high in refined sugar, hydrogenated oils and preservatives.
• Sip on HOT water throughout the day.
• Take herbal teas like Tulsi, ginger & lemon daily.
• Increase foods and spices with immune boosting and antiviral properties:
  • Turmeric
  • Coconut oil
  • Raw garlic
  • Oregano
  • Ginger
  • Fermented foods provide a good dose of probiotics. Try Miso, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Kombucha and Yoghurt.
  • Green tea
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Medicinal mushrooms (reishi, shiitake, cordyceps).
  • Vitamin C foods. Found in fresh fruit and vegetables, especially kiwi fruit, capsicum, berries, broccoli, oranges.
  • Bone broths have immune-supporting properties.

Author: Tegan Wallis

Tegan is a Naturopath, Ayurveda Health Consultant and Yoga Teacher.