Is your immune system ready for winter?
As the seasons change to autumn and beyond the annual onslaught of colds and flu can be expected. The question we each need to ask is:
‘Is my immune system up to the task’?
Just as the late summer rains have filled Midmar Dam before the dry winter months, so you need to top up your immune system before winter ailments threaten.
There is no doubt that the health of our immune system depends on the quality of our nutrition. Science has proven that. On the one hand, when certain nutrients are absent our immune system is severely compromised, and on the other, having certain nutrients on board certainly keeps our immunity strong and robust. A properly nourished immune system can then protect us from a wide array of health challenges.
The good news is that it’s never too late to start to rescue a poorly functioning immunity, and it’s within everyone’s reach. It does however take commitment, and a willingness to invest in the process.
For most of us who actually live in a reasonable degree of comfort, it’s surprising to consider that we might be undernourished. This means that we are almost certainly in no danger of being hungry, but that we are not actually getting the nutrients that our body needs. We are feeding ourselves poorly, and making bad decisions about our diets. The net result of this is that our immunity is compromised if not completely dysfunctional.
So what nutrients are especially important for our immunity?
- Certain vitamins and minerals
Those that are essential are the vitamins A, D, C, E, B6, and B12, folic acid, and the minerals zinc, iron, copper, and selenium.
Interestingly, new research is actually stating that the daily requirements that have been put forward for a long time are probably too low, and that intake required to support strong immunity are actually rather higher than previously thought.And being deficient in one or two is enough to unsettle the whole system. It really is a case of all rather than some being present in adequate amounts,
- Carotenoids
These are lipid-soluble, colourful components like those that make carrots orange or peppers red. When they are low in the diet your immunity is suppressed whereas when they are present in sufficient amounts it is strong and healthy. - Polyphenols, which include flavonoids, also promote a healthy immune system
These are chemicals present in many plants, especially the dark purple berries, for example, and those from the cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, and green tea. There’s more about these on my website (Cruciferous Plus, Flavonoid Complex, Neolife Tea) at this url: https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptionsDifferent immune cells actually express multiple types of polyphenol receptors that recognise and allow cellular uptake of polyphenols, which subsequently activate signaling pathways to initiate an immune response. That’s really amazing – the intricacies of the system never cease to amaze me!!!
- Omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3 is a strong anti-inflammatory nutrient that is very important for overall health. In addition to that these oils act as signaling molecules that help to coordinate and regulate the activity of immune cells.
In order to cover all these bases in the simplest way possible, I would strongly recommend ProVitality as a starting point. You can read more here: https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/coreproducts
It is, however, really just a starting point, so more can be added if you really are ready to invest fully in your immune health.
Start your energy-filled day. Designed for optimal cellular nutrition by giving your body key whole food nutrients and protein, the building block of life.
Contact us today to find out more, book a consultation, or order some of our awesome products.