Tag: immune system

  • How We’re Trying to Support Our Immune System for Coronavirus Protection

    How We’re Trying to Support Our Immune System for Coronavirus Protection

    Whether you’re worried about the coronavirus or not, boosting your immune system is always a good idea.  While we’re following medical professionals’ advice to practice social distancing and wash our hands frequently, here are a few other ways we’re adding to (or subtracting from) our daily routine in order to stay as healthy as humanly possible.

    Reprioritizing sleep

    Typically we’re up at 5:00am, in the gym and sweating by 6:00am. And while we try to go to bed by 9:00pm to allow for a solid eight hours of sleep, that isn’t always practical. (It’s so easy for a 9:00pm bedtime to become a 10:30pm bedtime.) So, we’re getting a couple extra hours of sleep with a 7:00am wake-up call. That may mean we have to skip the gym, but it is one of the best ways to bolster your immune system.

    And to maximize every hour of sleep, we make sure that 30 minutes prior to bedtime, the phone is out of the bed, the TV is off, and the temperature is turned down. Check out our story on 10 ways to get better sleep at night.

    Scaling down our workouts

    Speaking of skipping the gym, yes, we are cutting back on our workouts these days (just a little).

    While a regular fitness routine has been show to have positive effects on the immune system, it’s still a “stress” on the body and we’re trying to be extra conscious of keeping that stress in the healthy range. Occasionally some overtraining happens, but now is not the time to risk pushing a little too hard. That means, initially, double sessions were put on hold for the time being. Everything is at-home or outdoors, and we’re much more cognizant of intensity levels. Under normal circumstances, a slow start can be pushed through, these days we are easing back and performing more restorative sessions throughout the week. (Here’s a sample 2-dumbbell plan that does the trick — and another is in the works.)

    Drinking more… bone broth and tea

    Specifically, we get chicken bone broth from Brodo with turmeric and ginger. And as for the tea, we like all kinds but right now we’re stocked up on Throat Coat with echinacea and lemon.

    Getting to know plant medicine

    While we’re not keen on laboratory-produced performance-enhancing products, we can get down with herbalists and the stuff that truly comes from the earth. Over the last couple weeks we’ve been introduced to the Mab Tab, a herbal super tab that we drop in our tea. It’s a highly-potent custom blend of herbs. Ours is for better sleep and mental clarity, but according to the company, they’re also known for immune system support. What we like most about Mab Tab is that it’s become a part of the evening unwinding routine. We just drop them in our tea and kick back.

    Thinking about produce before protein

    Our diet is always full of lean proteins and tons of veggies but now more than ever, we’re thinking about the plant matter on our plates first. Vegetables of all kinds are filled with immune-boosting antioxidants. Right now, we’re loving Brussels sprouts, asparagus, sweet potatoes, beets, mushrooms, and peppers. (We have a freezer filled with frozen green beans and broccoli, too.) Check out the Diet That Works Forever for advice on how to cook with these ingredients. Here’s a grocery list to guide your shopping (if you dare go to Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s these days…).

     

     

     

  • Strengthen your immune system with this shot and chaser

    Strengthen your immune system with this shot and chaser

    No one is ever completely immune to a cold or flu. You could be the strongest, healthiest man or woman on earth—eventually, you’re going to get it. That’s just life. But like many miserable and crappy things that can happen to our health, you’re always a bit better off when you work to prevent them. Here, let’s zero-in on boosting the strength of the immune system.

    Get more sleep, try to reduce stress, eat your vegetables, yada, yada, yada. You know all this. If you don’t know all this, start doing all of the aforementioned items. You’ll probably get sick less. Oh, and don’t walk around outside in shorts when it’s 27 degrees. (Why are there people that actually do this?) Not only do you look like a maniac, but you’re putting unnecessary strain on your immune system. We don’t need a study to back that up.

    Speaking of cold weather and fighting the elements… If you’re the outdoor type and like surfing, fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, or running in the winter, you know the weather can take a lot out of you. And you know you’re thinking, “please, don’t get me sick!” (If you’re the indoor, cold-weather-avoider, you don’t want to get sick either.) Working the following concoction into your routine could give you a boost. (Or, a still-helpful placebo effect.)

    This was inspired by nearly two decades of experience surfing the winter months in New Jersey. Paddling around and scrapping for waves for hours on end is a workout and stress on the body alone. Throw freezing air temperatures, near-freezing water temperatures, and howling winds into the mix and it’s even more shock. After each session, not only can you eat like a ravenous animal, and sleep more (and more deeply) than ever before, you can sense that the body isn’t exactly feeling normal. This began as the antidote to Surf Shock but it can be for anyone pushing their limit outdoors.

    *Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement routine.

    THE SHOT or STRAIGHT DROPS

    Immediately after taking an insanely long and as-hot-as-possible shower, grab your seltzer water or your drink of choice and put this down:

    Echinacea

    1mL of the extract which includes 500mg from the root and 500mg from the flower

    Studies are mixed and there’s no proof it works, but there are still signs that something’s there. Other studies have reported “indications of antiviral activity.” OK, since it’s not going to hurt and could work, what’s the harm in trying?

    When it comes to preventing a cold, the Mayo Clinic has this to say about echinacea: “Maybe, but not by much.” While a “maybe” isn’t a guarantee, it’s not a hard-no either so maybe it’s worth it.

    THE CHASER

    Before you either do the drops in a drink or straight into your mouth, have this chaser ready to go.

    Tea of choice

    12 oz

    A 2018 review published in the journal Molecule, says studies on catechins in tea as a cold-defender are limited, but suggest the possibility of them being helpful. Apparently, gargling with tea catechins could lower the risk of influenza. Review authors say research is in the “developing stage” and that more is needed.

    If you go with green tea, you get the most amount of antioxidants. Maybe black? You could also go with chamomile before bed to avoid the caffeine.

    THE TABLETS

    As you put the warming tea down, pop these two tablets.

    Zinc

    Approx. 30mg

    Mayo Clinic says an analysis of studies show that zinc could knock a day or two off the life of a cold, especially when taken at the onset.

    Edit note: I actually take ZMA (zinc, magnesium, and B6) for other purposes, but more on that in a future post.

    Vitamin C

    At least 200mg.

    This 2013 study of over 11,000 participants including marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers, supplemented with at least 200mg while doing exercises in “subarctic” conditions. Their risk of getting a cold was cut in half. And when there were colds reported, adults had an 8% reduction in symptoms, children had a 14% reduction.

    Bottoms up!