9 foods I enjoy and supplements I take to support my immune system

The danger of catching a cold or the flu (or worse, coronavirus) is not a new phenomenon of the last few weeks. All winter long communities are aware that the flu is going around and in many places, the common cold gets passed from person to person.

Every winter it's good to have a few things on hand for immune support! It’s never a bad time to support your immune system.

Supporting the immune system means you are making sure to get the nutrients your body needs to have a strong defense system. It does not mean that you are forcing the immune system to go into hyperdrive.

I recently got over a cold and I also got blood work results that showed my white blood cell counts to be very low. This means it’s even more important for me to nourish my body with immune-supporting nutrients.

Here are some things that I have done this winter to support my immune system…

1. Lots and lots of vitamin C - Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that fights against free radicals, which cause disease. Enough vitamin C can reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of respiratory tract infections. Real food forms of vitamin C are the best but in times of sickness, I always supplement. Look for a supplement that is ascorbate acid with bioflavonoids in it or better yet get a supplement from a real food form such as amala or something with rose hips in it. I take 4,000mg twice a day when sick (but that doesn’t mean that is the correct dose for everyone). If you get loose stools on the dose you are taking that means you have reached bowel tolerance and are taking too much. Drop it down by 1000mg (1 gram) and continue taking that dose until you get the same sign that it has become too high of a dose.
   
   There are many great food forms of vitamin C. Cabbage, for example, has 10 times the amount of vitamin C when turned into sauerkraut that it does in its unfermented state. I also love using Baobab powder (more on that in point 9).

2. Zinc - Zinc is used in hundreds of processes in the body and is essential for your immune system to function. I take this zinc with meals. Never take zinc away from meals because it can be hard to digest and make you nauseous.

3. A spore probiotic -I alternate between megaspore probiotic and bio-kult. Megaspore is a spore-forming which is a more hardy kind of probiotic strain that is more capable of surviving in your gut and can go dormant and awake when nutrients are present.

4. ‘Thieves’, ‘Onguard’ or ‘germ fighter’ essential oils - This cinnamon based blend of essential oils has been used historically to ward off sickness. I apply this to my feet before bed or put a small dab on my hands with hand cream when I don’t have hand sanitizer. Always use diluted unless it’s on the sole of your feet.

5. Gargling with saltwater -I just finished reading Salt Your Way To Health and am thoroughly convinced at the amazingness of unrefined salt. Salt is an antiseptic and when you gargle with it, it can kill bacteria in your throat. I put about ¼ tsp of salt in ¼ of hot water, stir to dissolve and then add enough cold water to make it warm but not hot enough to burn. Gargle and repeat again at the end of the day.

6. Echinacea herb - This herb is widely used for immune support. You can find it in capsule or tincture form. I currently have it tincture form (this one) and I take it twice a day when sick and once a day if I’m actively trying to avoid getting sick.

7. Elderberry syrup - Probably one of the most common natural cold and flu preventatives! I love a good elderberry syrup. Elderberry can help prevent a cold or flu and help make the symptoms less severe. This will be more effective if you take it BEFORE getting sick. This article is a good resource to learn more about elderberry. A lot of elderberry syrups can be overly sweet for my preference so I either make it homemade with half the honey or buy one that has an alcohol base to it but still some honey.

   
   These are some immune boosting drinks I love to make and enjoy throughout the day.

8. Flu tea - There is a recipe in the book called “Be your own doctor” by Rachel Weaver that helps to prevent and shorten the duration of the flu. My mom used to make this years ago when we were sick and it’s effectiveness made me a believer in herbs. Here’s what I’m using to make flu tea…

   1 cup red raspberry leaf
   ⅓ cup peppermint tea
   ⅓ alfalfa
   ⅓ cup nettle
   ⅓ lemon balm
   ⅛ cup yarrow flowers

   Make this mix then use ½ cup for a quart of tea. Steep for at least 20 minutes then strain and sweeten to taste.

9. Singing canary from Trim Healthy Mama. View the original recipe here.

   This drink is a good way to get turmeric in your diet (which helps with inflammation). Baobab power which is a berry that is high in vitamin C.

   I don’t always have all the correct ingredients so my standard quick version is as follows…

   To 1 quart of water add…
   ½ tsp turmeric powder
   1 tsp baobab powder
   1/32 tsp stevia powder (or whatever stevia you use, to taste)
   ¼ cup lemon juice (or the juice of two lemons)
   Shake it all together and enjoy it throughout the day.

   If you are new to using food and supplements as a precautionary method for the cold and flu season this list might seem very long and intimidating! Have no fear! The worst thing to do is to read this and do nothing because you don’t know where to start. Start with one thing at a time and go from there. Go to your local health food store and get a bottle of vitamin C and start taking a higher dose!

   Oftentimes when I feel like I’m getting sick doing all 9 things listed here is just too much to think about. My strategy is to start by taking what I know to be most important and effective and add in everything as I can. Rarely do I accomplish taking all 9 of these things in one day.

   Here’s to baby steps!