Arm your Immune Defences – Winter is Coming!

The autumn air is crisp, the trees are coated with colourful leaves and it’s getting colder by the day, brace yourself, the seasonal shift is well under way. Along with fuzzy socks and warm drinks, Melbourne’s ‘flu season’ is about to kick into full swing.

If you want to be immune to coughs and colds like the Night King is immune to Dragon fire then check out Back In Line Chiropractic’s’ top 6 immunity armours;

1. Sleep
2. Cut down on sugar
3. Embrace apple cider vinegar
4. Be loaded with high quality vitamins
5. Support your innate intelligence
6. Move and be well – both mentally and physically

Sleep is key
If you feel fatigued through the day and are seeking that caffeinated afternoon pick me up, it’s likely your immune system is going to find it hard to go into battle for you. A few earlier nights and some deep sleep, will restore your energy reserves so your body can be all systems go! Also, the bulk of your immune defence goes into action while you sleep, so if you’re putting yourself to bed after 12 AM you are missing out, allowing the bugs to build a bigger assault.

Can’t sleep?

• Invest in a great pillow and mattress
• Quiet time prior to snooze time – no screens. Embracing a cosy bath, a good book or even meditating will help set your nervous systems up perfectly for rest and digest
• Ensure you are getting some physical exercise done during the day along with no caffeine after 3pm

Cut down on refined sugar
Sugar decreases the function of your immune system. Sugar is the primary fuel of the bugs and viruses which the body is trying to defend itself against. When you feel you are coming down with something, avoiding refined sugars and lots of grains will do wonders for your immune defence. Be aware of hidden sugar in fruit juice and cereals.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Most people have heard of apple cider vinegar, even if as nothing more than an addition to salad dressing. However, raw apple cider vinegar, containing the ‘mother’ (sometimes called ACV for short) has been praised for centuries for its medicinal properties. Drinking a small amount of this yeasty, fermented goodness (daily – 30 minutes prior to eating) can offer a huge host of health benefits, most notably, boosting and aiding the function of your immune system.
ACV is a vinegar and is incredibly acidic with a sharp, sour taste, avoid sipped straight from the bottle; it must be diluted. Mix this life-giving elixir into an easy to consume drink, combine a little water, some honey, a twist of lemon and if you are feeling wild add some olive leaf extract. Ensure you don’t use boiling water as it will denature the good bacteria.
Like most things, not all products are created equal. When looking to purchase a bottle of apple cider vinegar, you obviously want the best quality that is going to offer the most health benefits. Therefore, you need to choose a raw, organic apple cider vinegar. A good recommendation is Bragg Organic Raw and Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, which you can buy at most health food stores.

Vitamins 
At BILC our go-to immunity support supplement is ArmaForce; a comprehensive formula combining the herbal and nutritional ingredients Andrographis, echinacea, olive leaf, vitamin C and zinc.  The combination of these ingredients relieves the severity of symptoms of mild upper respiratory tract infections, mild fever and support healthy immune function.
Our Chiropractors may also recommend Vitamin D as it activates important virus killing cells in your body called CD8 T Cells. It has been known those who have a higher level of these cells have less cold and flu’s and fewer symptoms. Also, Vitamin D deficiency is becoming more prevalent and, in the winter, we have less sun exposure. So, ask your health professional if a blood test and/or a good Vit D3 supplement may help you to build good immune defence…. and don’t forget to get some Melbourne winter sun!

Innate intelligence 
Naturally you innately do the healing. Your body is intelligent; it’s self-healing and self-regulating. Sometimes when we are sick, we feel uncomfortable and the symptoms get in the way, from work or family commitments, but this is the bodies way to defend itself. If we mask the symptoms, we suppress the defence. Try to avoid taking cold and flu tablets and drugs which suppress the body’s ability to produce mucus, that’s the bodies way of getting the bugs out of your body!! Support your immune system, naturally, it may be uncomfortable, but your body will thank you for it.

Move and shake!
When energy reserves are low, rest is important, however a little physical activity is essential to our immune health. Movement is key to brain health and reducing the effects of stress, allows the immune system to work its best!! We tend to hibernate and move less in these colder days yet when possible put on some warm clothes and get movin’ moving!

Enjoy following these tips to make this winter your and your family’s best one yet!