My Favorite Holistic Immune-Boosting Remedies

It's cold and flu season and if you haven't been sick, aren't currently sick then you must be living in a bubble. While I have a pretty strong immune system (especially after all of the illnesses I had last year), I'm currently feeling under the weather. It makes sense, my roommates were sick all of last week then I spent the majority of this weekend walking around DC in the freezing cold and definitely not getting enough sleep.

But anytime I start feeling under the weather, I bombard my body with so many holistic supplements and go into overdrive with all the things I know will boost my immune system. A couple of years ago, I wrote a similar post but my supplement game has definitely upgraded since then. Below are some things I do to keep my immune system strong throughout the year and some tools in my toolbox to knock out anything that has me feeling sick ASAP.

Before we get into it, I am not a doctor and all of this is what works for me. Some of it is common knowledge, other personal research, and also things that I've incorporated because of advice from holistic practitioners. If you have questions or want more information, I highly suggest you seeing someone who is trained in holistic medicine! Also, I'm not entirely against western medicine but when it comes to fighting off colds, I'd rather use holistic remedies.

Life-Style Tips

1. GET ENOUGH REST
   • We all know that staying hydrated is important. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night (and more if you're sick) is vital to letting your body heal. Even if you're not actually sleeping, laying in bed and resting will give your body a break so that you can get over being sick.
   • When I'm not feeling well, I try to get around 10+ hours of sleep for a few nights in a row. I also take at least two days off from working out, and I ease back into it with some yoga or walking. This is a time for your body to rest–you don't need any other excuses other than the fact that you're sick!
2. STAY HYDRATED
   • Again, we know this is important. I try to drink at least 75oz of water every day but usually more when I'm feeling under the weather.
3. EAT LOTS OF WHOLE FOODS (Veggies, Fruit, etc.)
4. STAY AWAY FROM INFLAMMATORY THINGS (Alcohol, Sugar, Dairy, etc.)
   • When you have a more inflammatory diet, your immune system is not going to be as strong to fight off bacteria and viruses going around. I'm not saying to take everything out of your diet but just enjoy these indulgent things in moderation and be mindful of consuming them.
5. KEEP THAT STRESS DOWN
   • Stress can manifest in the physical. When you are putting your body through constant stress, it's going to shut down and force you to slow down – usually, when you are feeling sick, it's your body telling you to stop what you are doing and take a break. Our bodies are so intelligent, listen to them!

Things I add in when I'm feeling sick

• Amazing Grass Greens Powder
• Turmeric (I love Trader Joe's Ginger Turmeric Tea) – anti-inflammatory and the warm tea is sooo soothing
• Chamomile Tea – soothing and anti-inflammatory
• Raw garlic – anti-fungal and anti-viral and who doesn't love garlic?
• Miso – very nutrient-dense and fermented which is great for our gut
• Wedderspoon Manuka Honey Drops – good when you have a sore throat, manuka honey is really anti-viral and anti-bacterial
• LOTS of citrus fruits – Vitamin C, babyyyyy
• Liquid IV – electrolyte drink mix that'll keep you extra hydrated and it tastes amazing
• Ginger Shots – disgusting but amazing for you :)
• Diffusing Eucalyptus Oil – Helias Oils is my go-to brand for all essential oils!

Supplements

What I take every day to keep me feeling the best:

• Multi-Vitamin
• Probiotic
• B-12 (because I eat mostly plant-based)
• Turmeric Force (anti-inflammatory)

For when I start feeling under the weather:

• Elderberry Syrup
  • packed with antioxidants and vitamins that boost your immune system and it tastes amazing
• Zinc
  • also really good for immune support
• Oil of Oregano
  • natural antibiotic and anti-viral that'll help kick the cold out of your body
• Colloidal Silver
  • This is kind of controversial – in the holistic medicine world, silver is a really amazing supplement to take (for a short period of time!) to detox your body and get the cold through your system quicker. But there are people who say that it can be really toxic so take with caution
• Throat Spray with Propolis
  • this is my go-to when I have a sore throat. Propolis is antifungal and soothes and heals your sore throat

If you're feeling under the weather, take this has a little hint from your body that you need to rest. Take a couple of days off from the gym, binge watch your favorite Netflix show, and let your body AND mind rest.

Feel better soon, pal

Nikki