You may be wondering how to boost your immunity naturally so you can stay healthy longer and enjoy the things you love! Maybe you’re also tired of getting sick all the time. Pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs never get to the root of your illness and have serious side effects. So, natural preventative medicine and home remedies are a more healthy approach.
I help my family and clients increase their health with these 5 tips below. If you follow them, you’ll also have a stronger immune system and be able to prevent infections in your body and in your home!
5 Tips for Boosting Your Immunity Naturally
Tip #1 – Get Plenty of Sleep
To strengthen your immune system, you’ll need to prioritize getting plenty of good-quality sleep. When we sleep, our bodies are able to restore strength and re-set cell function. Therefore, it’s one of the most important aspects of boosting immunity.
It’s wise to get to bed by 10:00pm which is when our bodies secrete melatonin, a regulating sleep hormone, naturally. If getting to sleep or staying asleep is a problem for you, you can check out my previous blog posts. Improve your sleep by adjusting your circadian rhythm, using Chinese Medicine, and doing a special Yoga practice for sleep.
Tip #2 Eat a Balanced, Organic Diet
Eating a balanced diet will ensure that your body is getting most of the vital nutrients it needs to support immune system function. There’s many opinions on what “balanced” means though.
I’ve found through research and my own wellness journey that it’s best to focus meals around organic vegetables and sustainably sourced protein. The rest of the meal can be filled in with fat and starches. Seasonal fruits make great snacks in between meals. Here’s my suggestions for specific macrobiotic ratios if you need more guidance.
Gut health is the basis for immunity, as beneficial bacteria protect the gut lining and help form a defense against pathogens. A balanced diet supports the gut flora (prebiotics). It’s helpful to include fermented foods too though, which add even more beneficial bacteria to the intestines. Try eating more unsweetened yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickled vegetables each day. You can drink fermented kombucha, kefir, and beet kvass too, which are so yummy and healthy!
At the same time, you’ll need to avoid the foods that harm gut health. Sugar, alcohol, conventional foods with herbicides & pesticides, GMO foods, and processed foods made with rancid oils will all kill beneficial bacteria. They’ll feed the “bad” kind of bacteria instead and may even damage the gut lining.
Tip #3 Take High Quality Supplements
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to get all the nutrients you need for a healthy gut and strong immune system. Even if you’re eating a balanced diet, there’s sure to be some gaps here and there. Malnourishment can impede immune system function.
You’ll want to take a whole food vitamin, antioxidant herbs, an essential fatty-acid blend (especially Omega-3 oils), and a probiotic (since gut health is so easily damaged day-to-day).
Be sure that you’re choosing supplements that are sustainably sourced and free of fillers. The supplements I use in the picture above also contain essential oils that make them easier to digest and more bioavailable.
Tip #4 Use Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils
Speaking of essential oils, there are so many that can boost your immunity directly. OnGuard is my favorite blend (wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary) because it’s so pure, you can use it internally as an immune-boosting supplement.
These essential oils can also be applied, diluted in a carrier oil, to the skin and are readily absorbed into the blood stream where they’re ready to fight any invaders. Diffusing the oils in your home can do the same to prevent the spread of germs in the air.
Tip #5 Manage Your Stress
Stress also damages gut health and prevents you from getting good sleep, so can negatively affect your immunity if you don’t take it seriously. It’s helpful to approach life with a light-hearted attitude, but I know that’s hard to do all the time and stress can’t always be avoided. It can be managed though, so you should take some time during the day to release it. Relieving stress is especially important at night before going to bed so that your body and mind can calm down.
You can download my free stress-relieving acupressure guide here that can help you create a soothing night ritual.
The acupressure points I share in the guide will help you relieve tension and help you fall asleep and stay asleep longer. You can even incorporate relaxing essential oils like Lavender, Frankincense, Cedarwood, and doTERRA’s Serenity blend in the protocol which will enhance your ability to let go of stress.
If you include these tips in your daily ritual, you’ll be giving your immune system the boost it needs. They’ll keep your body stronger than any microorganism attempting to invade it, or your home.
Please let me know how you feel about adopting these tips in the comments! I’d love to hear your own tips for keeping yourself and your family healthy too!
