Boost your IMMUNE system

TRIED AND TRUE IMMUNITYBUILDING LIFESTYLE TIPS FROM

TAMMY FRY, HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE EXPERT AND DIRECTOR AT THE FRY FAMILY FOOD CO.

These times have action and make positive been incredibly lifestyle changes. challenging, “Let food be thy medicine!” so I choose to Hippocrates was right, food focus on what I can provide us with essential can control. Where I can, I try building blocks to health and to find the time to slow down, vitality, and more importantly, self-reflect, learn new ways of keep our immune system in being, doing and creating, while fighting shape. focusing on gratitude for my GUT HEALTH IS KEY health and my family’s health. Our gut health is a critical

We are all going to need to component of overall health think of how we can boost and a marker for the state our immune systems and of the immune system. The better equip our bodies to stomach essentially performs deal with exposure to viruses the task of separating the and bacteria. We also need to inside of our body from the consider how we can prevent outside world. It acts as a lifestyle diseases which filter by removing toxins and would leave us more exposed waste from the body and with a compromised allowing nutrients through. The immune system. highest and densest microbe

Covid-19 has created a population in your body can certain level of fear, and our be found in your gut, where it quest for health and life is plays a critical role in digestion, more important than ever. weight regulation and immune Now really is the time to take system function.

So how do you support your gut?

• Eat fermented foods in order to get a wide variety of probiotics, such as Kombucha, Kimchi and sauerkraut, which provide an array of good bacteria. • Take a probiotic supplement or find foods that contain probiotics, which support the good bacteria as they are the precursor for good bacteria. • Eat lots of fibre. Animal-based foods contain no fibre, but plant-based foods are loaded with it. Make sure you are getting a wide variety of plant-

based foods, including whole grains, a wide range of fruit and vegetables and certain plantbased meats – like the range from the Fry Family Food Co. – which are usually very high in fibre and pesticide-free. • Avoid fruit and vegetables which have been sprayed with pesticides and chemicals. One of the most popular herbicides sprayed on crops contains the chemical glyphosate, which disrupts the gut wall and allows bacteria to pass through the gut lining. This affects the functioning of the immune system. Try to buy organic wherever possible.

• Limit intake of highly processed foods and animal products. Animals reared for human consumption contain the very chemicals that damage the stomach lining. The primary food source for these animals is genetically modified corn and soy, which has been sprayed with herbicides containing glyphosate. The glyphosate accumulates in the animal’s body, which we then consume. SUPPLEMENTS: THE

REINFORCEMENTS

There are no magic pills you can take to prevent a virus or a cold, but there are some simple ones you can add to your everyday diet to give you

a fighting chance.

Vitamin C: Can be taken as a supplement or is found in high levels in peppers, guavas, oranges, strawberries and broccoli.

Vitamin D: A few minutes in the sunshine can boost your Vitamin D levels, or you can take a supplement. A blood test will show your Vitamin D levels.

Zinc, Echinacea and

Ashwagandha: All three support immune system function and are my “go-tos” when I’m feeling a little run down.

Garlic, rosemary, oregano,

cinnamon and turmeric: Can be added to your cooking to boost immunity and reduce inflammation in the body. KEEP CALM & ZEN ON

When “stressed out” or anxious, your body produces stress hormones which can suppress your immune system. So in this incredibly challenging time for the human race, make sure you spend some time on activities to minimise stress – do a puzzle, practice mindfulness and breathing exercises, give meditation a go, do yoga in your bedroom, take an exercise class, get into your garden, or start cooking. Whatever makes you feel relaxed and happy – do more of that! GET THOSE ZZZZZs

Sleep. To. Feel. Unbelievable. Sleep is a wonderful immune booster and let’s face it, a good REM sleep not only feels good, it grounds you by giving both your body and your mind the rest it needs to mentally, physically and emotionally stave off whatever comes your way. Studies have shown huge benefits to the immune system and increased number of T-cells – immune cells which protect the body from cancer cells and other pathogens – when getting your full sleep quota.

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