We are coming to the end of a very long Winter, but more than ever we are needing to support our immune systems.

Our immune systems’ became a little lazy after New Zealand was shutdown and families were staying at home. They are out of practice since families have spent so much time at home. Everyone has been hit with an inordinate amount of colds and viruses as of late. My 8 year old has had 9 colds since having Covid!

The immune system is always quietly working in the back ground. It is only when it needs to work extra hard to flush a pathogen that we notice we are fighting something: We begin to feel fatigued, start sneezing, get a runny nose, then feel congested.

Here are some tips to prime our immune systems so we can fight off the many bugs we interact with each day.

:: Introduce Powerful Foods and Herbs ::
Make a point to eat a variety of colours when you choose your fruits and veggies each day. Red, purple, orange, yellow and blue foods all have a different range of vitamins and antioxidants. Adding fresh or frozen berries to your yogurt, porridge and as dessert are a great way to pack in those antioxidants!

The immune system is a multi-layered defence network. The first line of defence is
the skin and mucosal cells that coat the airways and digestive tract. The second line of defence is the innate immune system. The third line of defence is the acquired/ adaptive immune response. Research has shown that nutrient inadequacies can impair immune function and weaken the immune response.

ImmunoSHIELD by Bio Practica contains premium quality ingredients, specifically combined to contribute to daily healthy immune system function. A combination of nourishing ingredients, including a greens blend, prebiotics, and immune-specific nutrients,purposefully designed to address the multiple layers of the immune system. We have this in stock at Be Well Chiropractic in Wellington. After researching, this is what I have decided to give my kids at home to combat pathogens. It is a blend of many of the supplements I already consume; powdered greens and mushroom, prebiotics, vitamin D, zinc and quercertin which especially helpful post covid.

Echinacea

Image courtesy of pregnancyfoodchecker.com

Echinacea has been used for hundreds of years as a health aide with Native American Sioux Indians using it for all kinds of things; from snake-bites to colic! Who could blame them as this wonderful flower stimulates the immune system helping us to keep sickness away. If you've been unfortunate enough to catch a cold taking Echinacea is proven to shorten the length it will stick around. At Be Well Chiropractic in Wellington we stock Mediherb Echinacea, which is staple at our home as well.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid is key when fighting an infection. It works as an antioxidant to protect our bodies from damage, is involved in the growth of our bones, tendons, ligaments and skin and increases the absorption of iron from our foods (particularly from vegetarian sources).

Vitamin C is found in most fruits and vegetables particularly citrus and kiwifruit. Red capsicums actually give you a whopping 240 mg compared with orange at 46 mg per serve. Vitamin C is an easy vitamin to get from food for your daily allowance. However, when you are fighting an infection high doses are particularly effective. We recommend a vitamin C supplement with bioflavonoids which is similar to vitamin C foods: but you can absorb 2000 mg with out eating 66 tomatoes or 8 capsicums. We recommend sell Orthoplex Ultra Buffered C Powder If you are feeling run down or people are sick around you take 2000 mg a day and if you are ill you can take 2000 mg three times a day.

Ginger

Ginger is a powerful plant. Even when I don't have an ailment I love some fresh ginger and lemon tea, with just a little honey- yum! You can really feel the warming properties of ginger in whatever you decide to put it in. It is amazing at helping combat a chill. It's also an anti-oxidant, antimicrobial while containing natural antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents too. Brew yourself some ginger tea or add it to the next soup you make! My son has been making homemade ginger beer and it turned out to be so potent that we added hot water and lemon juice for a nourishing morning drink. Stay tuned for our recipe.

Vitamin D

The sunshine vitamin is produced by the body in response to skin being exposed to sunlight. It is also occurs naturally in a few foods -- including some fish, fish liver oils, and egg yolks. It is important to make an effort to get vitamin D. It is nearly impossible to get enough Vitamin D from the sun alone when we are covered up during winter.

Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. However, for many people, the symptoms are subtle. Yet, even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks. Low blood levels of the vitamin have been associated with the complications from cardio=vascular disease, cognitive impairment, sever asthma in children and even cancer.

We recommend a Eagle's Vitamin D3 1000 IU Spray provides colecalciferol, the most abundant form or vitamin D, in an easy to administer, consistently measured, high-dose spray. This spray has a great mixed berry flavour. You can also ask your GP for monthly prescription for a vitamin D supplement.

You can pick up some of these nutraceuticals at Be Well Chiropractic in Newtown or our Wairarapa Chiropractic location in Greytown.

:: Reduce your Sugar ::

Having too much sugar in your diet hinders the immune system. It reduces the ability of white blood cells to attack foreign invaders. Why is that? . . . . Well Vitamin C, as we all know, is a nutrient our body's immune response needs in order to function properly. When sugar is broken down to glucose it's structure is very similar to that of Vitamin C. While your immune system is looking for Vitamin C to help it defend against viruses and bacteria it may come across sugar instead. Sugar does not aid the immune system and so the more sugar you take in the more competition there'll be for Vitamin C in it's quest to reach our white blood cells. Our body then has to use it's resources to get rid of this glucose putting our immune system under extra strain.

Saying yes to those sweet treats may not be worth the short lived endorphin boost. Curbing the sugar may just help your body fend off those Winter viruses.

:: Have a Chiropractic Adjustment ::

Many people associate chiropractic care as a way to treat back and neck problems. This is true, but there are a multitude of ways that chiropractic treatment benefits our bodies. Take our immune system for example- studies published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics by Brennan and Triano show that several types of immune system cells increase biological activity after a chiropractic adjustment (for more on that study just click on this link). When you think about it this, it really makes sense as the nervous, immune and endocrine systems are intrinsically linked. Misalignments or subluxations of the spine can effect the ability of our nervous system to communicate effectively and impair co-ordination of our immune system.

Often when we feel sick we try to avoid people and stay in our home as much as we can. However a trip to your chiropractor is highly recommended during these times and may be the boost your body is looking for.

As obvious as it might seem sometimes we need reminding..... keep your body warm! Wrap up on excursions out of your home and very make an effort to keep your home at a good temperature. Home temperatures should be a minimum of 18°C. Generally this won't be a problem while we are awake but it is also important while you are sleeping. Breathing in cold air throughout the night affects our lungs and nasal passage making us more susceptible to catching a cold. It also stresses our nervous systems. So set your thermostat to keep you warm through the night or heat your house a few degrees more so that when it drops through the night you'll still remain in a good temperature range.

Here in Greytown we are still getting some frosty mornings. So although spring is around the corner, keep warm in the meantime!

Give Your Immunity a Boost