The one thing that can’t be disputed is that boosting our immunity is always a good idea and of course even more so when there’s a global pandemic. Let’s not forget that the key job of our immune system is to protect us from germs, infections and toxins. Of course a strong immune system does not equate to suddenly becoming Wonder Woman or superman and becoming virus proof…noooo….but what it does is provide our bodies with the necessary tools to respond to challenges quickly and effectively, supporting us to recover from illnesses quickly.

While many of us assume that we have good immunity, we often forget that there are factors apart from what we eat that impact it, such as stress, our sleep patterns, our fitness levels and alcohol consumption.

Vitamin D3

Given that a lack vitamin d can lead to lowered immunity…that the sun has been in short supply and more often than not a blood test shows me to be deficient in vitamin D….I decided to start supplementing my diet again. It is said that vit d supports our white blood cells …the ones with the responsibility for destroying viruses, bacteria and any other nasties that enter the blood stream.

Buy the DLux spray from BetterYou for £8.45

Probiotics 

Many of us take probiotics for gut health, aware that a good one can help with digestive issues. But did you know that certain probiotic strains can also help with immunity by helping to promote the production of those warrior white blood cells. The key is to take one with a diverse range of strains.

Buy Symprove Probiotics for £79 from Symprove

Zinc 

I always increase my intake of zinc if i feel the slightest twinge of a cold as it’s known for It’s ability to speed up recovery from colds as well as boosting immunity; in fact an American study in 2017 found that daily supplementation of zinc made a difference to the health of cells, which in turn makes your body better able to fight infections and diseases.

Zinc can be found in nuts, seeds, whole meal breads, shellfish.

Buy Zinc from Wild Nutrition for £12 from Wild Nutrition

Vitamin C [ liposomal] 

Of course vitamin C is a well known immunity booster, so whats so special about liposomal vitamin C you may be asking? Well liposomal vitamin C is formulated so that it is transported directly to our cells as opposed to normal vitamin C which goes into the intestines in limited supply. Vitamin C also protects the cells from oxidative stress. Find out more about Vitamin C.

Buy the vitamin c for £39.99 from Altrient

Apart from supplements I’ve added or increased these…

 Thyme tea

Yes, I’m talking about the herb that you season your food with and yes, I’m talking about making tea with it, a very tasty tea I should add. Thyme is loaded with antioxidants and minerals like potassium and selenium and it contains thymol an essential oil with powerful  antifunga, antiseptic and antimicrobial  properties.

Just put a couple of sprigs in a mug, add hot water and leave to sit for 5 – 10 minutes…it tastes lovely and doesn’t need honey….unless you have a very sweet tooth.

Garlic 

Fortunately I am a garlic lover although I’m definitely not a fan of drinking it or chewing on whole raw cloves of it..which is how you’re meant to take it to truly benefit.

Garlic is said to have the ability to not only reduce the duration of colds and flu but to also help us avoid catching them in the first place. Why? Because garlic is said to have powerful antioxidant with antimicrobial, antiviral and antibiotic properties.

Are you doing anything to boost your natural immunity? Let us know what you’re doing and what you’d recommend.

Denise x

(*PR gift/sample)