Fall is upon us and now is the time to think about keeping yourself and your family well. There are a lot of simple and effective ways to increase immunity and decrease the spread of viruses and bacteria. The standard preventive lifestyle habits all apply here, such as:
• getting enough sleep (most adults need at least seven hours of quality sleep per night; children often need more)
• staying hydrated (water, diluted herbal teas, and diluted juices are good choices – generally between 6–10 cups per day)
• exercising regularly, while breathing deeply and hopefully enjoying the exercise activity you’ve chosen
• eating a balanced diet with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds, plant-based fats, and lean protein
• washing your hands frequently throughout the day all apply here, scrubbing and rubbing well to remove pathogens.
In addition, there are other measures that can be adopted to stave off winter illnesses, and hopefully lessen duration and severity if a virus is contracted.
Foods and herbs
Foods and herbs that help to boost immunity include many mushrooms, such as shiitake, maitake, and turkey tail. Fermented foods, such as true cultured yogurts and kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha, all contain beneficial bacteria that can help improve digestive health and therefore help support the immune system, as researchers are finding that up to 70 percent of our immune system is in our gut. You can also ingest these probiotics (beneficial bacteria) in supplement form. Garlic is a stand-out food/herb in this regard, and can be consumed daily in a minimum of a clove per day or in capsule form, as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial and immune stimulant. Putting the cloves in the microwave for 30 seconds or in the oven for 20 minutes, decreases the pungency and aroma, while not decreasing the desired properties.
Astragalus root has been shown to have a supportive affect on the immune system in modern research, and has been used for millennia in Chinese medicine as a tonic herb. It can be cooked in soups, along with the tonic mushrooms and garlic listed above, and sea vegetables for their trace minerals, and removed before consuming.
Astragalus root can also be prepared as a decoction as well, where the root is gently simmered for 15-20 minutes in water, strained, and drank one to three times per day. Getting plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids, in the form of flax seed, hemp seed, or pumpkin seed oils, or cold water fish, can be protective as well.
Stimulate your immune system
When you feel something “coming on”, getting plenty of rest, drinking hot fluids, and taking hot baths or saunas can be helpful. If you feel a cold/flu as a sore throat first, gargling with a little sea salt dissolved in water is antimicrobial and can tighten the tissues, along with a tiny bit of cayenne powder for the daring!
Eucalyptus essential oil has antimicrobial and immune stimulating properties, so nebulizing or diffusing it throughout your home during the winter months can be preventive and adding a couple of drops to your bath water, floor of a hot shower, or breathing in as a steam in a sauna or over a steam bath on the stovetop, can help relieve congestion, and open the lungs & sinuses. Elder berries have been shown to have antiviral properties and to help shorten the severity and duration of colds and flu, so taking as a strong tea, syrup, or liquid extract (tincture) several times a day can be helpful.
One of my favorite teas when I feel a cold/flu coming on is to gently simmer fresh or dry ginger root and licorice root in water for 10-15 minutes, strain, and add raw honey and juice of a fresh lemon. All of these are antimicrobial, and licorice has antiviral and immune-supportive properties, while the honey is also soothing to the throat, the ginger root is warming and stimulates circulation and promotes the opening of the skin pores, and the lemon juice adds a boost of natural vitamin C.
Be proactive and remember prevention is worth investing in! I am wishing everyone a healthy fall and winter season.
Katya Difani is an herbalist trained at Bastyr University and the founder of Herban Wellness, a new herb and nutrition shop in downtown Kirkland. The shop specializes in herbal and nutritional products, information, and custom-blending and formulating herbal teas and liquid extracts. Visit www.herbanwellness.net
