Tips to Keep your Immune System Strong!
- Get proper sleep – Aim for a minimum of 8 hours. Use this lockdown time to bump it up a bit. Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday to help your body set its circadian rhythm. When you wake consistently without your alarm, you are a probably on the right amount of sleep.
- Food:
- You need a diverse number of phyto-nutrients found in plants to create a strong barrier against pathogens that would otherwise make you ill.
Because immunity typically declines as you age, it becomes especially important to eat more immune-supporting foods as you get older. Even the immune system of folk as young as 25 or 30 years old, is affected by poor nutrition. But anyone, at ANY age, can assist their immune system by starting to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day – they will start to have a better antibody response to external invaders. In other words, the more fruits and vegetables you eat, the better off you are. Great immune boosting foods include sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cruciferous veg (kale, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, cauliflower), mushrooms, spinach, peppers, kefir, fruits (all fruits in season, but focus on berries, apples, citrus), sunflower and sesame seeds, coconut oil, avo and nuts.
- Make your meals more tasty by including the following wherever you can: garlic, ginger, onion, oreganum, sage, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric, lemon.
- Have a green smoothie every day – Focus on variety: Fruits and Vegetables – especially the ones that are in season. Obviously fresh fruit and veg is first prize, but from a practical point of view, I freeze a lot of my stuff: In my daily smoothies, I use frozen berries, pineapple, banana – even frozen avo! (I like my body to be able to have the good fats in avo all year round). In freezing, I simply make sure that use everything within 2 months. Click here for a glimpse of my daily smoothie. Note: You can add our Pace & Power Collagen Peptides to your smooothie. Collagen peptides, apart from helping repair damaged connective tissue, it also helps lower overall inflammation in the body, assisting your immune system to do its job.
If you prefer to have just a fruit smoothie, you can add our immune-boosting Whey Power for extra protein. Check out our Whey Power recipes! - Stay hydrated:
- Drink WATER – the amount you should drink is based on bodyweight: During the day: Bodyweight x 30mls. (Plus 500mls-750mls per hour during training).
- Alternatives to water: I like to drink Rooibos Tea, but I add fresh ginger, turmeric, a sprinkle of black pepper, cinnamon and a large spoon of Pace & Power’s Raw Honey. Other options include Kombucha, a lovely refreshing immune-boosting option. Green tea is also good in this regard. Add a spoon of our Pace & Power Raw Honey to your green tea.
- Train consistently – But don’t train if you’re feeling tired, run-down. Use this time to maintain a measure of fitness – It’s ok to “tick-over” and let go of chasing super-high heart rates. Never underestimate the value of a little!
- Note: We have a HOME WORKOUT web app (i.e. works on ANYTHING = ANY phone (with a browser), PC laptop, tablet. These workouts are designed for home. They are either Bodyweight OR Kettlebells+Bodyweight. You can do them at home in a very small space. Go to: http://wotd.ikff.za.net and then click the Go! button when you’re ready to start. (You need only a web browser…NO apps, NO software, NO installation etc)
- Make time to pray daily. To be thankful… Gratefulness translates into joy and peace. #StopScrolling
- Cold water: After thoroughly soaping and then rinsing with hot water, turn your shower to cold for ~30 seconds. This is a great booster to the immune system. Note: Don’t do this if you are feeling run-down or sick, have chronic fatigue, or have any underlying medical condition; or are pregnant.
- Get some sun, but be sure to not burn your skin! If you’re unable to get sun, second best is Vitamin D supplementation.
- Grounding – Walk barefoot on grass or sand. (Whether you’re a hippie or not, walking on grass does make you feel better!)
Wherever possible, avoid the following as they all can suppress/compromise the immune system:
- Alcohol and sugar (Rather use our raw honey)
- Wheat (Contains phytic acid which prevents the absorption of important minerals)
- Artificial additives (colourants etc.)
- Hydrogenated oils (Common culprits are margarine, packaged snacks, baked foods, packet soups and sauces, fried foods, coffee creamers – both dairy and non-dairy)
- GMO foods: Contain enzyme inhibitors that affect absorption
- Fluoride: Blocks the absorption of iodine, essential for strong immunity
- Soy products: Suppress thyroid function, mineral absorption, and protein digestion
- Drugs (specifically antibiotics, steroids, and pain relievers): Destroy beneficial bacteria, reduce absorption and increase elimination of nutrients.
How to wash your veggies and fruit – Parasites, Pesticides, Bacteria