How to Boost your Immunity this Winter

‘Immune system’ is a term part and parcel of the medical landscape. It’s also one used by everyone, from (justifiably) anxious parents, to seniors looking to map a healthy path through the winter months. When it comes to understanding exactly what our immune system is, however, many of us struggle to provide a definition. And that’s completely understandable, given the immune system is not one, but a whole collection of systems, working together to help us stave off, and fight, infection, disease, and other ailments. And never more so than in the coldest months of the year.

The immune system includes antibodies, white blood cells, various organs, and chemicals. This amazing interactive community of help can distinguish between your body’s own cells, and the cells of an invading ‘nasty,’ including those which have been, helpfully, introduced by a vaccination. When the immune system spots an invader, it creates natural fighter-cells called antibodies which have the capacity to destroy many of the bugs out to test us.

Sounds encouraging, doesn’t! Yet, as with most things health-related, our body, and it’s defense mechanisms, are only as good as the treatment we meter out to them. Add too much alcohol, unhealthy food, and poor exercise into the equation, and our immune system (along with many other bodily functions) dials down. Some prescription medicines (which we need to keep taking) make life difficult for our immune system, too, as can health problems such as autoimmune disorders, ongoing infections, and various treatments we’re already dealing with.

There’s another factor in our immune system’s ability to fight for us – and it’s related to the seasons. Even a layperson is aware colds and ‘flu flourish in winter, and now, among those who know, it is thought bugs (and our systems’ defenses against them), can alter according to factors such as temperature, humidity, and sunlight hours. As well as this, transmission rates of illness increase when people are in close proximity to each other (as happens in winter, when we spend more time indoors with others).

Fortunately, there are steps which most of us can take to build up our immune systems, and many of them are super-simple. Decreasing stress (an immune sapper if ever there was one), is one approach. By taking time out to relax (whether with an enjoyable hobby, a pleasant walk, a book, or active mindfulness), we can carve time out of our busy days to simply rest and be content. Unless it’s not advised by our personal medical professionals, introducing our intake of naturally healthy fruit and vegetables is another doable. In winter, especially, this is so achievable with fresh soups, winter salads, fruit and veg smoothies, cereals, and low-sugar desserts incorporating delicious fruit and frozen berries. Swapping out alcohol for refreshing probiotic drinks, such as kombucha or natural yoghurt smoothies, will help our immune system, too, and citrus fruits such as tamarillo, kiwifruit, oranges, and grapefruit, are brimming over with the vitamin C our bodies crave in the coldest seasons.

Best of all, we have recourse to a raft of immune system boosters in the form of vitamin and mineral-rich over-the-counter health supplements, where advised. These include convenient tablets of vitamins C and D, zinc (a mineral commonly deficient in New Zealand soils), and handbag (or man bag) sized sprays of herbal liquid packed with olive leaf extract, thyme, ginger, horseradish, cayenne, and lavender. While nothing beats a healthy diet, it’s not always possible, all of the time, to provide yourself with the goodies you need to support your immune system, and supplements, taken according to directions, can fill a gap, and even provide on-going support.

Without resorting to popping cloves of garlic in your socks (although, why not, if it takes your fancy!) there is much you can do to boost your immune system this winter. Here’s to a new routine that will see a healthier you!