Immune boosting recipes Sauerkraut recipe Kimchi recipe Oxymel Recipe
What a year of huge transformation we are having. In Australia it began with a fire season being the worst on record and now heading into winter we are dealing with Covid-19, one of the most virulent flu epidemics the world has seen. Due to so much uncertainty, this virus is already causing much anxiety in our community.
This articles’ aim is to empower and inform you with relevant nutrients to incorporate in your diet and self care to support us as we face one of our biggest challenges.
Before I go on about nutrients and all of the things…I invite you to take a deep breath…if you are feeling scared or stressed or worried about the future. Just for a minute tap into that feeling instead of consciously trying to push it away or abandon this feeling from your body. There may be a message in this for you? If you don’t want to do this gentle nurturing exercise skip forward to ‘The next part of this article is the business end…..’
You may like to ask someone to read this exercise for you……
Take a deep breathe in through your nose, close your eyes. Take another. Now check in with yourself. Where do you feel this feeling in your body? Put a hand gently and lovingly there…like you would when tending to a small child. Take another breathe or two, deeply into your belly. Really settle into this feeling and acknowledge it. Feel it in the safety of where you are positioned. Now without any judgement from the mind, I want you to just take in the first thing that comes to mind when you ask yourself the following question.
With your hand on your body / feeling.
ASK: “What is it you need from me right in this moment?”
I invite you to have no judgement about your answer. Just honour whatever comes first into your head. Now take a breathe and anouther in through your nose and out through your mouth. Take your time.
If you don’t want to read further today. That is so totally ok. You may want to save this for anouther time.
Gentle self nurturing exercises are the best medicine you can give yourself at this time. These support our nervous system and also align our our immune system to do the job it knows how to do. They take us to the practice of soothing our over stimulated sympathetic nervous system, which is a contributor to recurrent infections. - will explain more about that in anouther article.
Stay safe and the most perfect and imperfect version of your self.
The next part of this article is the business end…..
Current recommendations to help prevent the spread of ‘the virus’ (you know which one I am talking about… a clue…we are in April 2020) are common-sense recommendations which are applicable to viruses such as influenza, and especially apply to people travelling or working in healthcare. Links to find these are constantly being updated. The WHO recommendations are being updated regularly as are our local state and federal recommendations here:
Stay up to date with your local departments - Department of Health - VICTORIA
Dietary for Immune Wellness
The following dietary recommendations are based on an anti-inflammatory dietary principles. Hypothesis’ being, systemic inflammation is associated with adverse outcome with Covid-19 and other SARs type viruses. See - Lancet Article - Immunosuppression for hyper inflammation in COVID-19: a double-edged sword?
There is much of research on metabolic syndrome, T2 diabetes and systemic inflammation and the link between inflammatory diets and the immune system, contributing to all kinds of dis-ease in the body. All the more reason to implement changes in your diet that are doable and realistic. Having worked in a clinic with a cardiologist and podiatrist in two other rooms. I gained a LOT of experience working with T2 diabetic patients and highly stressed people for much of the beginning my career and I can say dietary changes are the best and simplest way to support optimal wellness and resolve many diseases.
How Sugar Disables Your Immune System with of scientific articles attached.
These recommendations go above and beyond government health recommendations for diet.
This is what I recommend for my clients for ‘optimal’ immune & nervous system wellness.
Drink at least 2lt filtered or spring water.
To help increase your water consumption try Ginger slices in hot water. Turmeric latte or chai – with non dairy milk. …Including bone broths (if not vegetarian), soups, miso and avoid sugary and caffeinated drinks. If you become suddenly unwell, sipping bone broths and warm drinks is important to keep up hydration.
Get adequate sleep & rest. This gives your body a chance to heal. - If you struggle with sleep, I can support you with this.
Incorporate joyful activities in your day to support your nervous and immune system.
Include healing activities like yoga, walking in nature, meditation….and a joyful activities daily.
Clearing mucous at home
1-2 drops of eucalyptus or tea tree in a steam face bath can help clear mucous and reduce bacteria in the nasal passages.
Eat a rainbow of fresh fruit and vegetables - broccoli, fresh grated beetroot & carrot salads. Eat all berries, carrot, kiwi, red capsicum, red grapes....just eat a rainbow of RED, YELLOW & ORANGE VEGETABLES & fruit daily with a focus on organic. Include lots of garlic & ginger in your diet! Try sipping sliced ginger in water throughout the day. Avoid the inside shelves of the supermarket and go for fresh food as much as possible. Eat soups, broths, stir fries and good old casseroles with lots of veg. This should ensure good vitamin C, carotenoids and antioxidants that are beneficial for optimal immune function.
Here are some Immune boosting recipes.
Protein
Adequate intake of dietary protein is imperative for healthy immune function.
Think mushrooms, lentils, sprouted legumes, beans, nuts; almonds, cashews, oily fish; sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna, some chicken and a little red meat.
A Whole-food Diet
A whole-food diet is one that is based upon fresh, whole foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Another benefit of whole-foods is that they contain a range of nutrients found occurring naturally in their correct ratios, these nutrients work together synergistically to benefit the immune system. Refined foods on the other hand may have nutrients stripped out of them and then added back in.
