It’s the beginning of cold and flu season! It seems that every year in the fall, I run across sniffling, sneezing, sick people. I feel bad for them, but I don’t feel being around them. Their sneezing near me in the subway is just a gross nuisance. I don’t get sick from them. In fact I haven’t gotten a cold in years. I don’t worry about hugging my friends who are sick or having a sniffling yoga instructor adjusting me. Why am I “immune”? It is because I keep my immunity up, which is something you can do as well!
Many parents tell me that every year when school starts for their kids, they pay the price when their children bring home all kinds of germs that lead to illness. But it’s not just your kids’ grubby hands that are to blame. We are all exposed to germs, but who gets sick and who does not is largely determined by the strength of your immune system, which strongly stems from the balance of bacteria that resides in your gut. By strengthening your internal system you can have a great deal of control over your own health. While many people seek the influenza vaccine in the hopes of avoiding the flu, if you have a healthy and strong immune system, then such a step is unnecessary. What’s the key to getting through cold and flu season unscathed? Never underestimate the power of vibrant good health and a well-functioning immune system to keep you healthy when everyone else around you is sick. Here’s how you can boost your immune system naturally to keep you healthy all year around.
1. Eat Right!
I have a hunch you’re not surprised that this is my top way to avoid colds and flu. After all, eating right is the foundation for vibrant health.
Eat a plant-based diet, which provides your body with the nutrients it needs to fight off germs, repair itself, and function optimally. Be sure you are taking a probiotic every day, and eating lots of Probiotic & Enzyme Salad. If your intestinal flora is balanced, your immunity will strengthen. Avoid processed sugar and products (including agave), which decreases immunity and causes spikes in blood glucose, and dairy, which creates mucous. Reduce your chemical load by choosing organic plants and avoiding processed foods. If your body has to deal with toxins in the foods you eat, then it won’t have enough energy to fight off germs, as well.
Certain vitamins actually increase the number of white cells in your blood, boosting immunity.
- Vitamin C: Try bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, grapefruits, spinach, and sweet potatoes for a boost of this antioxidant.
- Vitamin E: Which foods contain this beneficial vitamin? Try hazelnuts, almonds, tomatoes, and spinach.
- Carotenoids: You can find these beneficial nutrients in dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, orange-colored vegetables like squash and carrots, tomatoes, and spices like cayenne pepper.
- Bioflavonoids: These antioxidants are available in sweet peppers, chocolate, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tropical fruits, garlic, and spinach.
- Selenium: Your body needs this mineral in trace amounts. You can find it in Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, barley, brown rice, and oats.
- Zinc: Another essential mineral, you can find zinc from delicious sources like dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds or tahini.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: These essential fats can be found in walnuts and flaxseeds.
2. Control Stress
Stress saps your body of its ability to fight illness. According to the American Psychological Association, research has repeatedly shown that chronic stress has a direct correlation with weakened immune function.
Stress can be short-term or chronic. Millions of Americans face constant on-the-job pressures, and many others face stress related to financial pressures, family life, and a host of other factors. In fact, many people report constant low-level stress that seldom ceases. Along with decreased immunity, chronic stress may contribute to other conditions that continue to pile on the stress and further weaken immunity including obesity, addiction, and depression.
Your body responds in complex physiological ways when confronted with stress. These responses include:
- Increased blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate
- Increased blood glucose
- Blood thickening
- Secretion of stress hormones including adrenaline, cortisol, and endorphins
While these responses serve us well in fight or flight situations, over the long-term these same protective responses can break down your immunity, leaving you vulnerable to illness. Some experts estimate as high as 75 percent of all doctors visits can be directly attributed to stress!
What can you do to distress? Here are a few tools.
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Deep breathing exercises
- Positive visualization
- Take time for yourself
- Be aware of when you are feeling especially stressed
- Stretch
Be conscious of what is really stressing you out. Is it your commute to work? When I was in LA last year I made it a point of leaving a bit earlier for my clients’ homes so I wouldn’t get as stressed with traffic, and found pretty back roads with trees that I preferred to the busy, smoggy highways. Do work or personal relationships stress you? Work on bettering communication so everything is out in the open and talked through. The more you can target what is chronically stressful in your life and work to find healthy ways to alleviate it, the better your whole life will be.
3. Get Enough Sleep
You need your sleep to stay healthy! If I sound like your mother, she said that with good reason. Research shows that when you are deprived of sleep, inflammatory cytokines rise while t-cells decrease. These two responses weaken your immune system, making it more difficult for your body to fight off cold and influenza.
