In today’s world we all want, and need, to find ways to improve our immunity. We must strengthen our body’s natural defenses so they can protect us all.the.time. This is something that has always been vital for optimal health, but with everything that’s going on - it's even more important than ever.
Your body’s natural defense is your immune system. It’s the only way your body fights to protect you from outside attacks by viruses, bacteria and other harmful microbes that cause illness and disease.
You must make the conscious decision every day to boost your natural defenses.
Think of it this way:
It’s like putting on a suit of armor before going into battle. Every day you need to be intentional and put on each piece of your suit. Leaving anything out makes you vulnerable to sickness, disease, toxicity and more. It is an imperative method that must be consciously completed for yourself and your family. It doesn’t just happen on its own.
In today’s world, you are, no doubt, dealing with way more stress and sleepless nights than before our world changed. The uncertainty of it all, plus having to make major decisions for yourself and family, can be too much to take. You’re trying to juggle work, homeschooling your kids, zoom schedules, finances and so much more. It’s like the stress you had a year ago has been compounded, and that isn't going to help you, or your family, gain health. It’s actually crippling it. Daily.
Achieving wellness isn’t just about preventing illness, but improving the health of generations to come.
Building a strong natural defense will help you and your family now and forever. You can equip yourself and your family with tools they can use for a lifetime and that will not only have a dramatic impact on their lives, but the lives of their families as well.
Think about the benefits of what improved immunity will do for your family.
For mine, it was a game changer. My oldest was always sick, picking up every daycare germie and bringing it home to share with us, so when my second son was born we researched and instituted a proactive family health plan to build up our body’s armor. For example, we started using an essential oil roller filled with clove, cinnamon and other oils on our feet and spine and began supplementing daily with vitamin C, D, zinc and others, which we increased during winter months. It didn’t take long before we noticed that we all stayed much healthier.
It’s time to make a change and start looking for ways to strengthen your armor and improve your body’s natural defenses. To get you started, here are my favorite tips and tricks.
Here are my top 15 ways to boost your body’s natural defenses today and forever!
1. Eat (mostly) a plant based diet.
With the schedules that so many of us keep, eating healthy and cooking at home can be a challenge, but it needs to be a priority. Eating a plant based diet will help improve your body’s ability to stay healthy by providing an assortment of vitamins and minerals you need to stay protected. Meats are important too, they supply some important nutrients, but it should be a side dish to a meal. Incorporate meat into some of your meals each week instead of making it the main course for every meal of the day.
2. Whole real foods should be the majority of your diet.
Are you relying too heavily on getting your nutrients from meal replacements or protein drinks? Though there is a place for these items, they should not make up the primary portion of your diet. It is better to eat whole, real foods for better nutrient absorption. Snack bars are welcome, but must be sourced very well with organic whole food ingredients. A family favorite of ours is gomacro.com.
3. Use the right supplements.
There is a place for supplementation to resolve short term ailments and to provide chronic support of certain key vitamins and nutrients. Our depleted soil does not contain all that our body requires, so our fruits and veggies aren’t as nutritious as they once were. Supplements, such as this Vitamin C from my shop, will help boost your natural defenses quickly and effectively. Not only can vitamin C help improve your defense against getting sick, it can also help reduce inflammation, protect your memory, and might even help you manage your blood pressure.
Other supplements you should consider taking to help boost your body’s natural defenses are:
- Vitamin D (with vitamin K2)
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Quercetin
- Elderberry
- Vitamin C
and
- Vitamin A
4. Limit your sugar intake, for real.
Sugar directly inflames your body, which dramatically lowers the body’s ability to fight off sickness and disease. Sugar is a major contributor to increased inflammation which can lead to chronic disease, damaged joints, and more.
To strengthen your natural defenses, and your family’s, try really hard to remove added sugar. There really are so many snacks that don’t have any, or very little, added sugar. Yogurt is notorious for having a ton, so choose carefully. For myself and my family, I look for snacks with under 6 grams per serving (preferably less). There are many snack bars available that provide great options to satisfy your sweet and salty cravings that aren’t sugar laden.
5. Drink more water and make it higher quality.
Not only does drinking water help your overall function, it will also drastically impact your natural defenses as you flush toxins and eliminate waste from your body. We stick to reverse osmosis water and re-mineralize it, but others feel that alkaline water provides their body with what they need. I would look into both and make an educated decision that is best for you and your family.
6. Eat more blueberries.
Yes! Blueberries are full of antioxidants which are great for fighting disease, cancer and are a great layer in your suit of armor as you build up your immunity. For added taste and health benefits, add some cardamom spice to them.
