“Boosting immunity” is a buzz phrase right now, but rather than just boosting your immune system when your body is under immediate risk, here are some practical steps you can take today to build a better foundation for brain and body resiliency:
- ENRICH your cells with a daily supply of micronutrients to support and activate your immune functions and brain health.
- FUEL your body with proteins and fatty acids: these will help build muscle, regenerate tissue and heal your gut for faster defense.
- NOURISH your microbiome: diverse and multi-faceted gut bacteria fed plenty of probiotics and prebiotics may help counterbalance pathogens and improve resilience.
- PROTECT your mouth and lungs to reduce toxic load and the risk of infections.
- REDUCE stressors that may encourage inflammation and use up your resiliency resources.
- HYDRATE deeply with clean water and electrolytes to keep healthy blood cells thriving and support your lymph system in flushing away anything that doesn’t support health.
SPECIAL: MicroNourish Brain-Body Resiliency + Hydration Kit.
1. Enrich Your Cells With A Constant Supply Of Micronutrients To Activate Your Immune Functions.
“It has […] been established that the complex, integrated immune system needs multiple specific micronutrients, including vitamins A, D, C, E, B6, and B12, folate, zinc, iron, copper, and selenium, which play vital, often synergistic roles at every stage of the immune response.” (1) A Review of Micronutrients and the Immune System-Working in Harmony to Reduce the Risk of Infection.
Your immune system is a complex network of organs and functions that protect your body from invasion by harmful elements. Your white blood cells, antibodies, lymphatic system and spleen, thymus, bone marrow, and complement system, all work together to attack and wash out pathogens, and defend your brain and body.
Each of these functions requires fuel to do its job, and each needs a micronutrient – either a trace mineral or vitamin – to kick-start its process. For example:, Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin C and B Vitamins are commonly known immune ‘boosters’ because of the instrumental role they play in supporting your body’s defense system. But micronutrients work together synergistically: the absorption of one facilitates the utilization of another. (Learn More: Absorption Is Key)
So while you may ‘boost’ these specific nutrients when under stress, if your body lacks the full-spectrum of trace minerals and vitamins it needs to function on a daily basis, your system’s resources will still be strained. However, if you maintain deep nutrition with a broad supply of micronutrients, you will take the pressure off your system having to prioritize when under stress.
• TIP: Add colorful fruits and vegetables with phytonutrients and flavonoids wherever possible, and increase your daily dose of MicroNourish Core during more stressful periods to replenish the minerals being burned by your body’s protective systems.
2. Fuel Your Body With Amino Acids & Essential Fats: The Buildings Blocks That Help Heal Your Gut And Make You Stronger.
Macronutrients matter too. Amino acids are building blocks in proteins that work alongside essential fatty acids to build muscle and regenerate tissue, so making sure you’re eating clean proteins and ‘good fats’ is always a great defense strategy for your brain and body – but if you have a leaky gut, you may need an extra boost of healing to fully utilize this great nutrition.
Your gut is a major line of defense for your body. It is not only where you absorb nutrition, but also where many pathogens and microbes can enter the body – especially if the lining is weak and cracked. 70% of your immune tissue is in your gut so a healthy gut mucosa and lining are essential defensive shields. The good news is, gut tissue regenerates quickly so immediate action could support immediate increased protection.
• TIP: To support a strong gut lining: prioritize foods high in amino acids. The amino acid L-Glutamine (which is present in MicroNourish Core) is particularly beneficial, as is adding collagen and fish oils to your daily regime. One great way to up your intake of gut-healing amino acids is by drinking bone broth daily, now readily available to buy if you can’t face brewing it yourself.
Gut Reactions: Why Your Gut Is A Barometer For Your Mental Well-Being.
3. Protect Your Greatest Defense Barrier – Your Gut – By Nourishing A Diverse & Resilient Microbiome.
It is now accepted that the health of your bacteria ecosystem, or microbiome, is the keystone to your ability to maintain physical resistance against pathogens. This microbiome extends throughout your body – from the dermal microbiome on your skin to the mucus of your lungs, and, most significantly, to and from your gut. Nourishing a robust and varied microbiome is one of the greatest gifts you can give your health and immunity.