Lack of sleep may affect immunity in another way, as well. When you are tired, you are more likely to make unhealthy choices or turn to caffeinated and sugary beverages for an energy boost. Sugar feeds yeasts, and can contribute to the overgrowth of yeasts like Candida albicans. This in turn contributes to the unbalancing of the good bacteria with the bad, and consequently diminished immunity.
What’s the best way to combat this? Get a good night’s sleep. Experts estimate adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. Not sleeping well? Try these ideas to help improve your sleep.
- Avoid caffeine and sugar.
- Don’t eat heavy foods near bedtime- especially animal proteins, which are slow-digesting foods
- Keep your bedroom a comfortable temperature. In general, you need the room to be slightly cooler while you sleep than at other times during the day.
- Check your mattress and pillow. Are they comfortable? If not, it may be time to replace them.
- Create a bedtime routine and stick to it.
- Try a warm (not hot) bath right before bedtime. The drop in temperature after you get out of the bath triggers sleepiness.
- Use your bed only for sleeping. Read and watch television away from your bedroom.
- Lighted computer, laptop, and tablet screens within 30 minutes before bed may interrupt your sleep cycle. Shut off the computer at least an hour before you go to sleep.
- Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning to set your sleep schedule.
- Try a cup of chamomile or rooibos tea at least an hour before bed.
4. Exercise
Pursuing moderate exercise can boost your immune system. While experts aren’t sure exactly why this is, they have developed theories including:
- The rise in body temperature associated with exercise may fight off germs.
- Exercise helps control stress, allowing you stronger immune function.
- Exercise forces bacteria from your body via exhalation and sweat, thus flushing toxins out of your body before they make you sick.
- Exercise increases blood flow, which keeps your immune fighters circulating more quickly through your bloodstream.
Pursue moderate exercise. Take a brisk walk during the day, go hiking, bicycle, practice yoga or find some other activity you enjoy and can pursue regularly. One caveat, however. Over-exercising can lower immunity, so there’s no need to become a workout warrior.
5. Hydrate
Your body needs water to function. Staying hydrated is essential, and drinking water is the best way to do it. Water helps flush toxins out of your system and keeps your mucous membranes moist, which can prevent cold and flu germs from adhering inside your nose or lungs. The amount your body needs is dependent on many factors, including your activity levels and the kind of food you eat. For instance, Glowing Green Smoothies, salads, fruits and raw veggies contain a lot of water. A general rule though, is that you need at least a half-ounce of water per pound of body weight to stay hydrated. Just remember to drink water between meals, not with them.
6. Rebalance
When your body’s chemical load is high, it cannot function properly. Chemicals clog your organs and hamper your immune system. Eating a healthy diet goes a long way to detoxifying your body and rebalancing your system. Other steps you can take include:
- Drink detox tea to help remove chemicals from your body.
- Eat only organic produce and avoid processed foods.
- Drink a Glowing Green Smoothie at the start of every day.
- Re-establish intestinal balance by eating my Probiotic and Enzyme salad daily ( I mention it again because it is that important!)
7. Heat it Up!
Warming herbs and spices heat up the body, boost circulation and speed up metabolism. All of these actions have a positive effect on the immune system, and adding them to your diet can help fight colds and flu. Try these:
- Cayenne
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Paprika
Remember the words of the famous French biochemist Francois Beauchamp: The terrain is everything.
There’s no need to get sick this cold and flu season. If you take care of yourself- your internal terrain- then your immune system will be better prepared to fight off whatever germs you encounter.
I’ve also become a fan of colloidal silver lately. Has helped to knock off some symptoms as they’ve arose.
Hello,
Thank you for the tips! I wonder if you would advise getting the flu shot for pregnant women? My doctor says that it is the only protection against the flu the baby would have for the first few months after birth.
Thanks!
Jamie
I’m not sure that is the best advice, just take care of your body. Read “raising a vaccine free child” and you might change your mind
Leela, great advice! Stay far away from vaccinations!
I did my first batch of Probiotic and Enzyme Salad last week during which I would stare at it during its “fermentation” process with a huge question mark on my face. I have always been one for sour and acidic foods but was a bit hesitant on the Probiotic and Enzyme salad. I wondered if I was doing it right and I would not poison myself.So after the five days of a small batch of the enzyme salad I am glad to report that I loved it!! I finished it all in one day and have been doing a larger batch since. I have actually been craving it and want it done already. Luckily I have one more day to go. Thanks Kim!
PS: on my first and second batches I excluded the salt and added tamari (gluten free) in my servings. Tastes great! Wondering if that’s okay though?
I’m so glad to hear about your success with the Probiotic and Enzyme salad, Betty. I read Kim’s book a couple of months ago and am a huge fan of the GGSmoothie (as well as everything else I’ve tried), but the PESalad just really overwhelms me.
