Luke Coutinho :
Astrong immunity betters your chances of sailing through the winter season. Even if you fall sick your recovery process will be quicker. But, what does it take to boost immunity – which is nothing but your body’s innate intelligence? Does it come in a pill or a magic potion? No. The answer is lifestyle.
Here’s your quick winter guide:
Nutrition
Spices and herbs are natural immunity boosters that work well for common winter ailments like cough, cold, flu, sniffles. Use spices like turmeric, black pepper, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and herbs like oregano, rosemary, holy basil. One could brew a simple tea with a mix of two or more spices and make a simple immunity boosting drink at home. The age-old kadha that our grandmothers used to brew also works as a powerful medicine.
Movement
Activity boosts blood circulation and that, in turn, boosts the transportation of nutrients to each and every cell of your body. There is no point in adding immunity-boosting foods to your plate if there is no activity to circulate those nutrients. Simple movements like walking, jogging, cycling, stretching can bolster your immunity.
Yoga and breath-work aka pranayama aid immunity in a huge way too. It also helps lower stress and infuses every cell with prana which is the life force.
Asanas that involve inversions and forward bends encourage blood flow through our lymphatic system that cleanses toxins and helps circulate WBCs (white blood cells) throughout our body. Some of the best yoga asanas for immunity are uttanasana, halasana, viparita karani, bhujangasana, matsyasana, balasana.
Sleep/Rest
Pulling all-nighters isn’t a good idea because when you sleep, your immunity system is recharged. This means lack of sleep can dampen immunity in every way so much so that sleep deprivation is the easiest way to lower your immunity. Getting adequate and quality sleep is one of the most important aspects of immunity.
Emotions
Emotions cannot be ignored if one is looking at boosting immunity. Negative emotions like sadness, anger, resentment, jealousy, grief can cripple your immunity almost instantly, whereas positive emotions like happiness, love, gratitude can support immunity tremendously.
With increased stress comes increased levels of cortisol, aka the stress hormone. Cortisol is known to shut down every health-boosting function in the body, including immunity. Hence finding suitable ways to manage stress levels is very important. Here tools like meditation, prayers, positive affirmations, gratitude practice, hugs and building human connection, interaction, chanting or pursuing your hobbies come in handy.
Fix vitamin & mineral deficiencies
Vitamins and minerals feed immunity in a huge way, like the entire family of vitamin B, C, E, D, selenium, iron and zinc. While a healthy and balanced diet can make up for most micronutrient needs, there are some that need more focus in relation to immunity.
Boost vitamin D3 levels as it acts as a precursor to immunity. Sun is the most abundant and natural source of immunity – however, unfortunately, the sun doesn’t even show up during winter in most countries.
Zinc – a lesser-known micronutrient is one of the most important pillars of immunity and has proved to be an effective mineral in preventative and therapeutic studies. Some of the best sources of zinc are pumpkin seeds and oysters.
Food is medicine
Drink Kadha:
Grind 10-12 tulsi leaves (holy basil), 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper and 1/2 inch ginger together and then boil them in 4 cups of water. Let it boil till it reduces to half; let it cool and strain the concoction; to sweeten it, you can add some raw honey. This kadha works miracles for cold and cough.
Best immunity-boosting foods:
Pumpkin, carrot, lemons, onions, gooseberry, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower), radish, garlic, raw honey, nuts and seeds, cold-pressed coconut oil, A2 pure cow ghee, loose-leaf teas like black tea, green tea, earl grey tea, fruits like oranges, papaya, pineapple, pomegranate and all fruits from the berry family.
Probiotics play a vital role too:
One must aim towards striking the right balance between good and bad bacteria in the gut. Sources are yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kanji and pickles.
Astrong immunity betters your chances of sailing through the winter season. Even if you fall sick your recovery process will be quicker. But, what does it take to boost immunity – which is nothing but your body’s innate intelligence? Does it come in a pill or a magic potion? No. The answer is lifestyle.
Here’s your quick winter guide:
Nutrition
Spices and herbs are natural immunity boosters that work well for common winter ailments like cough, cold, flu, sniffles. Use spices like turmeric, black pepper, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and herbs like oregano, rosemary, holy basil. One could brew a simple tea with a mix of two or more spices and make a simple immunity boosting drink at home. The age-old kadha that our grandmothers used to brew also works as a powerful medicine.
Movement
Activity boosts blood circulation and that, in turn, boosts the transportation of nutrients to each and every cell of your body. There is no point in adding immunity-boosting foods to your plate if there is no activity to circulate those nutrients. Simple movements like walking, jogging, cycling, stretching can bolster your immunity.
Yoga and breath-work aka pranayama aid immunity in a huge way too. It also helps lower stress and infuses every cell with prana which is the life force.
Asanas that involve inversions and forward bends encourage blood flow through our lymphatic system that cleanses toxins and helps circulate WBCs (white blood cells) throughout our body. Some of the best yoga asanas for immunity are uttanasana, halasana, viparita karani, bhujangasana, matsyasana, balasana.
Sleep/Rest
Pulling all-nighters isn’t a good idea because when you sleep, your immunity system is recharged. This means lack of sleep can dampen immunity in every way so much so that sleep deprivation is the easiest way to lower your immunity. Getting adequate and quality sleep is one of the most important aspects of immunity.
Emotions
Emotions cannot be ignored if one is looking at boosting immunity. Negative emotions like sadness, anger, resentment, jealousy, grief can cripple your immunity almost instantly, whereas positive emotions like happiness, love, gratitude can support immunity tremendously.
With increased stress comes increased levels of cortisol, aka the stress hormone. Cortisol is known to shut down every health-boosting function in the body, including immunity. Hence finding suitable ways to manage stress levels is very important. Here tools like meditation, prayers, positive affirmations, gratitude practice, hugs and building human connection, interaction, chanting or pursuing your hobbies come in handy.
Fix vitamin & mineral deficiencies
Vitamins and minerals feed immunity in a huge way, like the entire family of vitamin B, C, E, D, selenium, iron and zinc. While a healthy and balanced diet can make up for most micronutrient needs, there are some that need more focus in relation to immunity.
Boost vitamin D3 levels as it acts as a precursor to immunity. Sun is the most abundant and natural source of immunity – however, unfortunately, the sun doesn’t even show up during winter in most countries.
Zinc – a lesser-known micronutrient is one of the most important pillars of immunity and has proved to be an effective mineral in preventative and therapeutic studies. Some of the best sources of zinc are pumpkin seeds and oysters.
Food is medicine
Drink Kadha:
Grind 10-12 tulsi leaves (holy basil), 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper and 1/2 inch ginger together and then boil them in 4 cups of water. Let it boil till it reduces to half; let it cool and strain the concoction; to sweeten it, you can add some raw honey. This kadha works miracles for cold and cough.
Best immunity-boosting foods:
Pumpkin, carrot, lemons, onions, gooseberry, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower), radish, garlic, raw honey, nuts and seeds, cold-pressed coconut oil, A2 pure cow ghee, loose-leaf teas like black tea, green tea, earl grey tea, fruits like oranges, papaya, pineapple, pomegranate and all fruits from the berry family.
Probiotics play a vital role too:
One must aim towards striking the right balance between good and bad bacteria in the gut. Sources are yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kanji and pickles.
(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach- Integrative Medicine)
