Guest Editor’s Letter: Good Gut Health to Strengthen Your Immune System

While the cold weather brings many favourites like pumpkin spiced lattes and cozy sweaters, it also is a sign of the cold & flu season. It is best to be proactive and keep your house and environment healthy. As a person with an autoimmune disease (celiac disease), and a mama of a two-year-old, I make sure my natural toolbelt is ready and that we’re well equipped for the winter months ahead.

Of course we can’t prevent every cold or flu bug from making us ill, but naturally supporting the immune system is one way to strengthen our body’s defences against common germs.

Since nearly 80% of the immune system resides in our gut, I am sharing easy and practical suggestions to help you and your family improve gut health and to support your immune system during the cold & flu season. These suggestions range from daily movement, quality sleep and eating to nourish the body.

Using food as medicine has been a passion of mine for many years and is a topic near and dear to my heart. In this issue, I am sharing two of my favourite immune supporting recipes that are a big hit with my family. Are you looking for a way to get your little ones to add in some immune-supporting goodness? Add a little sunshine to your day with some DIY immune-supporting teddy bear gummies your kids will love! Not only are these gummies super convenient, but they are also great while sick or for supporting the immune system during the cold and flu season – something we could all use these days!

If you want something to keep you cozy and warm during the winter season, try my grandmother’s chicken soup. It is so flavourful, comforting and nourishing to the gut as well as supportive of the immune system. There’s a reason that chicken soup is a common food during illness. Our mothers and grandmothers knew the amazing benefits! Homemade broth contains minerals that are incredible for immune and gut health.

This winter, I want you to enjoy all that the season has to offer with a strong and healthy immune system! I hope you find the information and the recipes provided helpful over the coming months.

JAYDE MACLEAN is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner and an IHN graduate who specializes in gut health. She uses a holistic approach and sees food as a healing tool to nourish and support the body. She runs a food blog and shares healthy gluten-free recipes at RECLAIMEDHEALTH.CA @RECLAIMEDHEALTHJAYDE