Strengthening our Immune System
If the current climate has taught us anything it is to spend time on ourselves looking after our body, mind and spirit. When we look after our own health we will in turn strengthen our immune system – the body’s defence against pathogens - viral/bacterial and fungal infections.
Ways in which we can strengthen our immunity are:
• Regular exercise
• Getting adequate sleep
• Minimising stress
• Maintaining good gut health
There are many exercises that can be done without gym equipment from squats and planks; to doing yoga poses; Pilates; using resistance bands or a fit ball; even Wii Fit - if you can get a turn from the 5 yr old; YouTube has many great ideas if you’re at a loss (for instance type in ‘exercises on fit ball’).
Getting adequate sleep means more than 7 hours per night. A lot of research has been done around sleep and its effect on early ageing, life span, weight and immunity (see Matthew Walker, ‘Why we sleep’). Though having a 20 month old can make this a little challenging.
Minimising stress can be challenging during these times, though being homebound also means we have the time to find a space to get away from everybody and sit and deep breathe. This only needs to be for 5 minutes a day, but if you can spend longer than 5 minutes or if you can do it more than once a day you will notice the calm washing away the stress.
Meditations on YouTube, or apps like Headspace and Insight Timer are great if you require guided relaxation. Exercises like Tai Chi, Qi (Chi) gong and Yoga are beneficial and again can be found online. If these techniques aren’t your cup of tea, then something simple like lying on a hammock and breathing intentionally will still achieve a sense of calm.
Though I’ve listed a few online resources you can use, we also need to take some time to unplug, turn off our screens and disconnect. With the 24 hour news cycle being mainly about Covid-19, this can instil in us fear and anxiety. By simply disconnecting we can minimise this stress.
If you have trouble sitting with yourself then read a book, pick up a paint brush, work in the garden, etc. How often do you get free time?
It is known that gut health correlates with our immune system.
Around 70% of our immune system is located in the digestive system. That is huge! So it makes sense that the better our digestion is the stronger our immune system will be then the better our bodies are at defending against invading pathogens.
This is why diet plays a major role in immunity. Foods and substances known to weaken immunity are processed foods, high sugar, refined carbs, alcohol and smoking.
To obtain a healthy digestive system eat a diet high in fruit and vegetables, and probiotic (containing high amount of microorganisms beneficial for the gut) foods such as acidophilus, raw sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, pickles, apple cider vinegar and miso soup.
Foods such as ginger, lemon, garlic, bone broths and mushrooms especially Shitake and Reishi, are commonly used for improving immunity. As are Chlorophyll rich foods such as deep green vegetables, parsley, seaweeds, barley grass and wheat grass. Studies on the pigments in fruit and vegetables (such as chlorophyll and flavonols) are suggesting healing properties such as anti inflammatory, anti viral, anti bacterial amongst other qualities.
Fresh is always best, though if you’re needing assistance you can find supplements beneficial such as Olive leaf extract, Echinacea, Armaforce (which contains Astragalus – a Chinese medicinal), Vitamins A, C, E, B, and minerals zinc and selenium.
This correlates in Chinese medicine with the function of the Spleen, seen in Chinese medicine as a major part of digestion, of blood and energy production and production of immune cells. There is a well known formula for the Spleen called Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang or ‘tonify the middle and augment the qi’, which means to strengthen digestion and increase energy and as a by product strengthens immune and body function.
Ways in which we can strengthen our immunity are:
• Regular exercise
• Getting adequate sleep
• Minimising stress
• Maintaining good gut health
There are many exercises that can be done without gym equipment from squats and planks; to doing yoga poses; Pilates; using resistance bands or a fit ball; even Wii Fit - if you can get a turn from the 5 yr old; YouTube has many great ideas if you’re at a loss (for instance type in ‘exercises on fit ball’).
Getting adequate sleep means more than 7 hours per night. A lot of research has been done around sleep and its effect on early ageing, life span, weight and immunity (see Matthew Walker, ‘Why we sleep’). Though having a 20 month old can make this a little challenging.