7. Ingest Tumeric.
Turmeric is another antioxidant that will help you fight disease. It is also a major anti-inflammatory which helps reduce inflammation that could be caused by so many health issues including arthritis. Turmeric is very versatile! You can cook with it, sprinkle it on your latte, or take it as a separate supplement, any way is fantastic!
8. Find small ways to decrease stress.
I know that life is stressful, especially right now. Your world is chaos. The key, however, is to not allow the stress to become so overwhelming that it begins to make you sick. High levels of stress can make you more susceptible to the common cold, cancer, and heart disease. When you are feeling overwhelmed, find a short deep breathing technique that works best for you and practice it. Believe it or not, you will feel more in control of my mind and body instantly.
9. Meditate for 3-5 minutes a day.
Speaking of lowering your stress levels, a great way to manage stress is by implementing meditation into your daily routine for at least 3 - 5 minutes. I use an app called Insight Timer for my meditations. They are short, guided meditations that can be used throughout your day.
10. Limit your use of tobacco and alcohol
You’re an adult and you make your own choices. I get that. We all do. However, let me be perfectly clear - it is impossible to find true health if you are using tobacco regularly. It won’t happen.
Alcohol, depending on what you consume and how much, can put you in the same boat. For example, there has been some research that has shown that drinking a glass of wine every few days can help improve heart health. The antioxidants and other ingredients in red wine have shown to improve the health of your heart and blood vessels. This isn’t to say you should start drinking, but doing so in moderation could be beneficial or some. Also, it's so important to consume organic wines due to the toxicity of the chemicals in the growing and harvesting process. Check out Dry Farm Wines and Scout and Cellar for great tasty options.
11. Get outside more!
Being outside daily will help you build your natural defenses in multiple ways. The two main reasons I make this a priority is to ensure I am grounded to the earth (yes, barefoot for at least five minutes a day) and for sun exposure for Vitamin D. These two things will make a huge impact on your immune system and will help you manage stress.
Grounding has been known to help reduce pain, anxiety, depression and to improve sleep. Taking 5 minutes a day to walk outside with your feet in the sand or grass is fun and brings you back to childhood as well. Your inner child will be soooo happy.
Vitamin D is produced naturally within your skin when you are exposed to sunlight. For those in climates with little sunlight throughout the year, supplementation is necessary. Vitamin D has been known to help fight disease and help with depression.
12. Take a cold shower.
That’s right! Take a short cold shower before bed to help regulate your core body temperature. Doing so helps your body relax quicker and can help initiate the parasympathetic or “rest and digest” state we all need to enter daily to improve and maintain our health.
13. Get better sleep at night.
Getting enough sleep at night can be difficult, especially for those of us with small children. It’s imperative, however, to ensure you are getting adequate sleep at night to allow your body to rest and recover which will help provide yet another important layer in your body armor.
Everyone thrives on routines, so if you don’t already have a consistent sleep routine it’s time to devise on. You set routines for your kids so they can thrive - it’s time you do the same for yourself.
14. Track your sleep.
There are many tools out there that can be used to track your sleep so you can identify your sleep patterns and what habits may be helping or hindering your ability to rest well. The more you know about the quality of your sleep, the better you can analyze your habits and whether or not they need to be tweaked.
It’s important to know if you are waking too frequently at night, or if you aren’t getting enough restorative sleep. There are many apps and devices available, but to start you can journal how you feel when you wake up and throughout the day. You can also note how many times you wake up at night to use the bathroom, get a drink, etc.
15. Move daily.
Exercise is vital to your health. I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times, but it’s true. Daily exercise will help you sleep better, will help reduce stress and can help prevent a number of diseases. It doesn’t have to be something hardcore, but calm, low intensity practices like yoga, tai chi, or qigong are phenomenal for mental and physical health.
I don’t expect you to start implementing all these tips today. Infact, doing that is only going to cause more stress, and the point is to reduce it, right? Pick a couple.Choose two or three of these tips that make the most sense and are doable for your family now. Involve them in choosing which ones sound the most fun.
Many believe that the road to health is in a sprint line. We can wake up one day and want to change and we want to take action and see results right away. The truth is, it’s a marathon. Gaining real health is a journey and it takes time. Choose a couple of these tips and find success with them. If they don’t work for your family, try others. Trust me, if you start with just 2 or 3 of these, you will start to notice a difference. Celebrate the successes. Be kind to yourself. Keep on going!
If you’re ready to learn more about improving your natural defenses on a deeper level, click the button below to apply to work with me. I only have a few slots open to work one-on-one with women like you who are ready to take control of their health and start truly living life. Today could be the start of a great journey for you and your family. Are you ready?
Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired? Apply to work with me today!
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