• TIP: To grow a strong microbiome: Try to make your vegetable intake as high and varied as possible, and add foods to your plate that naturally have a lot of good bacteria, such as kefir and sauerkraut. Avoid high-sugar foods that feed the unfriendly bacteria and take a daily probiotic every morning that, at the very least, includes a high level Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium along with a high CFU count of other other probiotics. MicroNourish Superfood Probiotics has 5 billion CFUs of a diverse strain of bacterias from whole food sources.
• TIP: To feed and nourish that microbiome: Prebiotics are the sometimes forgotten gut food that help replicate and nourish the good bacteria in your ecosystem. Make an effort to up your prebiotic-rich foods – like artichokes, onions, leeks and garlic – which shouldn’t be hard as they add a lot of flavor too! MicroNourish Superfood Probiotics also includes a whole-food blend of prebiotics to help further enrich your microbiome daily and help lower the bad bacteria.
4. Protect The Gateway To Your Lungs. Oral & Respiratory Health.
Other important pathways to good health are the entrance ways of your mouth, nose and lungs.
To function well, your lungs must be well hydrated: they must remain moist so that the mucous in them can trap foreign particles which are then coughed out via the cilia (small hairs). Staying hydrated and oxygenated help your lung function. Breathing exercises, drinking clean water and maintaining good oral health reduces the work the lungs have to do to clear out low-lying infections.
• TIP: To help support oral health and your respiratory tract, wash coconut oil around your mouth for 10-15 minutes a day, and spit it out. It can help clean the gums and keep your pathways cleaner. If you want to go the extra mile, you can also wash your mouth and nose with saline water. (This is on top of brushing and flossing, which we hope we don’t need to recommend!)
5. Decrease Stressors That Cause Inflammation & Burn Your Resources
It’s easy to overlook the simple lifestyle choices that we all know make a difference. Your body is working hard to protect you all the time, so each time you add additional stress to that system, you draw on your mineral sufficiency while encouraging low-level inflammation that can weaken your system.
TIP: Choose 3 things you are willing to do to help reduce the burden on your body starting today:
- Movement: The lymph system that cleans your blood does not have it’s own pump, so relies on you to move your body. What extra movement can you add to your daily routine today?
- Sleep: Your adrenal system recharges and restores during deep sleep. Total darkness and no phones at night can help sleep quality, while minerals such as magnesium can calm your system. What else can you do to improve your sleep tonight?
- Fluids: Your body uses water to flush out what’s not needed, and to saturate your cells for optimal function, while alcohol and caffeine deplete your mineral stores and dehydrate your system. What can you do today to tilt the balance in a positive direction?
- Calm: Emotional and mental stress taxes your central nervous system and draws on your adrenal reserves. What can you do today to help bring your body into more flow?
- Triggers: Foods that don’t agree with your system, and other unhealthy habits (you know what they are!), act as triggers for your inflammatory response. What burdens are you willing to take off your body today?
TIP: Add foods that promote a healthy inflammatory response to your diet: one way is by making a delicious hot tea of ginger, turmeric, coconut oil/coconut milk, lemon and honey. (Note: the fat in the coconut oil helps the body absorb, curcumin, the beneficial compounds in turmeric)
6. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate.
This is last, but is certainly not least. Hydration is one of the most obvious keys to health, as water not only feeds our brain, body and cells, but is used to flush out whatever we don’t need. To fully utilize the water you drink, your body relies on electrolyte trace minerals – like magnesium, chloride, sodium and potassium – to transport water to your cells. Without these electrolytes, you may feel weaker, particularly after exercise, and be more likely to have fluid retention, cramps and twitches.
If you eat an acid-forming diet, are under emotional stress, environmental toxic pressures or life stresses that deprive your cells of oxygens and other nutrients, your body will try to alkalize your system by using the minerals in your bloodstream. If you aren’t absorbing enough of these important minerals from your diet (which is very hard in modern times!), a build-up of acid in your cells can occur. Supporting your body by replenishing it with natural ionic minerals, helps support an alkaline system, which fuels health and healing.*
TIP: Add OmNourish Hydration Infusion electrolytes to your water every day to help maintain hydration, and drink additional water to compensate for any dehydrating drinks – such as coffee and alcohol – that you consume.
To help support you on your journey to resiliency, MicroNourish has put together a special kit with micronutrients, probiotics, prebiotics and electrolytes to help support your immune machinery and mental wellness.
Check it out here: Body Resilience & Hydration Kit.
