How I Naturally Boost My Immunity*

At the moment we are in the middle of something I have never experienced before. It’s a strange time and challenging physically and emotionally. There’s a lot that’s outside of our control and I’ve found the element of having to let go very difficult. Who knows how long this will last? Who knows what lies ahead…

Intially I struggled with it and most likely went through the Kugler-Ross five stages, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and now I am in some sort of acceptance. Adding structure to my days, and trying to stay present have been vital. I’m also focusing on eating nutritionally the best foods I can and staying as active as possible.

Below are some key elements that are part of my routine that really help:

Juicing Every Day

Adding a vegetable and fruit juice daily has been shown to increase blood levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, plus it can help lower blood levels of homocysteine (a risk factor for heart diseases). Daily juice blends also seem to reduce markers of inflammation and boost the immune system. I use an Omega Sana Juicer which cold-presses the juice so it’s a little slower but the juice lasts 2-3 days. I stick to mostly greens and use a lot of celery, lemon and ginger in my juices and typically have them early in the day on a relatively empty stomach.

Reducing Caffeinated Drinks & Sugar

I love coffee and dark chocolate but I am aware that too much caffeine gives me the jitters and can make me anxious. Typically going out for a coffee forms part of my routine at home and it’s my excuse to get out of the house for a walk but lately I am not exercising as much as normal and have had a few sleepless nights which during these times are magnified.

At home I now make Matcha lattes with unsweetened almond milk and it’s actually so delicious. While most people can get through a sugar rush and subsequent crash with minimal discomfort, there’s an entire group of people who pay a big price for eating too much sugar and I’m one of them. *A sugar rush makes your body work hard to get back to normal levels. This roller coaster of ups and downs can leave you feeling nervous, foggy, irritable, jittery, and drained. If you have anxiety or depression, those symptoms are likely ones you already deal with on a daily basis. Sugar will exacerbate them. Sugar can also weaken your body’s ability to respond to stress, which can trigger your anxiety and prevent you from dealing with the cause of the stress. (*Source)

Probiotics Are Essential

Due to COVID-19's novelty, it is extremely unlikely that anyone could confidently comment on the ability of any treatment (probiotics included) to prevent this strain of the virus, as this would require robust clinical evidence to be substantiated. Current treatments simply address the symptoms of coronavirus (e.g. fever, cough etc.) which can be typical of seasonal flu or general respiratory illness. However there is evidence on how the immune system generally functions, and what aspects of immunity probiotic strains can support based on the clinical evidence available at this stage. Probiotics can be used to support general immunity and with that in mind I am sticking to my Symprove every morning routine. I’ve switched to the unsweetened one which is quite bitter but I don’t mind it.

Increased Hydration

No one needs a lesson in the benefits of water but I’ve increased how much I drink. I fill a large 5 litre kilner jar every second day and add some herbs or fruit to give it a little flavour. I have a reverse osmosis with re-mineralize filter on my taps which I love because the water is so pure for cooking and drinking and also I never buy bottled water as a result. It was a very worthwhile investment. (Nature’s Water fitted mine)

Water helps to carry oxygen to your body cells, which results in properly functioning systems. It also works in removing toxins from the body, so drinking more of it could help prevent toxins from building up and having a negative impact on your immune system. The health benefits of lemon water are plentiful so I try to add that most days.

Maintaining My Usual Supplements Consistently

Personally one of the most helpful things I’ve done for myself is returned to routine. It took me about 10 days to adjust and create a new one. Now there are no yoga classes to go to and events to attend but I’ve found simple routines are fundamental to my overall wellbeing.

I still set my alarm as usual and aim to be at my desk for 9.30 and I also continue to take my usual supplements and ensure that I maintain as much routine, and not too much Netflix, as possible. I take 4 supplements daily all from my Vegan bundle available on Meaghers.ie I’ve done a big blog as to why I take them all >here< if you want to learn more.

Most importantly I hope you all find whatever support you need and if I can give any advice it’s to take all this day-by-day. For a while I had pinned my hopes on it ending on a certain date, when that date passed I found myself disheartened. For now at least, adjusting to and accepting this as a new normal has been so helpful.

Sending you all lots of Love. x

Images - Sean Macnamee.

*Thanks to Meaghers Pharmacy for collaborating with me on this piece.

Crystal Water Bottle - shop >here<