Every autumn, when the weather turns cold and drizzly, the same question comes to many people’s minds: how to keep your resistance so strong that you don’t get sick this winter? Or if it were to happen, how would the disease pass easily? In fact, there is no need to be afraid. If we take good care of our body, we are able to prevent many diseases and stay healthy permanently.
In our climate, all wildlife collects and stores energy for the winter to last until spring – in winter, everything works in economy mode. Today’s man, on the other hand, does not spare himself at all in winter. In the summer we rest and in the fall we rush against the dark and cold weather on full tours. Little sleep, hard work, “vacation” on smart devices. That’s how it happens that by the second half of winter, the weather is out, fatigue sets in, and viruses break whole families. So what could we easily change in this situation?
A good sleep is worth its weight in gold. Adequate amounts of rest and following natural rhythms improve our resistance.
You can also move outdoors in almost any weather, and luckily there are also sports clubs. Exercising in different temperatures and weather conditions helps harden our body and prevent catching a cold.
Yoga, meditation and relaxation have a calming effect on the mind and invigorate the body and improve the body’s stress response and lower the level of inflammation in the body.
The right food according to the season: Antioxidants and phytonutrients in colorful fruits and vegetables are essential for immune protection. Seasonal fruits should always be preferred. In other words, leafy salads should be eaten in spring and summer and beets in autumn and winter. Deep-frozen garden and forest berries are a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants, alongside regular cabbage or sauerkraut.
Digestion and gut microflora are a very important part of our immune defense, as the bacteria in our digestive system play an important role in keeping the immune system functioning. Fiber-rich grains, legumes and vegetables and acidified foods keep the digestive microflora in the necessary diversity. A course of probiotics could be done both preventively and after viral diseases, especially if antibiotics have been used. In that case, it would be important to take a sufficiently high dose of probiotic, for this purpose it could be 20-30 billion CFU, not 2-3 billion, which is the normal content of bacterial cultures in the vast majority of such products.
Supplements: Vitamins D and C and zinc are considered the golden trio in the prevention of viral diseases.
A stable level of vitamin D is important to prevent seasonal fatigue and mood disorders. While we do not get vitamin D from the sun, its deficiency is a prevalent problem in our latitudes. To determine the exact need for vitamin D, it would be good to take a blood test.
A sufficient level of vitamin C in the body prevents physical fatigue and shortens the duration of the disease. Biochemically, it is known that only about 200 mg of vitamin C is absorbed in the intestine at a time. This fact limits the possibilities of using large doses of vitamin C to support the body. If the disease is already attacking, the liposomal vitamin C packed in liposomes allows significantly larger amounts of vitamin C to be introduced into the body.
Our body’s immune cells need zinc for perfect development and functioning. If you don’t get enough of it from food, you can also take zinc in addition during a certain period, while it is worth making sure that the food supplement is actually in an absorbable form. In general, minerals are good in chelated form, in the case of zinc this form is zinc picolinate.
The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA found in fish oil products regulate the body’s inflammatory response, protect the heart and brain, and improve our outlook for better mood and stronger health. In order for such an effect to actually manifest itself, one should choose a high-quality and pure omega-3 product with at least 250 mg of DHA, i.e. a naturally balanced fish oil should contain a minimum of 625 mg of EPA+DHA in one daily dose.
Glutathione is one of the strongest and most important antioxidants in our body. Antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress by binding free radicals. The body produces its own glutathione, but stress, chronic illness and poor diet can all affect its levels. It has been found that glutathione levels also decrease in old age. Sulfur-containing foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, and kale, as well as onions and garlic, help increase glutathione levels. You can also get it from kiwi, spinach, avocado and asparagus. Glutathione can also be taken as a high-quality dietary supplement, preferably in liposomal form.
If you still haven’t managed to prevent getting sick, it would be a good time to relax and rest. Giving the body rest helps to overcome the disease faster. Herbs and ginger tea, honey, steams and mustard baths are the mainstays of the home treatment arsenal. However, many do not know that when you get a cold, you should stop taking iron supplements and multivitamins – they can actually give viruses more vitality.
Healing can be supported and the time of illness can be shortened with plants whose bioactive components are known to affect the immune system. Garlic and onion have long been known in our area. The compounds found in the bark of the Pau d`Arco, or vernacular ant tree, from the Brazilian rainforest have been found to have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory effects. It can be used both prophylactically to support natural defense mechanisms and when already ill.
If we want our health to stay good and in order, it is important to see our body and mind as a whole and try to implement several of these suggestions at once.
Suitable products in our online store: