Case numbers are surging again here in NSW .
Here’s the thing — at this point, most of us will probably get the spicy flu in the next few months (weeks… days) (if we haven’t already), and mainstream media / government / health advice seems to have little to say apart from ‘go home and take a neurofen’.
If you really wanna know some of the best ways to get your body prepared / INCREASE YOUR BODY’S NATURAL IMMUNITY, there’s plenty of evidence out there to suggest that these are some of the best ways:
1. JUST EAT REAL FOOD — if there ever was a time to tune in and be a little more conscious/careful about what you’re putting into your body (or more aptly, what you’re loading onto your fork), it’s now. Where you can, aim to cook your own food using real, whole food ingredients and HEAPS of plants. Where you can, choose organic, or where that’s impossible, rinse your fruit and veg in a low tox wash (or with some lemon oil). Look into the value of doing things like soaking your grains, adding nutrient rich meats rather than just supermarket cuts… learn to make your own bone broth/stock, simplify your pasta sauce… the less additives the better!
I have HEAPS of recipes on the blog that can help with this!
2. SUNSHINE — a HUGE number of Australians are vitamin D deficient, leaving us at a higher risk of acute respiratory issues associated with COVID19. Some studies have even shown vitamin D deficiency to increase risk of hospitalisation / mortality up to 80%.
Try 30 minutes in the sun each day, and a few minutes in the sun each morning without sunglasses!
3. SUPPLEMENT — there’s heaps of information out there on this, but make sure first and foremost you are investing in high quality, bio available supplements your body can absorb, not just cheap ones from the supermarket. Look into prophylaxis protocols, especially around the use of zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, NAC (n-acetyl cysteine), Quercetin, andrographis, and nigella sativa (black cumin seed oil).
I choose to supplement essential vitamins and minerals using our lifelong vitality kit (LLV), which ensures you are getting a well rounded balance of the nutrients your body needs to thrive.
4. MOVEMENT — this surely goes without saying. Daily movement is not only super important for mental health through this uncertain, sometimes heavy time, but moderate-intensity exercise has been shown time and time again to reduce inflammation and improves immune function.
5. REDUCE YOUR TOXIC LOAD — this is why I began using oils in the first place and it’s definitely why I’ll continue. Research is showing again and again that the products we use on our skin / in our homes really CAN have an impact on our health. Store-bought commercial cleaners, full of synthetic chemicals and artificial fragrance can be some of the worst, with ingredients even having been linked to cancer, infertility, asthma, severe skin conditions. Perfumes are another big one, as well as lots of cosmetic/body care items that use synthetic fragrance in their ingredients.
Reducing the toxic load/burden on your body is an incredibly powerful way to reduce lots of acute symptoms when it comes to health, and can be particularly helpful in strengthening and supporting your immune system — in my journey with chronic fatigue this certainly has been the case!
It is SO SO easy (not to mention cost effective) to make your own cleaning products for home using essential oils and a few pantry items! doTERRA Essential Oils Australia also have HEAPS of low tox cleaning/ body care items that you can use to ‘ditch and switch’ the toxic products from your home, all the while being rewarded in our loyalty program which can get you up to 30% back in rewards (talk about bang for your buck!!).
6. HEAT — whether it be time in the sun as mentioned above, a sauna session, or a long hot bath, helping your body sweat it out has been shown to be really useful in supporting your natural immunity. I personally bathe a LOT, as I’ve found it’s a helpful way to increase my uptake of magnesium (using a big scoop of epsom salts and magnesium flakes), help the body detox (a big scoop of bicarb and sometimes a few drops of Zendochrine), and for muscle recovery after training (hello Frankincense and Ice Blue in the tub!).
7. SLEEP — this one is the one I need to work on most! A good 8 hours of sleep is important for every body in being able to recover well. Hours before midnight are said to count for double when it comes to circadian rhythms and helpful your body restore!
8. GUT HEALTH — I have a whole post dedicated to this on the blog (maybe more), but it’s one I’m super passionate about!
https://thecollectiveshift.net/.../19/gut-health-the-basics
Be sure to look into your gut health!! They say that 80% of your immune lies in your gut! Food is medicine, especially nutrient dense, gut healing foods like bone broths and probiotic krauts. Taking a probiotic like our PB ASSIST and/or digestive enzyme like our TERRAZYME can be a big winner in helping in this area.
I’ll keep adding resources I have found helpful to this post as time goes on, and would love to hear any thoughts/info you have to share on keeping our bodies strong at this time!
