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Don’t let sick days get in your way! Keep germs at bay and supercharge today!
With the high rise and spread of virus’ and infections, maintaining a strong immune system is becoming more and more crucial to our health in order to keep your body and mind in check and stay fighting fit.
Whether it’s a niggling cough, sore throat or a runny nose, symptoms of catching a virus or infection can lead to feeling run down and this in turn leads to day’s off work and missing out on your exercise routine. A poor sleep pattern generally prevails, and you are locked into this perpetual cycle until your immune system fights and beats the infection.
Our nutritionist, Marie explains why it is vital that we take our health into our own hands and enhance our immune system through better lifestyle choices as opposed to masking over the symptoms and purchasing over the counter flu tablets.
The first step to supporting your immune system starts with looking after your body’s internal environment. You are made up of 100 trillion cells and they are housed in your body’s internal terrain. The cells are sensitive to substances that impact their function including changes in amino acids, electrolytes, oxygen and essential fatty acids.
When the health of your internal terrain is not optimal; your cells fail to keep up. This impacts your bodily systems including your immune system.
Steps you can take to support your internal terrain and your immune system include:
How does hydration support your internal environment and support your cells?
Water is essential for hydration and our bodies run on energy. When we are well hydrated our cells can access the energy flowing through our systems and this enables them to carry out their mechanisms efficiently. This in turn helps the entire body can work more efficiently. If we are not hydrated with the correct balance of electrolytes and trace elements, many aspects of cellular health are impacted including energy generation, DNA structure, digestive health and immunity.
Dehydration can negatively impact the immune system, increasing our susceptibility to catching a virus or infection. What most hydration products, currently available are missing are the trace elements in the right ratio in order to bring water into the cell and to hold it there, for optimal cellular hydration. Studies have found that those with poor sleep have an increased risk of catching illnesses such as the flu as they produce a lower antibody response. Simultaneously hydration aids deeper brain sleep.
How does the digestive system impact immunity?
Our digestive system is home to trillions of microbes that play a role in digestion, weight control and immunity.
Your gut is an important barrier to the outside world, it is the first line of defence between you and anything potentially harmful that you swallow. Your gut flora works with your immune cells to keep you healthy. Your healthy gut bacteria helps to reduce harmful substances from entering the gut lining and being absorbed. It also regulates and stabilises your digestion and trains your immune system to communicate with your brain. Therefore, certain nutrients that support your digestive health also will support your immune system.
Prebiotic foods such as leeks, onion and garlic; foods rich in antioxidants such as dark coloured fruit and vegetables as well as essential minerals, trace elements and essential fatty acids can support digestive health.
Your gut microbiome requires diversity for cellular functions including the movement and flow of water for hydration. Conversely, over the counter anti-inflammatories can make water flow out into the colon and dehydrate the body, negatively impacting the microbiome.
Cellnutrition Isotonic has been shown to support digestive health. Cellnutrition Isotonic and Hypertonic supports the absorption of other beneficial nutrients in food, that contribute to better digestive health and therefore immunity.
Why should we consider essential fatty acids?
Dietary choices play a role in our gut microbiota.
Whilst many studies highlight the effects of prebiotic fibres, the effects of essential fatty acids such as Omega-3 is still being explored and more research is being carried out showing the benefits of Omega-3 for the gut which is strongly linked to the immune system.
One study showed that specific bacteria linked to lower inflammation are increased in people who have a higher intake of Omega-3 fatty acids. Another study showed that Omega-3 supplementation induces an increase in short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria.
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