Since so many of you enjoy nutrition-led content, I’ve decided to add more content by the experts. Today nutritionist Kate Llewellyn-Waters talks about supporting your immunity during the winter months. Kate has just published The Immunity Cookbook with recipes to strengthen your immune system.
Since 70% of our immune system is actually in our gut, looking after your gut health is crucial. Here are my 10 top tips for keeping your immunity in tip-top condition:
1.Up your intake of prebiotic-rich foods.
Prebiotic fibre ‘feeds’ our gut bacteria and helps our gut bacteria to make certain super-important nutrients, such as butyrate for the cells in the large intestine, which then promotes a healthier and balanced GI tract. Apples, bananas, cauliflower, chickpeas and chamomile tea are all great sources of prebiotic fibre.
2.As well as increasing your intake or foods rich in prebiotic fibre, make sure you include in your diet probiotic-rich foods.
Probiotics are the bacteria found in certain foods that provide numerous health benefits, including supporting our immunity and promoting digestive health. Probiotic-rich foods include fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, live natural yogurt and kimchi.
3.Glutamine
This is the most abundant amino acid (building block of protein) in the body, and plays an important role in gut health. It encourages immune-cell activity in the gut, helps prevent infection and inflammation, and heals the gut lining. Try and include some of these excellent food sources of glutamine in your diet: beetroot, spinach, tofu, lentils, bone broth, chicken and fish.
4.Focus on eating a diverse and balanced diet packed with nutrient-dense wholefoods.
There are 13 vitamins and 20 minerals, and we need to meet all these micronutrient requirements to ensure our immune system is able to perform to its best. Vitamins A, D, and also the mineral zinc are very important for a health gut barrier.
5.Up your intake of phytonutrients,
which are colourful plant compounds that nourish our immunity in numerous ways. They have antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. You can find these powerful nutrients in red, purple, yellow, orange, and green veg – eat the rainbow!
6.Exercise is beneficial for both our immunity and gut health.
Research has confirmed that exercise increases gut bacteria diversity, and been shown to also decrease infection and inflammation, whilst enhancing immune function and promoting recovery. However, just as in our diets, when it comes to exercise we want balance, since too much exercise has been show to result in temporary gut damage and impaired gut function. Focus on regular moderate-intensity exercise such as 30 minutes of brisk walking, which has been shown to decrease the severity and duration of a mild infection, whilst also supporting gut health and immunity. Why not try a walking journal to track your walks?
7. Deal with stress
Stress not only ravages our immunity, but it wreaks havoc with our gut health. Adopt stress management techniques such as yoga, meditation, listening to music or going for a walk. In fact, research has shown that stress may be one causal factor in dysbiosis (when our gut bacteria and environment are imbalanced), and has also been associated with multiple GI disorders.
8. Get Your 8 Hours
Getting enough quality sleep is vital for gut health and immunity, since numerous studies have shown a significant decrease in immunity, after either a night without sleep, or after a lengthy continual period of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation may also increase inflammation and stress hormones in the body, and is linked with worse gut symptoms. For a good night’s sleep make sure you are avoiding caffeine-containing foods and drinks from midday.
9. Get outside
Getting enough exposure to sunlight not only helps encourage a good night’s sleep, but it is essential for producing vitamin D, which is super important for strong and balanced immunity. Also, research has shown that our gut health can be positively impacted by vitamin D status and exposure. For most people, exposing your arms and face for 10-15 minutes a few times a week is sufficient to maintain your vitamin D levels.
10. Immunity is for life
Realise that looking after your immunity is for life, not just for the latest pandemic – focus on the above tips, and your gut and immune system will thank you!
Some great ideas here, always try and go for a long run every couple of days.
No 1 factor of suppressing immune system is lack of inner peace ( stress, fear, anxiety, etc ) . If you can manage those factors and find happiness 50% of your immunity is guaranteed.
Appreciating the time and effort you put into your website and in depth information you offer. Very clear explanation. You’ve really covered up almost all the possible info that every health-conscious person should follow to boost their immune system. Worth sharing! Please continue sharing your updates! Thanks a lot!
Enhancing our gut health is fundamental to boosting immunity, especially with winter approaching. Integrating a variety of prebiotic and probiotic foods, such as bananas, chickpeas, sauerkraut, and live yogurt, can nourish our gut bacteria and strengthen our immune response. Additionally, maintaining a balanced diet rich in phytonutrients and engaging in regular moderate exercise can significantly improve our overall health. It’s equally important to manage stress and ensure adequate sleep to support gut health and bolster our immune system.