Boost your immune system with these simple steps!

Are you taking care of your immune system? Here’s a quick check-in. The following list details the foods that might be wrecking your immune system without your knowing it.

Sugar:

Sugar feeds bad bacteria, leading to sugar cravings and, when we eat it, we are furthering the imbalance of bad to good bacteria in our gut. This suppresses the immune system. 

Refined carbohydrates:

Just like sugar, these refined carbohydrates have a very similar effect on the gut, leading to inflammation which weakens the immune system. 

Refined and hydrogenated oils:

Contrary to what we’ve been told, refined foods are not healthier for us! In fact, they are highly processed and inflammatory to the gut. Ditch the refined! Stick to ghee and coconut oil, natures most unrefined cooking fats.

Packaged food:

This is the time to be eating real fruits and vegetables and to avoid eating processed and packaged foods which are devoid of nutrients and can even strip your body of essential vitamins and minerals.  

While avoiding the above foods, be sure to include these gut healing foods to give your immune system a boost:

Antioxidants:

The most antioxidant rich foods are foods with the brightest color, such as blueberries and raspberries, leafy greens such as spirulina and kale, and red peppers, beetroot. Look for organic and naturally sourced as much as possible! 

Probiotics:

The immune system is housed in the gut, so keeping the gut full of friendly probiotics, literally “beneficial bacteria” to fight off the bad bacteria that try to creep in and wreck the balance. Probiotics don’t need sugar to survive, and instead feed on prebiotics. Having more probiotics actually aids in weight loss thus, helping lower sugar cravings. Get your probiotics dose from a tablespoon of sauerkraut, a glass of kombucha daily, maybe some kefir!

Omega-3:

These are the anti-inflammatory fatty acids which are the healthiest fuel for the brain and heart to be functioning on. They reduce inflammation and aids the body in having a healthy immune response. During this time, our nutritionist recommends 2000mg per day, taken through oils or through seeds and nuts (pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts).

Collostrum, collagen and bone broth:

These gut healers aid in healing the gut lining, rebuilding the body’s defences from the outside world, setting right the “leaky gut” syndrome that seems to accompany the modern lifestyle. Can't do anything more caring for your body than healing it with these! Try to include at least one daily. As in everything, look for organic and naturally sourced as much as possible!

And if there's one more thing we’d like you to know about the immune system, it’s that stress depresses is, so stay healthy and happy, and don’t internalise the stress. Sleep as much as you can. Did you know that all of the feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin are actually manufactured in the gut? Your daily dose of happy, our probiotics actually make you feel brighter and more energetic, aiding in the balance of good bacteria and thus feel-good hormones!