Supporting Your Immune System
Supporting Your Immune System
Thru Healthy Eating & Supplements
Hello friends! I really felt the need to share some information that I’ve learned this past year on how to better support our immune systems and stay healthy. My hope is that you will read this information and then do some more research on your own to find what works best for you. And don’t get me wrong, I am no expert! But through a lot of research, I’ve found some common tips that have been helpful to me. And especially right now, we need super robust immune systems! (Can I get an Amen?)
DISCLAIMER: Please make sure to consult with your physicians before starting any new supplements. Especially if you are on prescribed medications. You definitely don’t want to start taking a supplement that conflicts with your medicine!!
What is an Immune System?
Your immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend against germs. It helps your body recognize “foreign” invaders. When an immune system is weak, you are more prone to getting sick; catching viruses, bacterial infections, and the list goes on. You also are more prone to chronic fatigue, brain fog, and just the overall feeling of not being well and on top of the world.
Supporting your immune system is vitally important! When you have a healthy immune system, your body naturally attacks and fights off sicknesses. This is how God made us! But it’s up to us to maintain a balanced diet with our immune system in mind.
As you continue reading…I’m going to give you the top 10 recommended foods to help prevent catching a cold and/or Flu. It also helps you recover faster if you do indeed catch a cold or flu.
CELERY JUICE - kills off pathogens, it’s a unique form of Vitamin C and instantly strengthens the immune system. Drink 16oz or more of plain celery juice on an empty stomach.
CUCUMBER JUICE - has anti-fever compounds/agents and is extremely hydrating. Drink 16oz or more of plain cucumber juice on an empty stomach, or drink it anytime you have a fever!
LEMON WATER - detoxifies the liver and body. Also helps with nausea. Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon into 16oz of water every morning first thing. Also drink it throughout the day, especially 30 minutes before a meal.
GINGER WATER - helps alleviate fatigue, nausea, and sore throats. Has its own signature variety of Vitamin C.
THYME TEA & WATER - anti-viral and helps soothe coughs, relieves fevers and fights colds/infections.
TURMERIC GINGER SHOTS - a potent combination of fresh turmeric and ginger juice. Also try combining this with oranges, garlic, and apples to sweeten it up a bit!
FRESH JUICES - specifically Fresh Fruit, Leafy Greens, and Vegetable Juices! They offer a plethora of nutrients and antioxidants that your body needs to heal. Top items are apples, oranges, cucumbers, asparagus, melons, pears, celery, cilantro, parsley, dandelion, spinach, kale, radish greens…
RAW GARLIC - antiviral and antibacterial, killing off only the unproductive bacteria. If you feel like you’re coming down with a sore throat, cold, or flu...just mince one raw clove of garlic and mash it into half an avocado, banana, or cooked potato. Repeat this three times per day until you feel better!
RAW HONEY - it assists your body by strengthening neutrophils and macrophages so they can fight off pathogens. At the start of symptoms, take a teaspoon of raw honey before bed. You can also add raw honey to lemon water throughout the day! *Extra tip - raw LOCAL honey will also help with allergies.
GOLDENSEAL & ECHINACEA - a great supplement option to boost the immune system! Goldenseal helps promote healthy skin, is a natural diuretic, has anti-inflammatory properties, and more! Available together as a “blend” or Goldenseal by itself. The liquid form is what I would recommend! *TIP - treat this supplement like an antibiotic prescription. You want to take it for about 7-10 days and then stop taking it for a while! A good rule of thumb would be, one week on and one week off until symptoms are gone.
All of these items can be found at your local farmer’s market, grocery stores, and nutrition stores. You can also find them online at places like Costco, Walmart, Amazon, iherb.com, Vitamin Shoppe, etc.
What should I be eating?
Knowing what to eat and what not to eat can be super challenging! And overwhelming at that. But it’s something that can be adapted to overtime and by taking things slowly. Once it becomes a habit, it’ll be like second nature to you!