Minimising stress can be challenging during these times, though being homebound also means we have the time to find a space to get away from everybody and sit and deep breathe. This only needs to be for 5 minutes a day, but if you can spend longer than 5 minutes or if you can do it more than once a day you will notice the calm washing away the stress.
Meditations on YouTube, or apps like Headspace and Insight Timer are great if you require guided relaxation. Exercises like Tai Chi, Qi (Chi) gong and Yoga are beneficial and again can be found online. If these techniques aren’t your cup of tea, then something simple like lying on a hammock and breathing intentionally will still achieve a sense of calm.
Though I’ve listed a few online resources you can use, we also need to take some time to unplug, turn off our screens and disconnect. With the 24 hour news cycle being mainly about Covid-19, this can instil in us fear and anxiety. By simply disconnecting we can minimise this stress.
If you have trouble sitting with yourself then read a book, pick up a paint brush, work in the garden, etc. How often do you get free time?
It is known that gut health correlates with our immune system.
Around 70% of our immune system is located in the digestive system. That is huge! So it makes sense that the better our digestion is the stronger our immune system will be then the better our bodies are at defending against invading pathogens.
This is why diet plays a major role in immunity. Foods and substances known to weaken immunity are processed foods, high sugar, refined carbs, alcohol and smoking.
To obtain a healthy digestive system eat a diet high in fruit and vegetables, and probiotic (containing high amount of microorganisms beneficial for the gut) foods such as acidophilus, raw sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, pickles, apple cider vinegar and miso soup.
Foods such as ginger, lemon, garlic, bone broths and mushrooms especially Shitake and Reishi, are commonly used for improving immunity. As are Chlorophyll rich foods such as deep green vegetables, parsley, seaweeds, barley grass and wheat grass. Studies on the pigments in fruit and vegetables (such as chlorophyll and flavonols) are suggesting healing properties such as anti inflammatory, anti viral, anti bacterial amongst other qualities.
Fresh is always best, though if you’re needing assistance you can find supplements beneficial such as Olive leaf extract, Echinacea, Armaforce (which contains Astragalus – a Chinese medicinal), Vitamins A, C, E, B, and minerals zinc and selenium.
This correlates in Chinese medicine with the function of the Spleen, seen in Chinese medicine as a major part of digestion, of blood and energy production and production of immune cells. There is a well known formula for the Spleen called Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang or ‘tonify the middle and augment the qi’, which means to strengthen digestion and increase energy and as a by product strengthens immune and body function.
Using food as medicine for colds and flu
As with almost everything in Chinese Medicine (CM), there isn't just one type of cold and flu.
Colds and flu come in many CM patterns, wind heat and wind cold being 2 of those forms. Below is a list of foods which Chinese Medicine believes can help the body fight back.
WIND- HEAT (coloured mucus/phlegm hard to move or thick, sore throat, dry itchy cough, body aches, fever or alternating fever/chills, dry mouth, sweating)
PEPPERMINT – cool and pungent. Analgesic, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-parasitic Cools and clears the eyes and head, vents rashes (eg. measles), soothes the throat and benefits cough, headache and mouth ulcers. Cooled leaves or teabags can be used on the skin or eyelids to benefit heat, itching and redness. Peppermint can be consumed in a tea.
LEMON/LIME – cooling, antiseptic and antimicrobial. Increases fluid production, destroys putrefying bacteria in the mouth and gut (so good for bad breath). Helps resolve mucus. Lemons/lime can be added to your tea or to warm/hot water.
CHRYSANTHEMUM – sweet, bitter, cool, antibacterial and antiseptic. These flowers help to clear the lungs and liver. Beneficial for fevers, headache, dizziness, sore eyes, sore throat and voice loss. Like peppermint cooled flowers can be used externally on eyelids and can also be used on sores and inflamed skin conditions. These flowers can be found dried at Asian supermarkets – small flowers are the best. Chrysanthemum flowers can be used in tea.
