Boosting your immune system this winter naturally!

We are currently in the heart of winter. Daily we are experiencing frosty morning, dark nights and sniffles galore. It’s the time of year when people start to feel a bit down in the dumps, have lower energy and are much more prone to getting sick. I have detailed below my top 10 tips for kicking your immune systems butt this winter so you can avoid that annoying cold or flu. These tips will equally help keep you feeling more positive during these chilly months until the warm sun rays of spring appear.

1.     Keep hydrated! This is a big one. Often during winter we forget to drink enough water due to the cold weather. However, being inside in the heating can be very drying. Hydration is so important for pretty much every body function. It will make you feel more energetic and improve your immune function. Aim for at least 8 glasses of filtered water daily.

2.     Eat a well balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables contain so many essential vitamins and minerals to keep your body functioning properly. Vitamin C found in citrus fruit and berries is particularly important during these winter months. A balanced diet of 3 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit daily will ensure you are obtaining adequate nutrition to stimulate your immune system so you can fight off any nasty viruses you come into contact with. Remember variety is key so aim to have a plate that looks like a rainbow with as many different coloured fruit and vegetables as possible.

3.     Sleep- In order to have a properly functioning immune system we need to have adequate rest. During sleep our bodies have the opportunity to rest and restore themselves. Different people require different amounts of sleep so I advise you to listen to your body. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and if you are having trouble falling asleep or waking during the night ask your health practitioner how they can help. Poor sleep is one reason people feel fatigued, sad or constantly have a low immune system.

4.     Get outside and absorb some sunlight or get on a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D is one of the most important Vitamins for both the immune system and mood. It can be difficult to get enough Vitamin D during winter. Aim for 20 minutes direct sunlight mid morning or mid afternoon for best absorption. Increasing egg yolks, butter or ghee and fish can also help boost your vitamin D intake. If your blood test shows you are low in Vitamin D (as so many of us are) make sure to take a supplement throughout winter.

5.     Exercise! Exercise has been shown to be one of the best ways to boost your immune system as well as to boost mood. It can be hard getting motivated in these winter months but once you get moving you will certainly feel better. You can even exercise at home if it’s too cold and dark to go out. Check out some HIIT training videos on YouTube, pick up a skipping rope or do some jumping jacks. Anything that gets your heart pumping is great. Doing a class at the gym with friends is also a great way to increase your social interaction, which is so important for boosting mood. Aim for at least 20 minutes high intensity exercise three times a week.

6.     Use immune boosting herbs and spices such as onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Herbs and spices used in cooking are an excellent way to add immune boosting properties to your food. Check out my immune boosting quinoa recipe as an example: http://dionne-healthnaturally.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/immune-boosting-turmeric-quinoa.html

7.     Ensure adequate protein intake. Protein is so important as it is what your immune system is actually made up of. It also contains zinc, an important mineral for the immune system. Your neurotransmitters for positive mood are also made up of protein. To be fair amino acids from protein are the building blocks of our body so it is needed for all functions. Protein should be included in all meals and can be in the form of meat, eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, legumes and dairy.

8.     Drink herbal teas. This will first of all help with hydration, will keep you warm and you can choose certain teas that have immune boosting properties. Try green tea for its antioxidants, lemongrass and ginger tea or cinnamon tea for its warming and immune enhancing ability.

9.     Start your day with a glass of warm water and the juice of ½ a lemon (you can add a dash of honey too). This is a great way to add some vitamin C into your diet. It will also help with digestion so you can better absorb all your nutrients. Did you know that the majority of your immune system is found in your gut? Therefore, keeping your digestive system healthy will help you have a better functioning immune system.

10.  Practice relaxation daily. Stress is one of the biggest contributors to lowered immune function. We have all been there, after a stressful even when we can finally relax we get sick. Make sure you are listening to your body and treating it with love. Some of my favourite forms of relaxation include meditation, deep breathing, yoga, walking, a warm bath or using essential oils. Just 5 minutes a day can make all the difference :)

The benefits of deep breathing for reducing stress, anxiety and so much more!

