How to support your immune system with foods and essential oils
Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Since nobody really seems to know where we are going with the Coronavirus spread, I think it is vital to teaching everyone around us how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which can help support the immune system in its combat against intruders. Strangely enough, authorities do not give any attention to the importance of your immune system.
By adding the following immune-boosting foods and essential oils to your daily routine, you will give your defence system big support. When your immune system works full speed, you will be able to combat the many viruses and bacteria attacking your body.
Your first line of defence is to implement a healthy lifestyle
The steps mentioned below are the best ways to make sure your body, including your immune system, works better supported by healthy living strategies such as :
- Try to minimize stress, do some yoga or meditation when you are exposed to stress
- Don’t smoke
- Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Sleep
- Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
Essential oils to boost your immunity
Aromatherapy can be used to help support and reduce the burden on our immune system, which is particularly useful when we are feeling burned out, under a lot of stress or illness.
All essential oils have antiseptic properties to some degree, and many essential oils are especially good at preventing the spread of bacteria, fungus, and viruses. Some essential oils can help to stimulate the immune system by increasing blood and lymph circulation and generally supporting the different body systems.
Essential oils can be diffused, applied, diluted, added to cleaning or body care products.
For safe use of essential oil, I recommend you download the Sandra Bloom book: Smashing with Oils. Essential oils are amazing, but they can be dangerous when not used correctly.
Some essential oils to help your immune system
Lemon
Lemon is an immune stimulant useful in treating influenza viruses, E. coli, and some Staphylococcus (Staph) strains. The clean scent is comforting and helps to relieve nausea.
Rosemary
Rosemary is another helpful essential oil for respiratory illness and is an excellent warming oil that clears the sinuses and ‘foggy head’, shown to be useful for treating bacterial and fungal infections and has mild anti-viral properties.
Tea Tree or Melaleuca
Melaleuca oil has antibiotic and antispasmodic properties, so inhalation can also soothe sore throats and break up congestion. When using essential oils topically, always do a test patch on the inside of your elbow and make sure you’re getting a pure product that’s safe for topical use.
Cinnamon Essential Oil
Cinnamon is probably one of the strongest anti-bacterial essential oils with some anti-fungal properties. Excellent for adding to cleaning products in small amounts and avoid using them directly on the skin. Calming essential oils can be added to any immune support blend to treat the immune system physically and emotionally. There are so many ways that aromatherapy can help support your immune system.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus is invaluable to help treat the symptoms of colds when applied to the chest and feet. Steam inhalation can help clear congested sinuses. Effective against flu, E. coli, some Staph strains, and Candida albicans.
Peppermint is a wonderful year-round essential oil
Peppermint is really oil that is wonderful year-round but definitely belongs in a list of winter “essentials” too. It has so many uses, but you want to be sure to buy high-quality doTERRA oil for the best results. Frequently used in toothpaste and chewing gum for oral hygiene.
Cinnamon, orange, and Clove
These three oils are amazing when diffused together. They make your home smell so inviting and warm, and at the same time, they are invigorating and energizing. We all know that the long winter lasts, the harder it can be to be positive and upbeat. Creating a cosy home and diffusing oils that brighten the mood can help you. Above all, each essential oils is great to use in baking recipes. Feeling drooly like the weather outside? Bake some cinnamon rolls!
These oils are also energizing and uplifting, good for emotional balance, dental discomfort, cooking.
Lemongrass
Uplifting from head to toe, lemongrass essential oil can also reduce symptoms of the common cold in many different ways. It’s nicknamed fever grass because it’s an antipyretic used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce fevers and induce sweating. A natural analgesic can also be used to reduce muscle aches and pains, which is excellent for people who are experiencing cold symptoms throughout their entire body. It’s also great at lifting fatigue with its refreshing, citrusy scent that helps reduce painful headaches. Lemongrass is a great way to stimulate your immune system when taking over-the-counter medicine that merely covers up the effects of the common cold.
Healthy foods to boost your health
Eating the right foods helps you keep your immune system strong. Plan your meals, go to the grocery store and include these 10 healthy and most powerful immunity boosters :
Citrus fruits
Because it contains a lot of vitamin C. Vitamine C increases the production of white blood cells. White blood cells are vital to be able to fight infections.
Broccoli
Broccoli is supercharged with vitamins and minerals. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fibre, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your table. The key to keeping its power intact is to cook it as little as possible — or better yet, not at all.
Garlic
Packed with allicin(sulfur-containing compound)
Recognized for its value in fighting infections. Garlic also helps lower blood pressure and slows down the hardening of the arteries.
Ginger
Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses. Ginger may also help decrease nausea. Ginger may help decrease chronic pain and may possess cholesterol-lowering properties.
Turmeric
You may know turmeric as a key ingredient in many curries. But this bright yellow, bitter spice has also been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in treating muscle damage, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Green tea
Green tea is packed with flavonoids, and antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate, both antioxidants.
It also contains the amino acid: L-theanine.
Spinach
Spinach made our list not just because it’s rich in vitamin C. It’s also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems. Similar to broccoli, spinach is healthiest when it’s cooked as little as possible so that it retains its nutrients. However, light cooking enhances its vitamin A and allows other nutrients to be released from oxalic acid.
Yoghurt
Yoghurts with live and active cultures, like Greek yoghurt, are the best.
These cultures may stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases. Try to get plain yoghurts rather than the kinds that are preflavored and loaded with sugar. You can sweeten plain yoghurt yourself with healthy fruits and honey instead.
Yoghurt can also be a great source of vitamin D, so try to select brands fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and is thought to boost our body’s natural defences against diseases.
Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds are full of nutrients, including phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. They’re also incredibly high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.
Vitamin E is important in regulating and maintaining immune system function
Avocado
Avocados are a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6 and riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids.
They are healthy for the heart, great for your vision, strong osteoporosis prevention, combat cancer, are good for a positive mind, improve digestion, detox, and are antimicrobial.
It is essential to put some variation in your nutrition; eating just one of these foods will not be enough to help you fight off disease. Above healthy nutrition with as few processed foods as possible, it is vital to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. A walk or some yoga is excellent, but you can also do more powerful training.
In these times of uncertainty, it is not harmful to take some steps to a healthier life. Even if there is no cure or no vaccine yet, a strong, healthy body with an efficient immune system can fight away nasty creepy viruses.
Love,
Holisticdelsol
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