Build up your Defenses
With all the viruses around many of us are looking for natural virus remedies. The truth is that there really are not scientifically proven natural remedies for viruses. Your best defense against viruses, bacteria, fungus, molds, and toxins is a healthy immune system. Maintaining a strong and healthy immune system is one of your keys to health. You might be wondering what you can do to keep your immune system strong, below are some natural remedies, supplements, and lifestyle habits you can use to help support a strong immune system.
Lifestyle Habits to Support a Healthy Immune System
- Eat Whole Foods. Whole foods include food in the same form as they were made. Whole foods include fruits, vegetables, lean meats, chicken, turkey, fish, and unprocessed grains.
- Eat Healthy Fats high in Omega 3’s. Foods that offer healthy fats are fish (salmon, herring, trout), walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, avocados, and eggs.
- Use Healthy Oils. Healthy oils include coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, and hemp oil.
- Eat Fermented Foods to promote gut health. Fermented foods include yogurt with cultures, kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
- Sleep. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Without sleep our body can’t function at its best and that includes our immune system.
- Stress. Its important to manage your stress. When our body is under stress it weakens our immune system causing us to become more susceptible to invaders.
- Stay Hydrated. Warm tea or water with lemon is great to drink. They are also recommending to gargle with warm salt water.
- SOQI Products. Two of my favorite products for promoting a healthy immune system include the Chi Machine and Far Infrared Dome. The Chi Machine moves the body keeping our circulation and lymphatics moving. The Far Infrared Dome heats or warms the body and when we warm out body it engages our immune system.
A Healthy Gut Equals a Healthy Immune System
Seventy to eighty percent of our immune system resides in our gut. One of the best ways to strengthen our immune system is to improve the the health of our gut. A healthy guts contains good and bad bacteria. A healthy balance between the two needs to exist to maintain gut health. The good bacteria found in the gut is known as probiotics. Both the good bacteria and the bad bacteria need to be fed.
The good bacteria loves to eat plants, foods high in fiber and fermented foods. These foods are high in prebiotics. The bad bacteria like to eat processed foods and grains and foods high in sugar. The balance between good and bad bacteria makes it important to maintain a healthy diet as described above. It is hard to maintain gut as well as a immune health without a diet high in fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats.
Natural Supplements
There are lots of supplements out there to offer additional support for a healthy immune system. Below is a list of my favorite Nature’s Sunshine Products you can use to support a healthy immune system.
Vitamin C with Bioflavanoids. Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant and can strengthen your body’s natural defenses.
D – Vitamin D is amazing and has the ability to modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses in our body. “Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity as well as an increased susceptibility to infection.” You can view the complete article here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/
Echinacea / Golden Seal are both great products for supporting your immune system. They may help to activate and strengthen your immune system especially during times of seasonal change.
Lobelia has a long historical use for supporting the respiratory system.
Olive Leaf Extract helps to boost your immune system with its high levels of antioxidants and works naturally with your body.
Silver Shield is very safe to take and offers a broad spectrum of immune system support.
Zinc support immune system function.
Combination Herbal Products for Immune Support
Lymphomax is an herbal combination containing Mullein which has been used to support the respiratory system especially when there is a cough, bronchitis or pneumonia according to RXList. If you can not find Lymphomax you can use Mullein as a single herb.
My Immune Defense is a blend of mushrooms with naturally occurring Vitamin D to support your immune system. During the winter I got pneumonia and took My Immune Defense daily and felt that it offered support.
VS-C is an herbal combination that is used for viral immune system support.
Essential Shied and Breathe Deep are both essential oil blends. Either of these blends work great for supporting immune system health. These blends can be used in a roll on, diffuser, or inhaler. I use an Essential Oil Blend Roll On all the time.
You can learn more about these supplements at Nature’s Sunshine Products. You should also consider joining our FREE 7 Day Healthy Habits Challenge.