Don't hoard loo roll. Do this instead.
Instead of stock-piling loo roll and planning for a nuclear apocalypse why not support your immune system to deal with whatever is thrown at it? That’s not to say you won’t get coronavirus but you can give your body the back-up it needs to help fight it.
Swerve the hysteria and follow these 5 simple tips to bolster your immune health naturally:
Make sure you’re having at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. Some say it should be 10 so make sure you really are hitting the minimum recommendations. Fruit and vegetables are full of antioxidants that will support your immune health. It may sound like a really simple thing to do but if I had a quid for every time I told a client this…..
Top up on Vitamin D. Most of us are low in this vitamin, especially at this latitude in the UK, we just don’t get enough sun. Got dark skin? Don’t get out much? Slather yourself in sunscreen every day? Then you are probably low in the Sunshine Vitamin. Vitamin D has been found to have a beneficial effect on immune health (as well as having lots of other key functions in your body) so it’s worth making sure you’ve got enough. If you don’t know your levels you could use a home test-kit from the NHS here. Usually, I would suggest seeing if your GP will test but I imagine most surgeries are overwhelmed at the moment.
You’ve probably grown immune [sorry, couldn’t help myself!] to all the pictures of golden milk and turmeric lattes on social media but they actually can be helpful. Spices like turmeric, ginger and black pepper - key golden milk ingredients- contain potent anti-inflammatory compounds that will support immune function. Gingerol, in ginger, can reduce the risk of infections and does have antiviral properties too.
Probiotics (beneficial bacteria) can support your immune health and help your body produce natural antibodies. Either take a good quality supplement or include probiotic foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and kombucha. You can also include plenty of prebiotic foods to encourage your beneficial bacteria - things like leeks, garlic, onions, pulses, bananas, broccoli (stalks in particular) and oats are all good sources.
Curb your sweet tooth. High intake of added sugars can have a negative effect on your immune system. Things to watch out for are sugar-sweetened drinks like cordials, fizzy drinks, chocolate, sweets, cakes and excess fruit juice intake.
Taking a proactive approach to your health may help you feel less powerless because most of us have some control over our lifestyles and what we eat. I hope this has helped you in some way. I’d love to hear from you if it has, so leave a comment on Instagram if you get a chance.
Stay well,
Anna
[UPDATE: here’s a great guide to the virus (including how to prevent its spread and what to do if you get it) written by a Public Health expert with experience of working with viruses]