Although we are in the midst of Summer, there seems to be a lot of coughs, colds and sore throats out there. I think we all just need another holiday - yes? Ok.
Firstly, what is our immune system? WELL! I am SO glad you asked. Our immune system is an interactive network of organs, cells and proteins that protect our body from viruses, bacteria, pathogens, potential cell mutations and any foreign substances. So, we are continually being exposed to organisms that are inhaled, swallowed or inhabit our skin/mucous membranes. Whether or not these organisms lead to disease is decided by the integrity of our immune system. When our immune system is functioning at full potential, our body recognises these invading microorganisms or mutated cells and kills them off right away, without us even knowing about it. BUT, if our immune functioning is compromised (reasons for are many), these bad boys can multiply and divide, and this is when we can get run down and face sickness/disease.
Two things here; 1. It is not until we get sick or our health takes a turn, do we notice our immune system and what an amazing job it normally does at keeping us well. And 2. Getting sick symptoms, i.e. sore throat, runny nose, increased sneezing, a cough etc. – these are actually very intelligent and amazing signals from the body!! These symptoms are our body’s way of trying to fight off disease. So, please don’t suppress these symptoms…..we must support them and support our immune system! But how?
For the sake of not writing a novel, I am simply going to talk about gut health in this post.
As a Naturopath, I think THE most important thing we can do to cultivate strong immunity is to start where the immune system really resides: THE GUT. Yep. Research shows, the gut is where approx. 70-80% of our immune cells hang out. Whether you have chronic allergies, frequent infections, or autoimmune problems, there is likely some destruction to the health of your microbiome (all the glorious things in your gut) and digestive tract. So by strengthening our gut health, we are strengthening our immune health! *Mic drop*
Working on and nourishing your gut does not need to be complicated. You can start doing very simple things on a daily basis to help nourish and support your gut health! Three of my top gut-supporting tips are as follows;
Consuming probiotic-rich foods and potentially taking a probiotic supplement
Quick note on probiotic supplementation - In terms of taking a probiotic supplementation for immune health, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are two of the most important families of bacteria and have been shown to positively affect our immune health. However, I am not saying that taking a probiotic supplementation is necessarily the answer. The thing with probiotics is, everyone’s microbiome is unique and will therefore potentially benefit from different strains of probiotics. There are so many brands out there and so many strains of probiotics. So, with any supplementation, it is always best to speak with a qualified practitioner or healthcare professional who can cater your supplementation to your individual needs.
What you can do right away is add probiotic-rich foods into your daily diet. Adding fermented foods—like sauerkraut, naturally fermented pickles, kefir, tempeh, miso, and kombucha—to your everyday routine. One of the best things you can do to nourish your gut is to consume fermented foods. Essentially, you are adding more good guys in to your gut and overcrowding the bad guys. All you need is a small amount of any of these foods on a daily basis to create positive change within the gut. I usually have patients start very slowly, including just one tablespoon of sauerkraut or fermented veggies with a meal each day.
Eating foods rich in PRE-biotics and Resistant Starch
We hear a lot about probiotics (as discussed above), but our little prebiotics and resistant starch can often go under the radar. This is NOT COOL. We need to feed the good bacteria that is already living in our gut! How? By consuming foods rich in prebiotics and resistant starch on a daily basis. Prebiotic-rich foods include; kiwi fruit, onion, garlic, bananas, artichoke, legumes, asparagus, leek and pomegranate. Great sources of resistant starch include; bananas (unripe), potato, oats, brown rice and barley. Resistance starch plays a vital role in gut health as it promotes the production of an extremely beneficial fatty acid known as butyrate - a major promoter of our gut health!
Step Away From the Added Sugars
In a nut(meg) shell, consuming refined, processed sugars wreaks havoc with our gut, promoting an unhappy microbiome. Refined sugar is one of the microbiome’s worst enemies, as it feeds the bad bacteria and prevents the growth and development of the good ones. Similarly, artificial sweeteners aren’t the wise substitute.
What we really want to do, is ditch the unnecessary/added/artificial sugars, i.e. cakes, biscuits, confectionery, sauces/jarred goods with added sugars and so on. Where a little extra sweetness is required, opt for a more natural alternative such as a piece of fruit, some raw honey, or fresh dates. And for chocolate? Opt for your delicious dark chocolate (70/80%) or a ‘healthy chocolate’ with no refined sugars, Pana is currently one of my favourite brands - I am a little addicted.
Want to learn about more natural ways that you can boost your immune health? See here.
Happy gut and immune nourishing!
Love Nutmeg xx
*Please note that this blog is providing general advice, it is not specific to your individual health history. If you are experiencing significant health changes, please book an appointment with a health practitioner to obtain your individualised treatment approach.
Want to know more? Or perhaps you have tried everything and your immune system is still down? Don’t be shy, Say Hello <3