There are a lot of factors to consider that I won’t go into depth on in this post, but I will say this...Gluten, Dairy, and Eggs are known to “feed” viruses! So what do we do in order to combat viruses? STOP FEEDING THEM! I encourage you to do more research on your own regarding these three items, talk to a nutritionist or your primary care provider.
What helped me the most in learning to eat healthy was having a list of foods to say “YES” to and a list of foods I should say “NO” to. And that’s what you will find below. Read through both lists, copy and add them to your grocery list!
And of course, portion sizes are super important! This list doesn’t mean you can eat these items endlessly. “All things in moderation” I like to say!
The “YES” Food List
FRUIT
Wild Blueberries
Raspberries
Apples
Papaya
Pears
Grapefruit
Oranges
CARBS (Fibrous)
Alfalfa sprouts
Celery
Onions
Artichokes
Cauliflower
Peppers
Asparagus
Cucumbers
Beans
Eggplant
Spinach
Broccoli
Leeks
Squash
Brussel sprouts
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cabbage
CARBS (Starchy)
Oatmeal
Legumes
Lentils
Kidney beans
Sweet potatoes
PROTEINS
Sashimi
Beef
Chicken Breast
Ham
Lamb
Turkey
Veal
Fish
Crab
Lobster
Shark
Oysters
Prawns
Shrimp
Cottage Cheese
Quinoa
Greek Yogurt
FATS
Almonds (raw)
Cashews (raw)
Olives
Avocados
Flax seed oil
Olive oil
Coconut oil
HERBS/ROOTS
Cilantro
Parsley
Garlic
Ginger
Tumeric
Thyme
The “NO” Food List
ALL SUGAR
Table sugar
Fructose
Maltose
Sucrose
Corn Syrup
Artificial Sweeteners
Evaporated cane juice
CARBS (Starchy)
All baked goods
Bread
GLUTEN
Pasta
Pastries
Bagels
Cereal
Potato Chips
Instant oatmeal
Rice
Rice cakes
FRUIT
Apricots
Cantaloupe
Peaches
Grapes
Pineapple
Ripe Bananas
ALL PRE-PACKAGED FRUIT JUICES & SMOOTHIES!
ALL SODA
VEGETABLES
Beets
Corn
Carrots
Potatoes
White/Sweet Yams
DAIRY
Milk
Cream
Flavored Yogurt
Cheese (except cottage cheese!)
Ice Cream
Frozen Yogurt
MISC FOODS
Candy
Soda
Salt
Salted nuts
Soy sauce
Mayonnaise
Salad dressings with creams and sugars
Eggs (feeds viruses!)
Pork
Canola Oil
MSG
Soy
Citric Acid
Supplements!
Now let’s look at some supplements, below is a compiled list of herbal and mineral supplements that help boost the immune system, ward off illnesses, and help support your healthy lifestyle. These items can be found in forms of capsules, teas, or liquids.
HERBS
Cat’s Claw
Lemon Balm
Rose Hip Tea
Peppermint Tea
Thyme Tea
Goldenseal (liquid)
Echinacea (liquid)
Spirulina
Mullein Leaf
Elderberry
Curcumin
Ashwagandha
Maca
Holy Basil Leaf
Licorice Root
Good Probiotic
MINERALS
Zinc Sulfate (liquid)
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin D3
L-Lysine
Vitamin C
Calcium Magnesium
Silver Hydrosol
Quality MultiVitamin
I found this supplement list from Medical Medium to be super helpful, CLICK HERE. They have listed out some good brands to look for and links to the products on Amazon.
I hope you’ve found some helpful nuggets on this post! Again, my wish for this post is to inspire you to do your own research on healthy living and to explore what works best for YOU. We’re all different, and what our bodies need will vary from person to person. But I hope this can be a starting ground for you. :)
Here’s to Healthy Living!
Love, Jen
About Me
Hello there! If you haven’t followed me in the past let me introduce myself, I’m Jen! I own Jen Peterson Photography, a Wedding, Family and Real Estate Photography company based in Northern California. I am super passionate about family, my faith, and capturing special moments in life! If you’d like to read more about me you can do so here. And feel free to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram!
