Please help me with your ideas to improve my immune system.

[Nattalie18]

I am at my very wits end with ongoing colds and coughs. Since 2021 I've had so many coughs and colds I can barely keep track of them! My DS who is one has just started nursery so I know it's only just going to get worse. So far I am religiously taking my vitamins, not drinking, upping the exercise ( when I'm not sick!). Any other wise tips that have miraculously turned around your immune systems please :-)

Wash hands (yours and baby's) when you come into the house.
It won't improve your immune specifically but it will help get rid of many 'germs'.

Eating the rainbow is really good -ie ensuring a range of micronutrients by having a wide range of veg and fruit.

Eating raw garlic and onions; ginger, turmeric and cinnamon really helps, I think. In winter I often make porridge with loads of turmeric, ginger and cinnamon powder for the children too and the porridge barely even tastes spicy as it seems to soak up the flavors.

Do you feel stressed?

How much time do you spend outside during daylight hours?

Take probiotics and try to increase the diversity of iplants you eat. This will improve your gut microbiome which in turn will help your immune system. Aim for 30+ different plants a week. Adding pulses to stews and throwing nuts and seeds onto yogurt or porridge is a good place to start.

https://zoe.com/learn/gut-health-and-immune-system?utmsource=googleepmax&utmmedium=&utmmcampaign=20382344316&utmadgroup=&utmmterm=&utmcontent=&gaddsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAABejleUnCrY41RXoT0YZnkjHsKvP&gclid=CjwKCAiAm-67BhBlEiwAEVftNoxqYcbeVXAreTe8DP2XMtlByHp-7LkJJ0WL-JAnj2RMKvxCQF6NJRoCyaMQAvDD_BwE

Might be a coincidence, but my health /immune system seemed to drastcally improve once I heavily cut back on UPF.

Also, make sure you are not over exercising as this is a stressor

Wash your hands lots.
Go for a sunbed. The vitamin D makes me feel like I've recharged my batteries & if I'm run down it makes me feel 100% by the next day. Just 5 mins.

Make sure you take Vitamin K with your Vitamin D for better absorption. You can take up to 4,000 iu of D quite safely especially in winter, most daily doses are sold as 1,000 as that is the recommended dose for healthy people so try upping that. Chemists, Boots, Superdrug etc stock the higher doses.

Yes, this. Also, vitamin D is fat soluble, so is absorbed much more efficiently if you take it with something fatty.

Also agree with @dizzydizzydizzy's suggestions.

Eat more protein.
Vitamin C
Probiotics

Rest more and exercise less until you are fully fit - I made the mistake of trying to immediately exercise every time I was not suffering and it was a mistake! You probably need much more rest and recovery than you think

Thanks everyone, some great tips that I will give a go.

Hi had eight years of catching everything going and then suffering really badly with it (whereas my husband would get the same thing but much more mildly with a quicker recovery). I had very low iron levels and since I got my ferritin levels up and since my periods stopped, I've found that i'm normal again and have much better immunity. So I'd say definitely check your iron levels and consider taking a gentle supplement like Spatone (not as strong as pills but much easier for the body to absorb). If you get really heavy periods then you probably do have lower than ideal levels. Taking the supplement alongside vitamin C (like orange juice) and trying to include lots of green leafy veggies like spinach and kale in your diet will also really help.