Stay healthy and boost your immunity

What a perfect topic to cover now that we are in the middle of a pandemic?! There are people who never get sick and then there are people who always get sick – this post is for the latter (but…the former can totally read on too). I used to get sinus infection after sinus infection, cold after cold. Then I made a few tweaks in my life and I literally never get sick (knock on wood). I feel like this goes without saying, but obviously consult with your doctor if you are sick.

oil of oregano

This is on the top of my list because this is the stuff I swear by. You can buy this in either pre-capsulated form or in a dropper form. If you get the dropper form of the oil, you either would need to just swallow the oil or buy some vegetarian capsules and make your own. I buy the pre-capsulated form because #lazy.. but also why the heck not? So how do I take this? In real life, I take 2 a day every day; in pregnancy life, I can’t take it because there aren’t enough studies on it. I don’t dose up ever if I do feel myself getting under the weather – I just keep taking the 2 a day. It’s important to note that you may taste oregano for a few hours after your body digests it.

Just so you can see how amazing this stuff is – Prohealth.com states “Oregano oil has wide-reaching health benefits, but is most associated with respiratory and immune system health. It is known for helping prevent and treat infections”. I promise this stuff is good. Below is a picture of the exact type I buy – you can get it right off of amazon.

emergen-c

Ok, so I think this one is a bit controversial – does it work, does it not work? I swear it does. And plus, there are so many added benefits to having vitamin c in your diet, that I don’t see the harm. I seriously am even more convinced that this stuff is gold after I got the flu back in February (cause I can’t take my normal immunity supplements – including this!!), my husband didn’t get sick at all – like.. not even a cough. He took this stuff every single day (and he was literally taking care of me). He still takes this every morning before his coffee and he hasn’t gotten sick at all.

staying hydrated

This might be a given, but drinking enough water is essential for so many reasons, including boosting your immune system. Why? It helps your body naturally flush out toxins and bacteria. Staying hydrated helps all of your body’s defense mechanisms function the right way. You should aim to drink half of your body weight to your actual body weight in ounces of water (Confused? Here’s an example: if you weigh 150 lbs, you should aim to drink between 75-150 ounces of water daily). Your body (and skin) will thank you. I carry either a 32 oz hydroflask or a 30 oz yeti tumbler with me all the time and I just keep filling up throughout the day. I definitely don’t feel as great when I’m not hydrated. Drink your water peeps!

getting enough sleep

This one is going to get a bit scientific, BUT if research jargon isn’t your style, the gist is: sleep is important and yes, you need it to fight getting sick.

Ok, so I am a person who needs 8 hours of sleep minimum. I just am not a functioning human if I don’t get that (should be interesting when the baby comes…..). With that said, there are soooo many studies that say you should have 7-8 hours of sleep a night – so like.. maybe my circadian rhythm is on to something? When you sleep, your body releases certain proteins. When you get sick, your body needs more of these proteins to fight off infection or inflammation. If you aren’t getting adequate sleep, your body can’t produce these proteins; also it’s important to note that antibodies are reduced when you don’t get enough sleep. This info is literally from Dr. Eric Olson @ the Mayo Clinic (a very reputable health care organization).

Sleep is also good for a million other reasons – it resets your body, makes your skin look so much better, helps to reduce stress, etc.

reducing stress

I am going to do a full post in the near future about ways to reduce stress, but for now – stress is so horrible for your body. We each go through some type of stress, but it needs to be managed and dealt with. Stress can suppress your immune system, in turn, making you get sick more easily. Chronic stress can also cause serious issues to your body like heart disease.

Stress causes you to have poor sleep, poor work performance (causing even more stress???) and poor dietary choices. And, like…. hi… we just talked about the importance of sleep! Figure out what the root cause of your stressors are and then determine a way to tackle it.

eating nutrient dense foods

I feel like this is kind of a given why this is important, but I will still say it. Nutrient dense foods are nutrient dense. They are going to deliver the most nutrients and vitamins to your body. What are nutrient dense foods? Fruits, vegetables, seafood, some grains, etc. Here is a list of the most nutrient dense foods: Salmon, Kale, Seaweed, Garlic, Shellfish, Potatoes, Sardines, Blueberries, Egg Yolk & Dark Chocolate. There are so many more nutrient dense foods than what I listed – that’s just a few.

Keeping a well rounded and balanced diet will ensure you’re getting all of the nutrients your body needs to fight off being sick.

I hope these tips and tricks work for you like they work for me 🙂

Drop the ways you stay healthy in the comments below so others can see!

Until next time,

Lauryn xo

www. liketoknow.it/laurmonds