Both the thought of the process involved in making it AND the worry of what it will taste like when it’s finally ready have scared me away from even trying. But, thanks to your positive post, I think it’s time I give it a whirl!
Thanks for sharing!
Hey Shelley, yes try it, as it really just cabbage and water. 🙂
But if it freaks out you, you can always buy some of the store-bought raw sauerkraut in the refrigerated section, but be aware that they are really high in sodium. xx
HI Betty, fantastic! That is so funny you were staring at it. 🙂
Tamari is okay! I hardly put any salt in mine at all now. xx
Kim, thanks for all these great tips!
I had a question regarding a smoothie I sometimes make, and was just wondering if it was Kim approved 😉 The smoothie consists of banana, quaker oats, almond milk, cacao powder and honey.
Eek, no!! Sorry Nicole. 🙁
When do you drink that? Oats shouldn’t really be put into a smoothie, they should be eaten and chewed well. Cacao should never be consumed daily, or you will tax your adrenals. It is still unbalancing and should be eaten with moderation.
Here’s my makeover for your smoothie: banana, chia seeds, almond milk, cinnamon, honey or stevia 🙂
I was wondering why you are supposed to drink water between meals and not during??
I remember one of her older posts once described this…something about if you drink water during or close to your meal time, then that water mixes with your digestive juices and slows down the digestion. I forget exactly why this was bad so hopefully Kim answers that 🙂
HI Barbora, we want digestion to be efficient and as fast as possible, so you don’t waste energy on it and so toxicity doesn’t amass in your body. More on that topic in The Beauty Detox Solution! xx
I answered another comment on this… and much more detailed info in The Beauty Detox Solution!
Kimberly,
You mentioned the probiotic & enzyme salad twice in the article. Will you also please tell us what is in that, such as by providing a link to it? (If it’s in the article but I just didn’t see it — my apologies!)
Thank you.
Hey Glory,
I’m not sure if she has a link to it anywhere on-line, but you can find the recipe in her book….if you haven’t read it yet, it’s totally worth it!
http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Detox-Solution-Radiant-Renewed/dp/0373892322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319639731&sr=8-1
Enjoy!
Shelley
Hi Glory! The recipe is in the Beauty Detox Solution but in the video section I have a demo for making it. 🙂
I make homemade vegan kimchi, which is essentially water, napa cabbage, korean red pepper, onion, and green onion, and it’s a fermented food very similar to sauerkraut. Do you think kimchi is an equally efficient probiotic food as your salad?
Kimberly, I love your blogs and all your advise. They are simple to follow. I only wish you liked Greek Yogurt too, so I don’t feel bad eating it sometimes.
HI Gohar! Glad you are benefiting. Some people can handle yogurt better than others, but I strongly believe that the human body thrives with the elimination of dairy. There are SO many other choices for probiotics now, why consume something with so many negatives? xx
I didn’t understand the importance of proper hydration until I started seeing great results with just drinking water.I experienced many health problems before and I used to wonder about how not to get sick. Now that I am following simple healthy lifestyle, I hardly get sick expect for a headache once in a while. Great tips Kim.
Thank you! There’s a lot of hydration supplied through the GGS, fruits and veggies as well. xx
Enjoy getting your blogs… but would like to hear your answers to some of the questions…. where do I go for them????
Thank you
I answer as many questions as I can here, on Twitter, and on FB! xx
Thanks for sharing all advice.
What is your suggestion about green powder like vitamineal greens from health force. Is it better to drink green juice and smoothie even from non organic produce or to skip to green powders? Or keep drink it and tkae powder as supplements. Thanks a lot as I wrote you we do not have many organic produce during winter month so I am trying to find the best way to go through winter:-)
Hi Sam, fresh is always best. You can wash your non-organic produce really well. xx
My entire family drinks the green smoothie on a daily basisi. Our son is on the US Sailing Team and has modified it a bit and makes it for his teammates while training. I so enjoyed your book and I now look forward to your blog.
The original quote “The terrain is everything” was by Claude Bernard and is one of my favorites!
That’s great! My research and the books I’ve read on Beauchamp translates that quote from French from his biochemistry work. I’m not sure if Beauchamp’s quote was in connection with the physiologist Bernard or if the translations are similar (though they were both French and their lifetimes crossed).
hi lkim, i read your book and i love it.i started the new life style almost 3 months ago,i have a question that can i eat tortilla chips.is it healthy.or sweet potato chips.
thank you so much.
