Introduction
Holistic Immune Support: Protecting your Body from Covid-19
With the Covid-19 pandemic running rampant through the world people are turning their attention towards protecting themselves and their loved ones from getting the virus. Traditional medicine has its value when it comes to helping people who are sick and in the hospital. However, there is plenty that you can do at home using holistic methods that can increase your immune system and prevent you from getting the virus in the first place. Read on to discover some of the key things that you should be doing to help boost your immune system and protect yourself from the corona virus.
Vitamins
Getting the proper vitamins can improve your body in a variety of ways, including boosting your immune system, Not all vitamins are created equal. You want to look for vitamins that have been naturally sourced and ones that don’t contain fillers and coloring. Stay away from vitamins that have Magnesium Silicate, Titanium Dioxide and Carageenan. These ingredients don’t add to the vitamins in any way and may even cause harm. A multivitamin is good if you find that you’re not getting the vitamins you need from your diet. However, some multivitamins are unequal and contain way too much of one nutrient and not nearly enough of another. Dr. DeVore’s formulation approved products are here.
A combination of Zinc, Vitamin D and Vitamin C is a killer combination to combat any cold or virus. There are a lot of people that have a hard time getting enough Zinc in their diets but you should aim for 15-30mg a day of this immune-boosting vitamin. It’s loaded in antioxidants and helps your body fight free radicals. You can get Zinc naturally through eating proteins such as meat, eggs, nuts, seeds and dairy products. Vitamin D is difficult to source from your food. Most people get it from being out in the sun. You can get Vitamin D fortified cereals, juices and milk. You should aim for 2000IU of Vitamin D a day if you’re taking it as a supplement. A word of caution, if you’ve already tested positive for the corona virus steer clear of taking Vitamin D or talk to your doctor as there are some signs that it could make treatment for the virus more difficult. Here is another great article on Vitamin D and its effects on COVID-19. The last super vitamin on this list is Vitamin C. People have long associated Vitamin C with an increase in your immune system and a lot of people take it when they feel a cold coming on. That’s because it helps your body fight free radicals and prevents your body from developing infections. It’s found in high quantities in Citrus fruits, Kiwis and broccoli. If you’re having trouble getting enough in your diet you should aim for a supplement that contains 1500mg of Vitamin C.
Proper Nutrition
Eating properly is important at any time for a healthy body; however, it’s especially important now for the prevention of Covid-19. Getting the proper nutrients through your food can help increase your body’s natural antivirals and give your immune system a much needed boost. Try to eat from all sections of the food pyramid, this is not the time to try a new diet. Your body needs all the nutrients it can get. Grains, vegetables and protein are all very important. Holistic Immune Support: Protecting your Body from Covid-19
For an added immune boost try adding mushrooms into your diet. Mushrooms are anti viral, anti-cancer immune system boosters all packed into one tiny tasty package. If your kids are picky chop up the mushrooms finely and add them to soups, stews and casseroles for all of the benefits and none of the fuss.
Bone broth is another great addition to your diet during this pandemic. Bone broth has been a staple of holistic wellness for a very long time because of how great of an immune system booster it is. It contains natural sources of collagen, gelatin and amino acids which play a role in keeping our gut healthy and increasing the health of our immune cells. Bone broth is most commonly used in soups and stews.
Raw garlic, honey and oregano oil are also fantastic additions to your diet for their immune boosting powers. Garlic is an anti viral and anti-microbial which makes it perfect for helping your body fight the corona virus. You should try to incorporate one clove of raw garlic into your diet every day. Honey has long been known to help prevent and fight infections. When you have a sore throat honey acts as a anti-microbial that can kill off the infections in your throat when you mix it into a tea. It’s worth taking a tablespoon of honey daily in order to use these immune boosting talents for infection prevention. Oregano oil is an anti viral as well as being an anti-fungal and anti-microbial which is perfect for fighting this virus.
Probiotics
Probiotics help our gut health and there’s a strong connection between the health of our gut and the health of the rest of our bodies. Probiotics can be found in yogurt, pickles, sauerkraut and other fermented foods; however, if you need to take a supplement opt for one that has at least 30 billion colonies. You can double this if you feel yourself coming down with an infection. Look for one that contains a wide range of different species instead of one that has just Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. These are both important for immune support but the wider the variety of your probiotics the healthier you will be.
Herbal Remedies and Supplements
In addition to your daily dose of vitamins, there are a few herbal remedies and supplements that can give you a holistic boost to your immune system.
Elderberry is a great supplement to add if you’re looking for virus prevention. Elderberry is great for immune support as it reduces inflammation and stress while giving you an antioxidant boost. Elderberry is also chock full of vitamins! Echinacea is another supplement that you can add for immune support. Echinacea works to help increase the number of white blood cells that your body produces which increases your body’s natural defences against viruses such as Covid-19. Turmeric is another great supplement to add to boost your immune system. It works by raising your body’s immunomodulating ability thereby increasing your body’s ability to fight infections. All of these supplements can be taken in pill form or brewed into a delicious immune support tea. Holistic Immune Support: Protecting your Body from Covid-19
Lower Stress
Lowering your stress is vital to the prevention of illnesses. The more stressed out you are the harder time your body has fighting off viruses such as Covid-19. When you’re stuck in quarantine stress might feel hard to escape from. Take a deep breath and come up with a plan for you and your family. Delegate chores, schedule in alone time for each family member and remember that this is difficult for everyone involved and you’re all just doing your best. Try to find additional ways to lower your stress such as increased sleep, yoga, meditation or any other activity that you find relaxing like reading or taking a nice long bath. Being able to carve out a 1/2 hour daily for something relaxing will do wonders for lowering your stress levels and the prevention of the corona virus.
Holistic Immune Support for Covid-19 with Increased Exercise
Everyone knows that exercise is good for their bodies, but what isn’t as well known is the link between moderate daily exercise and lowered risk of infections. When you engage in regular exercise such as walking, yoga or riding a bike you increase your body’s ability to fight viruses such as the corona virus and you give your immune system a much needed boost. Covid-19 thrives in cool wet conditions, especially in your throat. Raising your body temperature and respiration rates through exercise helps push this virus out of your lungs and prevents it from infecting your body. Exercise also reduces your risk of other illnesses such as diabetes and heart problems which frees up your body to combat any other infections that come its way. Be careful not to overdo it on the exercise front as there’s some evidence that links slightly increased risk of infection in the 1/2 hour after completing an intense workout. Holistic Immune Support for Covid-19 is critical.
Proper Sleep
Getting an adequate amount of sleep can be difficult. Especially if you’re stuck at home during quarantine and you have young children to look after. However, it’s very important to get enough sleep if you wish to prevent your body from getting infections. Lack of sleep causes your body to shut down and become inflamed. This inflammation isn’t good because our immune system races to fight what it sees as an infection and it’s really fighting our own body leaving us open to a real infection. Lack of sleep also lowers the number of T-Cells our body produces. T-Cells are immune cells that are critical to help our body fight infections such as Covid-19. As difficult as it is to find time to sleep, try to aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Whether this means sleeping in a little later, going to be a little earlier or even having a 1/2 hour nap or two throughout the day, find some time to shut your eyes and rejuvenate your body.
Conclusion:
It’s important to increase your immune system as much as possible with the threat of Covid-19 hovering over our heads. Anything that we can do to prevent this virus from taking hold in our bodies is welcome. All of the above holistic tips will help keep your body healthy and aid in the prevention of infection and viruses. Holistic Immune Support: Protecting your Body from Covid-19