Immune boosting recipes Sauerkraut recipe Kimchi recipe Oxymel Recipe
Dietary Exclusions
Sugar
Sugar is an immune suppressant with studies showing intake of sugar reduces the capacity of the white blood cells to function properly. Immune suppression has been shown to be at its highest 1–2 hours after consumption.
Caffeine
Chronic and excessive intake of caffeine is likely to function as a stressor to the already depleted immune system. Furthermore caffeine functions as a diuretic promoting the loss of much needed nutrients and therefore is not recommended where there is suboptimal immunity. Sources of caffeine include coffee, tea and energy drinks.
AVOID Preservatives, Colourings, Additives
Preservatives, colourings and additives are unnatural substances and foreign to the body and therefore should be avoided. Eat food that looks like its original form.
Micronutrients Used to prevent & Treat Acute Infection
Vitamin C & Zinc
C & Zinc powder daily to support yours and your families general immune health. (NOT the chewy vitamin C lollies - a quality powder version is best). Maintenance doses 1-2g Vitamin C. Zinc may need to be determined according to your current levels, health status and dietary intake.
Vit C is seen to significantly reduces the duration and severity of the common cold, shortens the time of confinement indoors, and relieves cold symptoms including chest pain, fever, and chills in adults and children (Vit C>0.2 g/day, or therapeutic doses of 4 – 8g/day). Significantly reduces severity of pneumonia and risk of death in the elderly. May dose-dependently reduce the duration of pneumonia in adults.
Zinc: Reduces duration and severity of the common cold in children and adults (>75mg/day). Zinc: reduces incidence of otitis media in children (5 - 50mg/day). May reduce incidence of lower RTI in children (20 – 140mg/week). Reduces risk of RTI, pneumonia, dysentery and diarrhoea in children. - Zinc containing foods are oysters, red meat, nuts and seeds (especially pumpkin seeds) contain reasonable zinc levels.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is imperative for our immune system function.
How are your vitamin D levels? We want to see them above >100 going into winter.
Check your vitamin D status – if low (<80 or lower) – increase vitamin D to 5000IU daily for 1 month then decrease.
Recent Research in British Medical Journal - Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583
If your levels are below 100, I strongly recommend a quality vitamin D. Not Caltrate! - Sorry…Not sorry!
A sublingual spray or liquid to bypass the gut and at least 15mins per day of sunlight on your skin without sunscreen.
If you have any questions about how to increase your vitamin D levels make a time to see me online. Short consultations are available.
N-acetylcysteine
There is also some fairly decent research for the use of N-acetylcysteine. - Which I have used successfully with patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, immune support for many years & lung scarring in my elderly clients. It is known to break up mucous in the lungs and is a very strong antioxidant used for drug detoxification.
Here is a meta-analysis for your reference. - Influence of N-acetylcysteine on chronic bronchitis or COPD exacerbations: a meta-analysis.
Herbal medicines previously used with SARs
There are specific herbs to improve immunity, those with anti-viral properties and anti-inflammatory effects. My recommendation is to seek specific advice from a qualified herbalist, as some herbs are contraindicated in certain conditions.
From Doreen Schwegler - naturopath - Top two herbals used preventatively in COVID-19 used in 23 provinces in China contain Astragalus & Liquorice. Western herbs shown to be active against SARS Cov1 (in tests tubes and humans) include Baical Scullcap (containing scutellarein that inhibits SARS-Cov enzymes), Sweet Wormwood (Artemisia annua that demonstrates anti SARS effect from screening analysis); Buplerum (prevents early stage infection, including attachment and penetration) & Andrographis (anti-viral). Medicinal mushrooms have some evidence of use and elderberry and St. John’s Wort have anti-viral properties.
Other immune supportive medicinals include Echinacea, Olive leaf & medicinal mushroom blends are my current favourite that help balance the immune system, that include Shitake and Reishi (ensure the product contains good beta-D-glucans levels and it mentions the actual mushrooms it contains).
Phone your GP or medical clinic if you think you need help.
I hope some of this was helpful for your to start implementing at home. If you feel need support, I am opening up some additional short appointment times this week and for the next few weeks as needed. If you need to review your health, have any concerns or want to individualise an immune protocol for your family make a time for booking in an online consultation.
I am here to help.
With love
Christine x
IMPORTANT LINKS AT THIS TIME:
Centres for Disease & Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
Stay up to date with - Department of Health - VICTORIA
https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert
Sources & other references:
Influence of N-acetylcysteine on chronic bronchitis or COPD exacerbations: a meta-analysis.
Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-011-0263-7
Gombart, A. F., Pierre, A., & Maggini, S. (2020). A Review of Micronutrients and the Immune System–Working in Harmony to Reduce the Risk of Infection. Nutrients, 12(1), 236.
5 Natural Ways to Support your COVID-19/Coronavirus Risk - DOREEN SCHWEGLER
Christine Carley is a bachelor qualified naturopath, with a focus on women’s health and wellness. She passionately supports her clients with, fertility and IVF optimisation, menopause and hormonal health as well as gut health. She spent most of her early clinical practice working with people with chronic and complex autoimmune condition, whilst working in a clinic with cardiologist, psychologists, podiatrist and allied health professionals. She loves assisting those stress, anxiety, fatigue and sleep. She is a passionate health ambassador who takes a holistic, person centred approach to the wellness model of health.
Book an appointment or free online discovery call here: bookings here: LOVE THY HEALTH or call 0409027221
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