Supporting Immunity: What Can I Do to Prevent Myself from Getting Sick?

Dear Ruthy, I’m constantly coming down with a cold or flu-like symptoms from the fall right through the end of winter. Is there anything I can do diet-wise to support my immune system?

This is such a great question! Concerns related to Covid-19 have put risks and concerns around getting sick in a whole new light. But even in the non-Covid, ordinary course of our daily routines, we all must manage exposure to germs: work, the gym, germ-infested public transportation, and if you’ve got kids, the colonies of germs they bring home from school. Supporting your immunity through diet is the best way to prevent sickness since about 70% of our immune system is in our gut.

I’ll share with you my 4-part plan for keeping my immune system top shape: (1) diet + herbs, (2) bee products, (3) vitamin D, and (4) sleep. While vitamin D and sleep are not specifically food-based, they are key immunity enhancers and it would be amiss not to mention them.

All of these tips support a number of our bodies’ systems and general health, so in addition to fighting off those nasty colds and flus, you’ll see an overall pep in your step.

1. Diet

(Photo by Minimalist Baker)

General Tips

Optimal immune function requires a diet that is low in refined sugars and refined starches. These foods actually suppress the immune system by reducing the ability of our white blood cells to destroy bacteria. It’s also helpful to keep alcohol intake moderate to low. What should you pack in? A large variety of whole, natural foods with a big emphasis on brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Some specific foods that are powerful infection fighters and/or immunity supporters are:

Raw garlic — a powerful fighter of infections due to its antibacterial properties

Foods high in carotenes, Vitamin C and Vitamin A — includes brightly and deep colored vegetables such as dark greens (kale, parsley, collard greens, broccoli, spinach), red/chili pepper, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, papaya and citrus

Foods high in antioxidants — includes berries, carrots, dark chocolate

Water

Drink plenty of water to make sure your body can keep flushing germs out effectively.

Immunity Tonic

I make a fresh batch of this weekly and keep it in the fridge for quick access to a 60 mL shot every morning.

• Brew 2 cups of loose leaf tea (made with all or any one of the following herbs: astragalus, nettle, elderberry, rosehip and/or chamomile)
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of raw honey, 1 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 ounce of raw apple cider vinegar
• Optionally, juice some raw ginger (or buy cold-pressed ginger juice) and add about 30 mL of ginger juice to the shot

Beverages

Consume warm immunity-enhancing drinks throughout the day, such as herbal teas and superfood elixirs made with functional herbs and mushrooms that have been used for centuries (and even millennia!) in traditional medicine for their immune supporting properties. 

2. Bee Products

All raw bee products are great for immunity as they pack antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Raw honey is easy to incorporate daily by adding it to tea or coffee, or drizzling on toast, yogurt, granola or oatmeal. I also have to specifically call out propolis throat spray as this is one of my favorites and so easy to work into your routine! I take 2 sprays daily to keep my immune system strong, and up to 10-20 sprays a day if I feel something coming on or to fight off a cold, flu or sore throat.

3. Vitamin D

(Photo by Daoudi Aissa)

If you live farther from the equator and aren’t getting Vitamin D year-round from the sun, make sure you’re supplementing with a good quality Vitamin D3. It helps protect the body from infections by activating white blood cells and enhancing clearance of bacteria. Speak to your health practitioner to determine the right dose for you.

4. Sleep

(Photo by Kinga Cichewicz)

Get enough of it! On average, most of us need 8 hours of sleep a day. A run down body results in a weak immune system. We only have a finite amount of energy. When it’s low, much of it is used for energy-intensive digestion and very little is left for other important functions such as immunity.