C to Your Winter Health

The first step is to start getting a decent amount of sleep. Yes, you read that right.  Sleep is essential for the body to heal and rejuvenate. When we are getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night the body raises its cortisol level, reacting as if it’s being hunted by a T-Rex! Sleep allows our brains to relax, recharge and interpret stimuli in a more level-headed way.  

Don’t think sleep is that important? A classic maneuver to “break” prisoners is by using sleep deprivation because it impacts their response to life and impairs their critical thinking. Sleep also impacts our immune system. Proper sleep is like recharging a battery. It mediates inflammatory responses in the body like cytokines. Cytokines regulate inflammation and many parts of the immune system. When triggered it is the cytokines that make us feel achy and tired. Numerous studies have associated reduced sleep quality with increased risk of infection and poor infection outcome. Sleep deprivation increases adenosine levels, oxidative stress, and alters metabolism, ravaging our insulin sensitivity and causing more cells to convert to fat. Napping can take care of the exhaustion but studies have yet to prove it makes up for the loss of a good night’s sleep. Therefore, if you want to improve your immune system, start by sleeping at least 7 hours a night.

Second, you need to move. I didn’t say exercise, I said move, because most people despise exercise. Movement, such as dance, they can handle. Find some type of aerobic movement and do it. Just to be clear, heavy exercise can drain the immune system. Moderate exercise lasting no more than 45 minutes seems to be the sweet spot. The literature hasn’t been able to pinpoint exactly why exercise helps. It may be the psychological component it provides or the impact in reducing inflammation. But study after study for chronic disease, and even cancer, lists its positive impact on patients healing faster than those who don’t exercise. 

Next is food. Just 75mg of sugar (a little more than one bottle of cola – and I have a list of reasons why you shouldn’t be drinking that soda in the first place) lowers your immune system for approximately 5 hours. Not something you want to do during cold and flu season. Instead, you want to look for foods that are rich in vitamins and nutritious. One great idea is a nutritious vegetable soup. I have a sister who produces magic in a pot. She has the ability to throw vegetables from the fridge into a pot, use a hand blender, and voilà! A delicious soup is born. Soup is a fantastic way to warm us. Throughout the winter it should be one of your go-to meals.  When we have soup we slow down our digestion because of the warmth and we can absorb more of the nutrients (vs. just eating). We feel fuller longer and it keeps us hydrated too. Plus it’s low in fat and rich in colorful vegetables, so we are getting more nutrition than we could in a supplement. I suggest rich orange soup. Use winter squashes (either roasted in the oven or just cut up raw), carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, parsley, or coriander. Cook in a large pot (filled up halfway with water) with the lid on. Add your favorite spices and after an hour use your hand blender for a thick and perfect soup. If you want, you can even throw in adzuki beans or lentils, both are quick-cooking and will add a nutritional boost. Bone broth is another possibility. The idea is to look for easy recipes that are wholesome and nutritious. Although it may be easier, grabbing processed foods is not a nutritionally

(or economically) sound choice. This time of year we need to look for better food options to protect our family’s health.

Lastly, we come to supplements. If you are looking for supplements, there are several that deserve your attention.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a safe, inexpensive, and readily available antioxidant that can be found abundantly in citrus fruit, and improves your immunity without damaging your pocketbook.  For adults, 1000mg should be enough and because it is water-soluble there is less worry of toxicity. If you choose to take it at higher doses, beware of diarrhea. If you experience this while taking vitamin C at a high dose it is usually a sign that your body can’t handle more. 

Probiotics 

The importance of probiotics cannot be emphasized enough. Probiotics are the good bacteria that line our entire digestive system. They allow us to absorb our nutrients from our food (diarrhea and gas are signs of a disruption in our probiotics). In meta-analysis studies, probiotics were proven to improve immunity. These studies compared three different types of immune markers and all showed substantial improvement in participants who took flu vaccines along with probiotics. Probiotics improved the strength and efficacy of the vaccine against three different forms of flu in more than 13 separate studies!

Probiotics improve immunity at the cellular level. It has also been shown that probiotics shorten the duration and decrease the incidence of infections in the elderly during winter. 

Prebiotics

Prebiotics promote the development of the bifido flora in the intestines and enhance both the production of interferon and other immune cells. Probiotics are found in many fermented foods such as kfir, sourdough, and sauerkraut… They are also available as a supplement. Prebiotics are really specialized fibers that probiotics need to grow.  Without them, the magic that probiotics do is limited and won’t be sustainable. By the way, bone broth is a source of good probiotics and prebiotics.   

Zinc 

Zinc is an essential component in more than 300 chemical equations in the body. It is responsible for the immune system, cell division, and cell growth. That means it controls the processes that renew the cells in our bodies. Zinc deficiency has been associated with 16% of upper respiratory infections worldwide. Zinc for immune support is usually 25-30mg a day. Most people should not be taking more than 40 a day. There are a few therapies that will use higher doses to fix imbalances (e.g. copper overload) but that should be done with a qualified practitioner. Zinc, like iron, is absorbed better with Vitamin C. It is also more absorbable into the body in the gluconate or picolinate salt forms. Beans, meats, seeds, and cheese are foods rich in zinc.