I often talk about the importance of deep breathing. How slowing down your breath and focusing on your breathing can have such a phenomenal affect on our overall health and well-being.

You may be thinking, we all breath all day, everyday so what exactly is the difference between regular breathing and deep breathing?

Most of us are shallow breathers. What does this mean? It means that when we breath we are actually only engaging 1/3 of our lungs. We breathing into the top/ chest section of our lungs rather than all the way down into our abdomen.

Now why is this bad? Well first of all our lungs are one of our organs of elimination and each time we breathe out we expel stale air and toxins. If we don’t breath all the way to the bottom of our lungs then there is stale air stagnating there that is never being expelled.

Also we are not flooding our body with as much oxygen as possible. The more oxygen we inhale, the more it can cleanse our blood and flood to our organs. This in turn helps all our organs function better, helps us with concentration and focus and is so beneficial for relaxation too.

Some of the benefits of deep breathing?

·       It makes you calmer and more relaxed.

·       Helps the body detoxify.

·       Can help relieve pain.

·       Boosts mood

·       Improves posture.

·       Stimulated the lymphatic system.

·       Increases cardiovascular system.

·       Gives you energy.

·       Improves digestion.

·       Strengthens major organs.

·       Helps regulate weight.

·       According to yogic philosophy it helps to extend your life, as it is believed that we are born with a certain number of breaths and once we have completed these breaths our time is up. So by slowing down your breathing you can extend your life.

If you want to improve any of the areas of your health listened above then I want you to try something. For the next week spend 4 minutes a day practicing deep breathing. Two minutes upon waking and 2 before going to sleep. No matter how busy your life is you have time for 2 minutes upon waking and 2 before you go to sleep. No excuses!

You can click on the link to watch my demonstration of how to take a proper deep breath: http://dionne-healthnaturally.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/deep-breathing-vlog.html

At the end of the week comment on how the deep breathing made you feel? Did you sleep any differently? Was your energy improved? Did you feel less anxious? Any other changes noticed?

I would love to hear how you found the experience. Continuing this ritual for 30 days will help you ingrain this type of breath into your daily life. Make it a daily habit :)

Stress less for 2017

 

If you look back at last year, how were your stress levels? Do you remember feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and run down by the end of the year? Do you want to make a change for this year? Lets get the year started with a plan to better manage your stress and cope with the inevitable everyday tasks!

Here are my three tips for a stress free 2017

1.It’s a new year; lets not make the same mistakes as last year. If you are in a high pressure job, get stressed or overwhelmed easily, juggling too many things, or have a tendency towards anxiety then there are 2 supplements you should be taking daily. These are a Vitamin B complex and Magnesium. Both of these will help to support your nervous system, helping your body better cope with stress and reducing anxiety levels.

2. Practice some form of relaxation daily. This can be whatever works best for you, whether it be meditation, deep breathing, walking, baths, aromatherapy or journaling. Take your pick and make sure you do it every day as a priority. Now is the perfect time to get into the habit before the year gets too crazy. Once you form a habit you wont think twice as to whether you have time or not in your busy schedule to incorporate relaxation. Routine is key!

3. This is a big one, get organised! You need a schedule or routine so that every little thing doesn’t make you flustered. If you get into a routine of when you meditate, when you exercise, when you cook and when you have down time everything just seems to flow. Get yourself a meal planner and every Sunday plan what meals you will be cooking for the week. Even time to play needs to be scheduled in as there is always something to do that may take preference but having some you time is so important. Get yourself a diary or calendar, organise a daily routine and stop this cycle of stress!