Hello! You can eat organic white tortilla chips once in a while but remember they are very starchy and low-nutrient, though at least they are gluten-free. Sweet potato baked potato chips are a better option than the corn. xx
Hi Kimberly! these were great tips. I have a question for you- since ive read your book I am so glad to be enlightened to the properties you describe. But often i find i get depressed and get anxiety about my meals. Its either the wrong combination, has dairy, preservatives, meat, or some other garbage. It seems so hard to eat healthy in the world we are in sometimes. Have you ever felt overwhelmed like this when first starting out?
Hey Mandy,
The key is just to do your best. You can’t get obsessed or anxious. Just practice the 3 main Beauty Detox principles: 1) Have big salads, more veggies in general and reduce your meat intake 2) Have a GGS every day 3)give up dairy.
If you stick to those 3, you are far ahead and will progress. It is a long-term program, not a diet, so don’t worry about every single meal and snack if you fall off sometimes. xx
Hi Kim!
I loved your book, and I think you’re amazing, however, I am having a lot of trouble with the P&E salad.
Here are some Probiotic and Enzyme salad dilemmas/Questions I have:
-Is the Hawthorne Valley Farm brand that can be purchased at Lifethyme okay?
-In your demo, you do put a good amount of salt in, so I’m a bit confused when you said once that you don’t put salt in when you make your own.
-Also, every time I’ve tried to make the P&E salad, I’ve failed. I pack in the salted cabbage very tightly in my mason jar (as your demo explains), and when I fill in some water, it doesn’t mix in with the cabbage, and rather starts filling up right above it, so I am not sure how much water to put in. (in your demo, the water seems to mix with the cabbage as soon as you start pouring, and then you stop where the cabbage ends at the top.)
-I also never know when it is ready. Is it exactly 5 days? how can we tell? and do we transfer it to the fridge after the 5 days to sit there for a few more days before opening?
Mine came out tasting like plastic, rubbery, chemical sauerkraut. It was somewhat fizzy too. :/
Please help me. I’m hopeless.
Thank you Kim,
Pamela
Hi Kimberly,
I really enjoy your blog – it helps to keep me on track in between sessions with my beloved naturopath!
I’ve been battling bronchitis for weeks despite antibiotics, homeopathic remedies and the like. I’m now looking to get a Vitamix and start using your green smoothies to enhance my efforts to keep my immune system up (I cross borders everyday and come in contact with many germs at customs!).
I have intolerances to bananas and romaine lettuce- what can I substitute for these in your recipe?
Best,
Julia
HI Kim and thank you for your book and advice.
I have learned so much! I have been taking the oxygenated magnesium for about 2 weeks, about 2-3 caps per day and have had very, very loose bowel movements. Is this OK and when do I stop taking the oxygenated magnesium? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much.
Hi Sophia,
Stop for a while, and see if 1 capsule works better for you. xx
Hi Kim,
Great, Informative, and Educational forums you have produced, truly you are not wasting your time, for I have gained insight with many of your different topics in your blogs. Thanks for taking the time to share with the public your valuable health suggestions and for being an inspiration on “living healhty”
I too, am a Certified Nutritionist and am now studying Holistic Medicine, for I know far too well how time consuming writing your blogs are and the importance it is to guide humans to the right way of eating and taking care of their body, you truly have a gift Kim and again thanks for sharing it with us!
My question is, what is your opinion about Elderberry syrup? My grandmother used it on us when a cold or sickness would be approaching and she was adamant about how it will boost our immune system and help fight the cold/sickness off. I must say as being a receipent of Elderberry syrup, she was right and I now used it with my Family and have also seen just how effective it is. My grandmother would also say “sunshine and fresh air” would help heal us as well, she would always make us sit outside in the sun for awhile and take deep breaths, I do believe our grandmother’s who used “natural remedies” were on to something, they used what the earth gave us to heal and also used the earth to feed us, never processed food! Thanks again Kim for being a pioneer in “Natural Nutrition”.
Hi Kim! I’ve been getting stomachaches lately, I’m not sure why (possibly from stress), and I was wondering what foods I could eat that might help. I already take probiotics everyday.
Thanks!
Hi Kimberly. Could you please make it possible to print any info from your website with out haveing to print all the questions please.
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popular because you most certainly possess the gift.
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I love looking through a post that can make people think.
Also, thanks for allowing for me to comment!
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Thank you so much Big Profit Plan and welcome to the Beauty Detox community. Lots of love! 😉
Hi Kim,
I love reading all of your advice!!! Does this lifestyle work for keeping away other bugs such as norovirus? Thanks in advance!!!
Hi Beauty! Yes, these recommendations are to help keep you protected against viruses and bugs, and to armor up your immune system against sickness. However, I always recommend getting in touch with your health care practitioner if you have any specific concerns! Sending you lots of love!