Any advice on how to boost my immune system?

[SereneCapybara]

I caught a norovirus in late August last year and since then have had Covid, a heavy cold two bouts of flu - one lasting three weeks, and tonsillitis. This week I have been ill again - sore throat, shivers, aches, exhaustion, back in bed, taking endless doses of ibuprofen and paracetamol to stop the sore throat.

It's really wearing me down, being ill so often. Had to cancel so many plans, scale back work and give up nearly all my interests as I have no energy and can't focus.

Can anyone advise on what I should do differently to boost my immune system?
I eat healthily - lots of veg every day and all fresh food - almost no processed stuff. I walk most days when well, do weight training, take supplements of iron, B vits and when ill I also take Berrocca.

What else should I be doing/eating/trying to ensure I don't get ill as often this year?

Vitamin D (at least 3,000 or 4,000 iu) with Vitamin K for absorption.

You say you take iron. Is that with Vitamin C or fruit juice for absorption? Do you take it two hours before or after any caffeine products?

Take a good quality multivitamin, iron and extra D/K for a minimum of three months to build your reserves back up.

Supplements for Immune Support - Nutrition Geeks
Have a look at these. I use various supplements from them, they're good and not expensive.

My advice would be

1. super charge the quality of your sleep-if you’re not sure how, read ‘why we sleep’ by Matthew walker
2. improve your gut health, listen to rangan Chatterjee’s podcast here. lots of tips and scientific reasoning https://drchatterjee.com/gut-health-everything-you-need-to-know/

both will hugely improve your immune system.

Well woman vitamins and I swear by drinking camomile tea in the evening

Sleep, rest, recover

Nutrition- nourish your body - give it everything it needs and a bit more.

Vitamin C & D

Fresh air

Also book on with your GP to rule out any underlying causes.

Also a weird one - clean and air your house.

Thanks for these details. I often take iron in the morning with coffee and without Vitamin C as Vit C cancels out a medication I take in the morning. So should I take the iron in the evening with some orange juice?

Also never taken Vit K so will add that to the list. When I'm well enough to restock I want to focus on getting back to health.

Vitamin D - game changer
Magnesium
Vitamin V with Zinc
Ginger

Thank you for this. I always think I have no problems with sleep as I fall asleep very easily but actually often wake in the night.

I really want to learn more about gut health, so will definitely listen to this podcast.

Thank you - that's exactly the sort of thing I was on th elook out for - specific immune support targetted supplements.

I get the sense of cleaning and airing the house. I did a fairly deep clean before Christmas but not as thorough as usual because I was recovering from a three week flu and behind on work and all Christmas prep. So didn;t get around to washing curtains, duvets, cushion covers etc. But I will add all of these to my spring clean and a proper carpet clean.

I love airing the house but DH gets grumpy about me doing it in winter as it lets the heat out. But I agree - fresh air matters so much. I work from home, too.

Would you recommend any specific brands for the VitK?

I've been taking loads of ginger - fresh ginger tea and crystallised ginger chews which are the only thing that work to numb the sore throat.

I'll add camomile tea to the list. I like it.

Do you sleep well/ avoid screens at night etc? I know it won’t help tons but it might help a bit. Hope it all eases for you

I'd take a daily multivitamin, and plenty of fluids.
Optimum immune system is supposed to result from 30-40 different fruit and veg a week.

That should include leafy green veg, root veg, fruit, whole grains, mushrooms and some pickled veg. Variety is the important thing.

Home made veggie soup with added chicken or egg generally staves off any colds for me.

Poor you! I was ill on and off for 2 months and felt so miserable about it (on top of feeling ill!)

How old are you? Do you have a busy/stressful life?

I was going through a really stressful period and I just couldn't get better.

I'm going to bed earlier. I wash my hands a lot and started using sanitiser again. I'm trying to find ways to relax during the week. I'm saying no to things at work to stop myself getting shattered like I was before. Not saying this will work but I've done 3 weeks of these things and I'm feeling like I'm getting back to normal, as I'm still not 100%.

To make it clear, I wash my hands a lot anyway but I mean everytime I eat anything at all at work, even a biscuit someone is offering but I do work in a school!

I could have wrote this post myself! Nearly identical story and I adopt the same healthy lifestyle. I’ve never been so run down and struggling to see light! Let me know if anything works.

Wash your hands.

Wear a mask in public places.

I wash my hands so often they are dry with weak nails. But I don't wear masks in public unless I am ill. I thought they were mainly effective to protect others from catching our illness. I think I will now, though, more often. I really need to sort this out.

At the moment I am taking this (which is a lot cheaper).
https://www.superdrug.com/health/vitamins-supplements/vitamin-d/new-leaf-vitamin-d3-k2-tablets-d3-4000iu-k2-100mcg/p/mp-00021938

But I was previously using a spray as I was taking over 20 different tablets a day for various things. My throat needed a break! Sometimes Sainsbury’s or Costco stock this one too.
https://www.boots.com/betteryou-dlux-vitamin-d-k2-oral-spray-10285934

I often take iron in the morning with coffee and without Vitamin C as Vit C cancels out a medication I take in the morning. So should I take the iron in the evening with some orange juice?
Consuming coffee, tea, chocolate or cola within 2 hours either side of taking iron cancels out the iron so stop doing that immediately. You need Vit C to help absorb the full amount of iron. I take my iron and Vit C at night before bed so I only have to worry about the 2 hour rather than a 4 hour window.

You can have fruit juice or a fizzy Vit C drink or a tablet but remember not to have acidic juice too near to teeth brushing time otherwise you will damage your teeth. I personally have a chewable Vitamin C tablet, get ready for bed/lock up, deal with cat/child/life, clean my teeth and then use the Better You Iron spray before lights off. It's part of my going to bed routine now.

I really do eat a huge variety of fruit and veg each week - way over 30-40. Today alone I have had oats, seeds, nuts, dried fruit in unsweetened muesli, with blueberries, banana, mandarin, grapes, carrots, barley, leeks, garlic, parsnip, swede, peas, walnuts. Yesterday: lettuce, raddichio, rocket, red and yellow peppers, cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, fresh basil, butternut squash, shallots, garlic, apple. And over the week, I'd also have broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach etc.

Most of the food I eat is freshly prepared and over 50% main meals are vegetarian. And over the past week I have had loads of home made chicken and barley soup, fresh eggs etc. I really do eat for health. But it's just stopped working over the past five months.

Most of the food I eat is freshly prepared and over 50% main meals are vegetarian.
If you don't eat meat/animal products then you need to supplement with B12. Vegetarians are deficient in this vitamin.

That's really helpful advice about the iron and Vit C. I will definitely start following this and taking it at night.

I'm sorry. All I can say is - I feel for you. I listened to the podcast about gut health and then watched a documentary tonight about gut biomes too and am starting to think this could be the root issue. I only started getting ill after catching norovirus at a time when I absolutely couldn't take a day off work. I just fasted so the symptoms were not too severe and kept all colleagues at a distance, but it did mean I was wiped out as it coincided with three of the busiest work days of my entire year, that could not be postponed or delegated. I was working away from home and DH came to collect me. I was almost delirious in the car on the way home. Then, within a couple of weeks of getting better I had a bad cold, then Covid, then another cold then tonsillitis and flu for three weeks, then another bout of tonsillitis and flu each with just a couple of weeks' break in between.

I wonder if the norovirus put my gut health out of whack and that's what needs fixing.