Top strategies for improving mood when you are feeling down in the dumps

We all have those days where nothing seems to be going to plan. You have so much to do but are simply getting nothing done, sitting and wallowing in your own misery hoping that somehow you will come out feeling better, having achieved something or that magically all your problems will disappear. Yesterday was one of these days for me. Growing up I quite commonly fell into the trap of overwhelm. This would particularly happen around exam time but also occurred any time I had to do something out of my comfort zone. But now this does not occur very often. Luckily after many years of not coping too well I have developed some strategies that work fast and very well for getting myself out of that dark hole. So yesterday after a few things didn’t quite work out the way I was hoping and I had spent the majority of the day feeling sorry for myself, I decided enough was enough. I got up, put on my active wear and went for a run. One of the first strategies I learnt all those years back was simply to get moving. I know when you are miserable that is the last thing you feel like doing but it is the first thing you should do. After being outdoors, getting some fresh air, listening to some uplifting music and getting my heart pumping, I was feeling much better, clear headed and energised. I have had many years to learn what works for me when I am feeling down, stuck or overwhelmed. I hope my strategies can help you too.

1.       Get moving- My all-time favourite strategy for anyone feeling stuck, down or miserable is to put on your running shoes and get outside. Go for a 10 minute walk, go for a run or a bike ride. I don’t care just get moving. When your mind is stuck in a negative spiral, the best and fastest way to change that is to create some movement. When I would be studying for exams and would be feeling totally overwhelmed I would get up, go for a walk and I would always come back feeling so much lighter, so much better. This is exactly what I did yesterday to get myself out of my bad mood. The combination of fresh air, some music and moving your muscles is the greatest way to change your mood.

2.       Breath- Deep breathing can be so powerful. It is a great way to centre yourself. Something that can be done anywhere at any time. When we are stressed, overwhelmed and panicked we often forget to breath. If you feel these dreaded emotions coming over you stop and focus your mind on your breath. This can be enough to change the outcome of your emotions. It is one of my favourite strategies if you are at work, about to go into an exam or in a situation where you can’t just go off for a walk around the block. Simply excuse yourself and go to the bathroom where you can focus purely on your breath for 5 minutes until your mind begins to relax.

3.       Talk to someone- misery is a lonely person’s game. This is how I feel at least. It is much easier to be miserable when you are alone and often when you are feeling down all you feel like doing is retreating to your room and blocking out the world and all those people in it. However, this is actually the worst thing you can do. Talking to someone who can support you is often so helpful in these low times. It helps to get things off your chest, puts things in perspective and it just helps to know someone out there cares. I was alone all day yesterday and once my husband came home and I had some company and someone to talk to I realised I had to pull myself out of my mood. If you don’t feel like you have someone you are comfortable opening up to then there are professionals available and I highly recommend you speak to one.

4.       Rescue remedy- This is a handbag must have. It’s quick, easy and works fast. A few sprays helps to calm you down immediately.

5.       Music- music does wonders for the mood. It can lift you and it can bring you back down. For me I find it really depends on the day but sometimes all I need is to belt out an emotive song to release any pent up sadness while other days I need something fun and uplifting. This is something you will have to work out for yourself but if you are deep in sadness, music is an exceptional way to release emotions. With my run yesterday I had some fun pop music and then followed it with a few ballots to sing along to while stretching. I found that the uplifting music helped me get out of my bad mood while the more emotive songs were a good place to think and put things into perspective.

6.       Pets- Aren’t animals just the best. They are always there for us no matter what. They listen, they don’t judge and they just give some much love. If you don’t have a pet call up a friend who does and go give it a cuddle.

7.       Nature- my first point of getting outside touched on this slightly but nature has amazing abilities to help centre and heal. It has been shown that going barefoot on dirt for 30 minutes a day has amazing health benefits. I love going to the Dandenong ranges and walking in Sherbrook forest. I find it really helps to calm me and I always come home so positive and relaxed. But obviously that’s not somewhere I can go daily so just go outside and spend some time in your garden or walking the streets and smelling the flowers. Others may look at you like you are a crazy hippie but I promise you will feel better for it!

My favourite place to escape to. The Dandenong Ranges.