Boosting your immune system is incredibly important regardless of the time of year. Establishing and creating a proactive approach to immune health is helpful as we come into contact with pathogens within our environment. This blog post will explore 7 actionable tips from a functional medicine practitioner’s perspective to enhance immunity and optimize overall well-being. The goal is to ensure that anything that our immune system comes in contact with it can fight in the shortest amount of time.
- Nutrient Rich Diet
One of the first questions that you should ask yourself is, when you look at your plate, is it colorful? Your plate should contain various fruits, vegetables, and healthy fat sources. Each color of fruit and vegetable comes with different beneficial substances that your body uses to facilitate a powerful effect within the body.
- Red: benefits of anti-inflammatory, general antioxidant activity, and immune modulation.
- Orange: benefits of antioxidants for fat-soluble tissues
- Yellow: benefits of supporting the gut microbiome and gastric motility and regulation
- Green: benefits of antioxidant and healthy circulation and methylation
- Blue: benefits of antioxidants
Additionally, the increased amount of fiber plays a role in enhancing immune system regulation (1). Opting for nutrient-dense choices provides essential vitamins and minerals to support your immune system.
- Gut Health Optimization
You might be familiar that 70% of your immune system resides in your gut lining. This is incredibly important because, over time, many individuals have a leaky gut that allows for different pathogens, viruses, bacteria, and more to sneak into our microbiome. This becomes increasingly problematic because once these foreign invaders get comfortable, they tend to deplete our bodies’ valuable vitamins and minerals. This happens because a stress response is created inside the body, making us more susceptible to colds, flu, or other illnesses. Having a robust microbiome is critical to ensure that you can maintain the integrity of your immune system.
To better understand what your microbiome looks like, we would recommend running a Stool or Organic Acids Test to get a better idea of your immune system’s function.
- Balanced Lifestyle
As mentioned concerning gut optimization, it is important to prioritize stress management through practices like meditation, deep breathing, journaling, and adequate sleep. Chronic stress can compromise the immune system due to chronic elevations of cortisol, leading to the immune system becoming more resistant and increasing the production of cytokinesis (an inflammatory marker) that compromises the immune response (2). Thus, we must create time for ourselves to balance our daily lives.
- Regular Exercise Routine
Engaging in regular physical activity to boost circulation and immune cell function is incredibly valued and often not highlighted enough. We often hear so much about the other benefits of exercise that we forget it can help our immune system. If you aren’t already familiar with the lymphatic system, you might not know that stagnation brews disease and sickness. This means that movement is medicine.
When you think about your lymphatic system, it is important to understand that, unlike the circulatory system that has a pump, the lymphatic system collects all of the “garbage” in our extremities with nowhere to take it. Movement helps push some of that “cellular debris” into circulation to relieve our lymphatic system. This is why a regular walk, at the very least, is so incredibly powerful for your health.
- Adequate Hydration
Hydration is key to supporting all bodily functions, including the immune system. Ensure you drink enough water throughout the day to stay hydrated and facilitate optimal cellular function. Drinking water helps our T-cells, a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, that help our immune system fight germs and protect us from germs by ensuring optimal blood circulation so that the cells can reach the sites of infection more quickly (3). Another important note is to remember that blood is half water, so staying hydrated helps keep things moving and out of the body.
- Supplement Wisely
Before increasing your supplement load, it is important to consider your body’s deficiencies. Consulting with a functional medicine practitioner to identify any specific deficiencies through bloodwork and functional medicine testing. Supplements like vitamin D, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids complement your nutritional intake. Increasing vitamin C-rich foods can be super helpful during this time.
However, consulting with a functional medicine practitioner allows you to understand the optimal dosing that is right for you so that you can optimize your immune system safely.
- Quality Sleep
If you do catch a cold or become super rundown, it is important to prioritize quality sleep for optimal immune function. Establishing a consistent sleep schedule, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and unwinding before bedtime can promote restorative sleep. Aiming for at least 7-9 hours of quality sleep throughout the night is ideal. If you cannot sleep through the night or wake up tired, this is your sign to understand the root cause of why by working with a qualified functional medicine practitioner.
As a special bonus tip, it is important to support your body’s natural detoxification processes through methods like saunas, dry brushing, and staying mindful of environmental toxins. Think of your body like a rain barrel, with each toxin that you become exposed to that your liver can efficiently filter out that becomes a drop in the bucket. When that barrel overflows that is when many of our symptoms start to rise and our immune system has to work overtime to fight off infections. A cleansed system is better equipped to fend off any potential threats.
As we continue to navigate the toxins of modern life, strengthening our immune system becomes an insightful investment in our well-being. By integrating these functional medicine tips into your daily routine, you can empower your body to face challenges with resilience and vitality. Remember, small, consistent steps can significantly improve your immune health over time.
- Venter C, Meyer RW, Greenhawt M, et al. Role of dietary fiber in promoting immune health—An EAACI position paper. Allergy. 2022; 77: 3185-3198. doi: 10.1111/all.15430
- Morey JN, Boggero IA, Scott AB, Segerstrom SC. Current Directions in Stress and Human Immune Function. Curr Opin Psychol. 2015 Oct 1;5:13-17. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.03.007. PMID: 26086030; PMCID: PMC4465119.
- Horswill CA, Janas LM. Hydration and Health. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2011;5(4):304-315. doi:10.1177/1559827610392707