It’s time to take extra care of yourself and ward off the winter sniffles. These immune system hacks will have you singing in the rain and jumping puddles with great energy and gusto.
Your immune system requires balance and harmony – a holistic approach that includes great nutrition and a healthy diet, mental wellbeing (be gone stress!) and regular physical exercise. But of course, life’s busy, work’s demanding and family responsibilities are endless, so we often let our own needs – particularly our nutritional needs – slip. Then our immune system is compromised, we get sick, and we’re no good to anyone! Let alone living our healthiest, happiest life! Fear not. These immune boosters are super easy to incorporate into your life and in fact, will give you more energy, clarity and overall optimum health benefits. Are you ready?!
1. Get the giggles!
No seriously – LAUGH! Research shows that a good, hearty, belly laugh can boost your immune system. Think about: all those belly muscles dancing with glee, which in turn relieves physical tension and stress. Not only does laughter give your muscles a happiness workout, but it leaves them relaxed when the jokes dry up. Your hormones benefit too, as your stress hormones decrease, your immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies increase. And those immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies are exactly what you need to improve your resistance to disease.
2. Cheat – with a daily immune boosting supplement
No matter how tantalising that tangelo may be staring back at you from the fruit bowl, we often take shortcuts on our own health for others – whether that’s work, kids or business deadlines something always gets in the way! That’s where a nutritionally complete supplement can step in and assist – and that’s precisely what Vital All-In-One will do. Taken every day, Vital All-In-One helps with gaps in diet and lifestyle.
It is a total daily supplement, a carefully balanced blend of nutrient-dense superfoods, detox herbs, pre and probiotics, powerful antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and minerals, and a unique high alkalising pea protein. You can ditch the pill cupboard full of vitamins of this and that and just take one (not to mention save a wad of cash).
Originally named Vital Greens, it was renamed Vital All In One in 2000 to highlight its power as a complete supplement which supports increased energy, gut health, lessened cravings and a healthy immune system.
Elyse Knowles, renovation queen (2017 The Block winner), model and all-round kick-ass healthy gal, was such a fan of Vital All In One, that the Vital brand made her an ambassador! Elyse has been using Vital All In One since she was 17, and swears by the health benefits.
“So many people ask me what I eat and drink to keep healthy and I always say the same thing – I start every day off with a healthy breakfast that includes Vital All-In-One because I know that it’s giving me everything I need for my day.”
3. Move it, baby!
Keep your body moving, even when it’s bucketing outside! In fact, there’s loads of benefits to breaking a sweat. Countless research studies show that regular exercise not only improves your mood (and thus decreases those narky stress hormones), but it also boosts your ability to fight and fend off infections, and lowers your risk for heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and high blood pressure. The perfect incentive to skate laps, jump hoops or run on a clear winter’s day.
4. Catch some zzzz’s
Lack of sleep usually has some pretty obvious outward signs – poor concentration, moodiness, decreased motivation, poor decision-making capabilities… We’ve all been there!
But if skimping on sleep is becoming a habit, you could be dancing with trouble. Why? When you don’t get enough sleep you have a decrease in your killer cell activity. These natural killer cells fire up our immune system and travel around our body mopping up cold and flu viruses, bacteria and the odd foreign cancerous and mutated cells. They are good killers! We need them!
So are you getting enough shut-eye?
Dr Carmel Harrington, author of The Sleep Diet, says adults are recommended to have 7-9 hours sleep per 24 hours on average, but each person is different. “It’s up to the individual to be attuned to how much they need to perform at their optimal levels, but generally, women need 20 minutes more than men in a 24 hour period,” Dr Harrington explains.
What the?! Say that again?!
Yes it’s true – and science backs it up. “There’s all sorts of research out there indicating different reasons, including women’s brains being more active,” explains Dr Harrington. “Factually what we do know is that during the second half of a woman’s fertile cycle has more progesterone in your system. Progesterone is a sophoric so it makes you want to sleep. In the second half of the cycle women need more sleep, but they don’t often get it. And consequently there’s all kinds of effects from lack of sleep and tiredness.”
Now there’s a scientific reason to get your partner to make brekkie for your each morning while you catch a few more dreams…
5. Mind over matter
Stress is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to being rundown. Studies have found that chronic stress can ravage your immune system through long-term wear and tear. Thankfully, meditation is an easy way to save yourself the sick days. In short: it increases electrical activity in the left side of the brain; the part that acts as a command centre for your immune system. This helps it work more efficiently and, in turn, produce more defence cells. Win
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