How to support your immune system in the times of high stress?
You can support your immune system in many various ways. Here I have 3 simple steps you can take right now plus a bonus tip at the end.
Our mind, emotions and thinking has more influence on our health then most of us thinks. Emotion and repetitive though are either triggered by stress or stress is triggering them. Either way they affect how we function. It is not a secret that most modern disease can be linked to stress, whether it is a physical stress in a form of lack of sleep and nutritional starvation or emotional stressed cause by work or relationships. All those situation affect how we feel and how our body copes with everything around.
In my opinion, although I am not alone in that way of thinking, creating relaxation in the body and reducing stress is one of the most important things we can to support our health.
So here are 3 simple ways you can do just that.
1. Breath.
It is wastely underestimated how crucial relaxation is for our body, healing and strengthening of our immune system. When we are in stress our body goes in so called fight and flight response, switching on our sympathetic nervous system in which we CANNOT heal.
To switch on parasympathetic nervous system, or in other words rest and digest (read HEALING) system we have to relax.
The easiest way to do it is through breath.
Here is how:
Close your eyes, take a three deep slow breaths through your nose down into your stomach, exhale.
Repeat when needed.
2. Hydrate.
There is many various ways to strengthen and support our physical body through its healing. Hydration is the simplest and most accessible way.
Our body need at least 8 cups of water a day to let go of all the toxins and waste it is processing every day.
Liquids which hydrate: plain water, herbal teas such chamomile, peppermint, fruit teas, rooibos tea, water with squeeze of lemon, wheat or chicory coffee, turmeric latte, fresh fruit and herb infused water.
Liquids which dehydrate: coffee, black tea, green tea, white tea, fizzy drink such lemonade, Sprite, Cola, Lucozade, alcohol, anything with caffeine.
Quick tip:
To alkalise your body instead of coffee or cup f tea drink a cup of hot water with squeeze of lemon in it.
Add few slices of fresh ginger and half teaspoon of honey if you want extra help in fighting off flu and strengthening your digestion.
Vitamin C in lemon also helps to fight of viruses.
3. Eat well.
Stockpiling on canned food, or processed products is really one of the least helpful thing you can do to your body.
Most canned foods are high in sugars and sodium, they often have added preservatives, all that is really bad for your body. Sugar creates acidic PH in your body which helps diseases to develop.
If you can cook from scratch as much as you can, avoid ready especially processed foods, or if you cannot add a portion of salad or cooked vegetables to your meal.
Eat fresh vegetables and fruits to boost your vitamin intake.
Strengthen your Immune System and your Gut with Fermented foods. Our Gut houses around 70% of our Immune System! In order to strengthen our immune system we have to look after our Gut.
Probiotics and fermented foods such sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, miso are perfect for that.
Add small portion of fermented food to each meal, or at least once a day to boost your Immune System.
BONUS tip:
Meditate, pray,practice mindfullness, breathe some more, spend time in nature.
All those things will calm your body and recreate harmony in yourself. Pick something you feel most comfortable with and give it a go.
Through meditation we activate parasympathetic nervous system which helps our body to heal.
And we simply feel more clam and cantered which is so needed these days.
Here is link to one of the Deepack Chopra and Oprahs 21 Day Meditation Expieirence. Deepack releases those free meditations expieriences few times a year and I higly recommend joining in when they are available.
You get free guided meditation, plus you are joing in the collective energy of a large group of people meditating with the same intention.
