There are a whole host of bugs flying around us at the moment and while yes, many of them are contagious and can be passed from one person to the next, not everyone who comes into contact with them will get sick. Have you ever noticed this? Hopefully you’re one of the ‘lucky ones’ who always seems to dodge the office sickness, but if you’re one of those people who seems to catch everything that is going around, it might be time to give your immune system a little bit of TLC.

So why do only some people get sick and others don’t, even if they are in the same situation, with the same bugs flying around?

The answer my friends, is usually in how well your immune system reacts in this initial meeting of bug-entering-body. When I think of our immune system, I normally picture a little army, made up of a variety of different soldiers all performing specific yet different jobs. But before this army gets called into action, we need to be thinking about our defensive barriers and how well they are functioning…Think of it more like border security. If we can stop the pests coming in right from the start, we limit the amount of aggressive action that is needed at a later stage.

Border security: Naturopathic Style

The main thing we need to support and protect as a first-line form of treatment in immune system support are our mucous membranes. These membranes are made from specialised tissue and are found within our nose, mouth and digestive tract. The mucus membranes are lines with very specialised cells that help kill any bugs or secrete specialised chemicals that destroy substances that might go on to harm the body. As the name would suggest, these membranes are covered with a sticky layer of mucus that not only functions to trap the possible invader, but also gives the body time to deal with the invader before it can move into the blood stream…which is when the army usually gets called in!

Useful ways to support your mucus membranes include the following:

  • Bone Broth: a rich source of collage, which helps ensure those membranes have a good amount of reinforcement. Just make sure it’s an organic and low tox variety and if you’re making it yourself, always use grass fed and finished bones.
  • Keep hydrated: if you become dehydrated, the mucus membranes can become more rigid and vulnerable, meaning they are more likely to trap bugs, but less likely to be able to deal with them. As a general rule, aim for 2L of water per day.
  • Licorice root tea: a super useful herbal medicine with amazing demulcent This means that it helps to build a healthy mucus lining and soothes any inflammation or irritation which might make you more susceptible to picking up infections. It also has anti-viral properties an added bonus, but if you have high blood pressure, this herb probably isn’t for you.

In addition to strengthening your borders, here are my top 10 tips for helping to get your immune system in tip top shape as we move towards winter.

1. Sort out your gut if it’s an issue

Yes, I know I’m going on about gut health again, but it’s because around 70% of your immune system is living in there! If you are experiencing issues with your bowel movements, bloating, reflux or indigestion, chances are your gut isn’t functioning as it should be…and your immune system probably then isn’t getting the support that it requires. Contrary to what you’ve probably read, sorting out ‘gut issues’ isn’t as simple as taking a probiotic so I suggest you get in touch if this is an issue for you.

2. Eat a wide variety of phytochemicals

Phytochemicals are the substances that give fruits and vegetables their colour. I like to think of them like little books of information that our DNA reads to know what they are supposed to do. The greater the variety of colour we ingest, the more ‘widely-read’ our body is and the better prepared our immune system will be.

3. Make sure you address any deficiencies

There are a number of nutrients that are essential to healthy immune function – Vitamin A, Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D…but it’s important we know where your levels are before you go popping supplements! Working with your practitioner will ensure that we can obtain a baseline and then they can calculate the right dose for you. And more is certainly not better! Overdoing these supplements can actually make you quite sick so get some advice if you’re worried about your levels.

4. Get some sunshine

Yes, getting out in the sun will help boost our vitamin D levels, but did you know sunshine also helps our immune cells wake up and be more effective? A study at Georgetown University found that sunlight exposure increased the ability of T-cells to get to an infection sight faster and get the ball rolling to sort out a response. All the more reason to go for a walk at lunchtime when co workers are coughing and spluttering around you!

5. Get out in nature, play in some dirt or cuddle a dog!

As we so often see, mother nature knows best! Being out in nature, or better still – playing with animals exposes us to a wide array of other bugs, which then helps strengthen the immune response when we come into contact with more harmful ones. This is especially important for kids.

6. Choose natural soaps as opposed to drowning yourself in sanitisers

This is another case where more is not better. Most bugs that we come into contact with can be removed from our skin and surrounds by using a gentle, natural soap. Hand sanitisers can be useful when you don’t have access to anything else, but they also kill off many of the protective bacteria.

7. SLEEP!

This is one of the most under-rated, but most clinically effective strategies for improving immune function. One of the saying that I have in my clinic is that ‘sleep promotes healing’ and with good reason! When we get adequate sleep (between 7 – 9 hours per night) our immune system learns how to not only produce highly qualified and skilled army troops, but also secretes substances that creates an environment that is more conducive to health and more hostile to bugs!

8. Give your immune system as little extra kick with herbal medicine

There is an absolute plethora of studies on herbal medicine and immune function! Again, not all herbs are for everyone, but some that might be helpful for you to research or speak with your practitioner about include:

  • Olive leaf
  • Garlic
  • Echinacea
  • Elder Berry

There are lots of others that have stronger immune action but these should only be prescribed by a naturopath or herbalist. If this is something you’re interested in, please get in touch with me and I can let you know if these are appropriate for you to be taking.

9. Burn essential oils

Keeping our environment free of lurking bugs can also be a good way to support our immune system. Using essential oils in a diffuser can help kill harmful bacteria in the air, without damaging the helpful ones. Essential oils that might be useful include thyme, eucalyptus, clove, tea tree and lemon.

10. Keep the air clean and dry

In keeping with the environment around us, it might be useful to consider using an air purifier or dehumidifier, especially over the colder months. Bugs love dark, damp nests to thrive and if we breath this in, we can get sick. Similarly, by filtering these particles out of the air, we take the pressure of the immune system because it’s one less thing for it to do. Try and avoid doing things that make the air ‘dirty’ or ‘damp’ e.g. Make sure you use a microfibre cloth when dusting to trap the dirt/dust; avoid drying clothes inside.

It’s easy to get swept up in the media hype about the spread of infections this winter, but by taking a few simple steps, you can help put your body in a better place to fight off any infections you might come into contact with. If you would like to do a more specific immune support program, please reach out and we can arrange for you to come into the clinic.