Below are evidence based tips that will boost your immunity, improve your health and help you stay well. They are simple, but effective and affordable. They will empower you to help yourself and your loved ones.
Get enough quality sleep
Get up and go to sleep at the same time each day.
Below are guidelines for getting sleep requirements and the risk of infection related to numbers of hours slept per night for adults:
Eating food rich in magnesium such as nuts and nut butters, seeds, green leafy veggies and tahini can help calm the body and support good sleep. Avoid desserts with an evening meal. Turn off screens two hours before bed, enjoy family games in the early evening or have an Epsom salt bath before bed. Children may benefit from a gentle massage, cuddle or reading calming stories. Turn off any wireless internet at night and keep your digital devices out of bedrooms.
Cut out sugar
Each time you eat sugar, it reduces your immune system for a few hours afterwards. If you can’t cut out sugar totally, try introducing a one-day a week lolly or sweet treat day. If you’ve not seen it already , check out “That Sugar Film”. https://youtu.be/AB_uAOdaAYo. It is great.
Reduce stress
High stress levels reduce immunity. Practice stress reduction techniques like deep breathing, yoga, walking on the beach, playing with pets and meditation. There are great online tools for adults and kids on youtube. Give yourself a hug, dance to your favourite music, write a journal or do a hobby you’ve always wanted to do.
Healthy weight
Try not to graze and eat thought the day out of boredom or frustration or because you’re home and food is so easily available. Stick to regular meals and snack times. Weight gain results in more inflammation. Having a lower base level of inflammation is likely to reduce the severity of a cytokine storm that causes the more severe symptoms of COVID-19.
Exercise
Encourage kids to go out and run around several times a day in between homeschool work and inside play. Aim for 45 min of more active exercise daily to get your heart rate up. Kick a ball in the garden or at the beach, walk the dog, play hide and seek in the garden or do some family gardening activities.
Pollution
Pollution has been associated with an increased infection rate and severity of COVID-19. In New Zealand we are very lucky to have low air pollution however the internal air in our houses is generally poor and concerning. Ensure adequate ventilation opening all windows and doors 2-3 times a day for 20 minutes. Spend more time outside. Wipe down windows for mould, wash curtains and look out for areas of dampness and get to the root cause of any mould found, especially coming up to winter. Mould exposure causes inflammation of the airways and makes us more likely to get a respiratory tract infection and to do more poorly.
Healthy gut flora
An adult has 1-2 kg of bacteria in our intestines that form our microbiome. What we eat feeds these bacteria. The type of bacteria in our gut affects our level of health and how we respond to infection. Eating a diverse whole plant food based diet with five serves of veggies a day, two serves of fruit, whole grains, and smaller intakes of small or deep ocean fish, free range or organic chicken, grass fed beef or wild venison with healthy oils such as olive and flax seed oil, nuts and seeds are the best foundations of a healthy diet. Be wary of kids eating more fruit than veggies – fruit is good and healthy but also higher in sugar. Drink enough water (0.03 x your body weight in kilo’s) and stay way from processed foods that are pro-inflammatory. As a guide half the plate should be veggies, one-quarter carbs and one-quarter protein. For fun, see how many different veggies you eat per week.
Get enough Zinc
Zinc is essential for a health immune system. New Zealand soils are poor in zinc and deficiency is common. Little white flecks on the nails can be associated with low zinc. Low zinc can be associated with increased irritability, poor concentration, hair loss, poor smell and vision, frequent infections, eczema, poor wound healing, poor appetite or picky eating. A vegetarian or vegan diet is associated with low zinc too. You can boost zinc by eating red meat, eggs, pumpkins and sunflower seeds. The richest source is from sustainably grown oysters :-). Consider seeing your doctor if you are concerned.
Get enough Vitamin D
Get outside for fresh air and safe intake of sunshine to promote Vitamin D production in the body from cholesterol. Vitamin D is very important for fighting infection and increasing your immunity and many people, especially in NZ have low levels. Consider seeing your doctor if you are concerned. Vitamin D can be found in sardines, organic butter and mushrooms that have been exposed to sunlight.
Boost Vitamin C
Our bodies cannot make or store Vitamin C. It is essential for healthy immune function and a great antioxidant which are important for preventing and treating COVID-19. In fact, it has become a topic of hot research since the COVID-19 outbreak. Foods rich in Vitamin C are berries, capsicum/peppers, citrus fruit, kale, kiwifruits and broccoli. Higher and longer cooking times reduce the amount of Vitamin C.
Keep connected
Social isolation can increase stress, which decreases the hormone oxytocin and reduces immunity. Reach out to people through keeping in touch over the phone, with neighbours over the back fence, via social media. Do random acts of kindness.
Gratitude
Being thankful for what you have and choosing to see the glass half full can powerfully boost your immune system.
Remember that your body has it’s own powerful innate healing ability and with a little bit of love, care and fuel it has the capability to keep you safe and healthy.
Credit: Much of this information is taken from a recent lecture from Dr Leila Masson, an integrative medical paediatrician in Australia given to the Australasian Integrative Medical Association (AIMA), https://drleilamasson.com/
