I have mentioned in previous e-letters and blogs that boosting your natural immune system function is a key component of health and disease prevention, and this is particularly true during the winter flu season. School kids are often prone to these infections, being grouped together in class breathing the same air as other kids, many who are immune compromised already with a cold or flu! As recently discovered by researchers, once your Natural Killer (NK) cells, a specific type of White Blood Cell, reaches a certain threshold, which appears to be around 10 percent, you will not get the flu even if you're exposed to flu viruses. These NK cells can be boosted with a wide range of high vitamin & mineral & antioxidant containing foods, especially those listed below.
Augmenting your NK cell function also becomes increasingly important at either end of the human lifespan, as new borns, infants, school kids and the elderly are more prone to lower levels. NK cell levels tend to naturally decline with exposure to stress, and in those who don’t exercise, eat well or who have had repeated infections.
This is in large part why infants and seniors are more prone to influenza and other infections, because their levels of NK cells are lower than the adult population. NK cells play a very important role in cancer tumour prevention as well. So, in addition to optimising your natural immune system by boosting Vitamin & Mineral levels, consider eating more of the NK cell-boosting foods listed below. Doing so could go a long way toward avoiding colds, flus and other infections at this time of year. It is very important to give your school age kids a welcomed boost of these nutrients during the Winter season.
Zinc & Vitamin C are well known to help boost the immune system, and school age children are often low in both. Now they are available as a tasty powder. This delicious sprinkled on breakfast or in smoothies or shakes.
Call us about our specials on Naturopaths Own Daily C powder.
Vitamin D3 is very safe and hard to overdose on, and it as important than Vit C for preventing colds & flus. Optimising Vitamin D3 levels has received more publicity in recent years, and with the lack of sunlight in Winter this is an obvious area you can now easily boost, with pleasant tasting liquid forms to optimise your levels. A simple blood test can tell what your levels are, the ideal level for adults, according to naturopaths, is at least double the medically recommended level. Being fat soluble it takes at least a few weeks to get into your system, so rapidly absorbing forms are the best way to go. Ask for our suggestions on which are the better Vit D3 brands to get optimal absorption quickly and easily.
Pro & Prebiotics have an NK boosting effect and help improve gut health which is a large part of our immune systems capacity, so this is an important area not to overlook. School kids (and adults) with a sweet tooth or who like junk food snacks end up feeding and growing the wrong bacteria in our gut that erodes health & immunity. Boosting the good bacteria in our intestines with a pleasant tasting powder makes sense and really does give your immune system that much needed boost. Easy to use, sprinkle on breakfast or add to smoothies or shakes daily in winter. Even off the spoon is fine and easy for school kids! We have a special on a combination of both pro & prebiotics called Naturopaths Own Probiotic Immune Repair powder its easy to take and now cheaper than ever! Call us about our winter specials.
Echinacea & Garlic are also well known to help boost immunity, so adding these into your diet is going to help as well. Echincea is ideal as a herbal tea, let the bag steep for as long as possible and fresh garlic bulbs or paste in hot soups and stews is a great idea. Eating a sprig of parsley afterwards will nip the garlic breath in the bud.
Mums or Dads bring yourself in for a 30-min Wellness check at Half Price and bring 1 child in for FREE at the same time! I will do the Antioxidant scan on both of you, do your HAQ assessment as well as do an AK nutrient test on your child to assess their immune nutrients levels at this crucial time of year. That’s $75 of testing for your child for FREE! But only applies to appointments made and kept during the school holidays in July. Book NOW so you don’t miss out!
photo credit: donnierayjones Mommy and her Milly via photopin (license)
