Boost your immune system naturally

As temperatures (finally) start cooling down and kids head back to school, it also means another season is right around the corner- flu season! Now is a great time to boost your immune system, before flu season really takes off. Naturopathic Medicine has a lot of great tools for both keeping your immune system in good condition and helping your immune system fight off colds and flus. Keep reading to find out some great ways to boost your immune system. That way, when the flu comes to your work or school, your immune system will be a bit more prepared!

Contrast hydrotherapy

One of my favorite tools for boosting and supporting the immune system is Contrast Hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy means we’re using water as our treatment, and contrast hydrotherapy means we’re using hot and cold water as our treatment. I often use this as a tool for patients who are actively sick, but it’s even better if you’re doing it beforehand as a way to keep your immune system moving throughout your body. The easiest way to do this is after your normal shower, just end with a cool rinse for about 30 seconds to 5 minutes. You can also use hot tubs or saunas as your warm up phase and a cool shower as your cool down phase. If you’re using something like a hot tub or sauna, stay in the warm for 5-15 minutes to heat up your body first. If you want to ramp this up, try doing 3 rounds in a row instead of just one!

Please check with your provider first if you have any health concerns, as it’s inappropriate to do this therapy with certain diagnoses. It’s always safest to check with your medical provider before doing something new.

Diet and nutrition

What you eat plays a huge role in ensuring your immune system has what it needs for nutrients. The immune system relies on many nutrients to function.

Protein is important and definitely something that a lot of people are focusing on right now. But just as important is the vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals found in plants. It’s just as vital to eat lots of colorful fruits and vegetables to get a variety of nutrients- each color of fruits or vegetables is colored that way because of the nutrients found within them. So make sure you’re eating the full color of the rainbow along with the protein that you’re getting!

The additional benefit to eating lots of fruits and vegetables is that you’re eating lots of fiber. This fiber feeds your microbiome, which is a really important part of your immune system. The bacteria and fungi that lives on our skin and in our guts helps to train our immune system, produces lots of postbiotics that feed different organs in our body (including our immune system), and blocks bad bacteria and viruses from getting a hold on and in our body.

Some of my favorite fiber-ready meals.

• Garden salad with lots of leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, nuts and seeds, and dressed with oil and vinegar

• Greek bowl- quinoa, Greek chicken, sauteed onions and bell peppers, feta, tomatoes

• Loaded oatmeal- steel cut oats, raisins, fresh fruits, pecans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds

Also, watch out for things like sugar and alcohol. These things are known to depress your immune system, so make sure to limit them if you’re trying to keep your immune system ready to handle flu season.

Lifestyle

Another really great way to impact your immune system is through your lifestyle.

Are you moving your body on a regular basis? Moving your body is important to keep your immune system working well. Moving your body gets your blood moving, which is where a significant portion of our immune system lives. It also moves your lymph fluid (which is an important part of your immune system as well). Unlike blood, your lymph fluid can’t move on it’s own. We need to move for the lymph fluid to move to lymph nodes that can deal with the bacteria and viruses. So make sure to move your body regularly to help with both blood flow and lymph flow.

I love:

• hikes in nature

• lifting weights

• walks with my dog

Also, how are you managing your stress? Chronic stress impedes our ability to mount an effective immune response. We obviously can’t get away from stress completely, but the important part is how we respond to and resolve stress in our body. Making sure to do things that bring you calm and decrease your stress.

Some of my favorites:

• hikes in nature

• reading

• journaling

Find your favorite stress-lessening activities!

My final thoughts

All of these are great ways to support your immune system! However, even the best immune system can get overwhelmed by all the things this world likes to throw at it. When that happens, we do get sick. If you’re actively sick, many of these tools can still be helpful, but it’s also worth pivoting to some more intense support.

If you’re actively sick, schedule a visit today! As a Naturopathic Doctor, we have a lot of additional tools that can help someone recover faster from an active cold or flu.

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