WIND –COLD (watery eyes, clear runny nose, sneezes, chills)
GINGER – warm and pungent, helps with aches, bronchitis, nausea and vomiting. Warms the body and transforms phlegm. Warms the lungs and stops cough. Helps break down high proteins such as meat and beans so beneficial for digestion. Ginger can be added to tea or warm/hot water.
CINNAMON- sweet, warm and pungent. Antibacterial and anti-fungal Warms the body, disperses cold by improving circulation. Clears thin mucus. Cinnamon can be added to porridge or soups.
SPRING ONIONS – pungent and bitter, anti-fungal and antimicrobial, used for chest pain and promotes sweating. It’s very good in early stages of cold, such as cooking the whites with chicken in chicken soup.
GARLIC – pungent, anti-fungal and antimicrobial. Promotes circulation and sweating. Eliminates worms, bacteria, yeasts, viruses and other micro organisms, eliminates toxins such as cadmium and lead. Fresh parsley eaten after garlic will help eliminate odour and also indigestion. Can take like a tablet with the common cold – ½ clove 2/3 times/day, or hold a clove between the teeth and cheek for 20 mins moving it around the mouth and doing this 3 times a day when symptoms first start.
ONION – warm and pungent, a traditional cough remedy is simmering onions in water until soft with honey added, then eating one onion every 4 hours. The juice or crushed onion in a pack can also be used externally on the chest for bronchial or chest congestion. Also lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
Colds and flu come in many CM patterns, wind heat and wind cold being 2 of those forms. Below is a list of foods which Chinese Medicine believes can help the body fight back.
WIND- HEAT (coloured mucus/phlegm hard to move or thick, sore throat, dry itchy cough, body aches, fever or alternating fever/chills, dry mouth, sweating)
PEPPERMINT – cool and pungent. Analgesic, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-parasitic Cools and clears the eyes and head, vents rashes (eg. measles), soothes the throat and benefits cough, headache and mouth ulcers. Cooled leaves or teabags can be used on the skin or eyelids to benefit heat, itching and redness. Peppermint can be consumed in a tea.
LEMON/LIME – cooling, antiseptic and antimicrobial. Increases fluid production, destroys putrefying bacteria in the mouth and gut (so good for bad breath). Helps resolve mucus. Lemons/lime can be added to your tea or to warm/hot water.
CHRYSANTHEMUM – sweet, bitter, cool, antibacterial and antiseptic. These flowers help to clear the lungs and liver. Beneficial for fevers, headache, dizziness, sore eyes, sore throat and voice loss. Like peppermint cooled flowers can be used externally on eyelids and can also be used on sores and inflamed skin conditions. These flowers can be found dried at Asian supermarkets – small flowers are the best. Chrysanthemum flowers can be used in tea.
WIND –COLD (watery eyes, clear runny nose, sneezes, chills)
GINGER – warm and pungent, helps with aches, bronchitis, nausea and vomiting. Warms the body and transforms phlegm. Warms the lungs and stops cough. Helps break down high proteins such as meat and beans so beneficial for digestion. Ginger can be added to tea or warm/hot water.
CINNAMON- sweet, warm and pungent. Antibacterial and anti-fungal Warms the body, disperses cold by improving circulation. Clears thin mucus. Cinnamon can be added to porridge or soups.
SPRING ONIONS – pungent and bitter, anti-fungal and antimicrobial, used for chest pain and promotes sweating. It’s very good in early stages of cold, such as cooking the whites with chicken in chicken soup.
GARLIC – pungent, anti-fungal and antimicrobial. Promotes circulation and sweating. Eliminates worms, bacteria, yeasts, viruses and other micro organisms, eliminates toxins such as cadmium and lead. Fresh parsley eaten after garlic will help eliminate odour and also indigestion. Can take like a tablet with the common cold – ½ clove 2/3 times/day, or hold a clove between the teeth and cheek for 20 mins moving it around the mouth and doing this 3 times a day when symptoms first start.
ONION – warm and pungent, a traditional cough remedy is simmering onions in water until soft with honey added, then eating one onion every 4 hours. The juice or crushed onion in a pack can also be used externally on the chest for bronchial or chest congestion. Also lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
