In the colder months, when respiratory viruses and flu are more prevalent, a strong immune system is essential for fighting off infections. Here are some tips for optimizing your immune system:
Hydrate
Your lymphatic system makes and carries white blood cells (lymphocytes) around your body to get them where they need to go to fight off invaders like germs and bacteria. This system works to remove toxins and damaged cells from your bloodstream as well. Your lymphatic system needs water to make white blood cells and move them throughout your body. Drink at least 8-10 cups of water a day, more if you have a fever (anything over 100.4F).
Move (if it's safe to)
Your heart is the pump for your bloodstream, and your muscles are the "pump" for the lymphatic system. Regular exercise (at least 150 minutes a week), helps your lymphatic system move all those germ-fighting white blood cells where they need to go to fight off invaders you didn't even know were there, before they take up residence and make you sick. For the purposes of moving lymph around, even just going for a walk will get that lymph flowing. If you are on exercise restrictions for a health condition like an eating disorder, gentle stretching gets lymph flowing, too, and is generally safe. If you have a fever (100.4F or higher), exercise is not recommended.
Eat your colors
Brightly colored foods like fruits and vegetables have antioxidants in them that protect the immune system and help build the immune cells that fight against bacteria, viruses and parasites. Examples include berries, dark leafy greens, grapes, broccoli, oranges, spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Foods with darker, richer colors like orange, yellow, blue, and red tend to be higher in antioxidants.
Though studies are not conclusive, for people who get 1000mg/day of the antioxidant vitamin C before they get sick, it has been shown to modestly (14%) reduce cold symptom duration in adults when they do get sick. Some people choose to drink Emergen-C or take a Vitamin C supplement during cold and flu season for this reason. It is possible to get too much vitamin C (hello, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, heartburn and headaches). And generally, vitamins from food are better absorbed than vitamins from supplements. For me, I try to have at least 4 "good try days" a week of eating 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables. If I'm getting the recommended amount of vitamins from my food on most days of the week, I'm feeling pretty good about trying my best to nourish my immune system to keep me healthy.
Sleep well
Sometimes it feels like good sleep is hard to come by. So many of my patients tell me they often have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. If this sounds like you, we should definitely talk more in a visit. Sleep is vital to maintaining a healthy immune system, brain, mental health, and stress levels. You name it, sleep affects it all. Many people find that making small lifestyle changes can lead to big impacts on restful sleep. Here are my recommendations for good sleep hygiene to optimize sleep:
-No caffeine after noon or 2pm (caffeine has a 6 hour half life!)
-Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all. It interferes with REM sleep
-Avoid other stimulants within 2 hours of bed, like blue light from electronics and scrolling social media
-Sleeping in a dark, quiet and cool environment coaxes your body to relax to sleep. Some researchers suggest that the optimal temperature for the bedroom is 60-69F.
-Only use your bed for sleep and sex. Don't study or work in the bed! If you follow this advice, it will train your brain, like Pavlov's dogs, to start to relax the moment you climb into bed.
-I don’t recommend using lavender scented lotions, sachets, candles, etc. Lavender might be calming, but it is also a known endocrine disrupter.
-Start a bedtime guided meditation routine, yoga, or breath work
-Try CBT-I coach, a free app made by Stanford and the VA
- Avoid or manage factors that may adversely affect sleep quality (eg, disruptive pets or co-sleepers, medical conditions or habits causing frequent nighttime awakenings for urination or snoring)
-Avoid chronic use of melatonin, especially doses above 0.3mg -1mg per night (yes, that dose is correct!)
Manage stress levels
Ha, this is kind of funny to even add to the list. Sometimes it is what it is and you're just in a tough spot in life with little control of your stress levels. If you find that you have the time and bandwidth for several minutes a day of breath work, 4-7-8 breathing can physiologically reduce your heart rate, thus calming your entire nervous system. A calm nervous system releases less cortisol, a stress hormone. Less stress hormone racing through your blood stream means you will sleep more soundly and your body can relax and repair (build immune cells) rather than stay in a fight or flight mode.
4-7-8 Breathing:
Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds
Hold your breath for 7 seconds
Slowly let your breath out through your mouth for 8 seconds
Breathe naturally for several cycles, then repeat 4-7-8 breathing
Get vaccinated
If you haven't had your flu or COVID vaccine yet this fall, it's time to get them. Besides having a healthy immune system, vaccination is one of the biggest ways you can prevent getting sick. Also, check to make sure you've had a Tdap vaccine in the last 10 years (some experts think the recommendation should change to every 5 years). The incidence of pertussis (aka whooping cough), the "p" in the Tdap vaccine, has risen about 30% in recent years.
This is a long list, and it's easy to get caught up in doing things "perfectly." The truth is, you don't need to be perfect. Do the best you can to take care of yourself while you're taking care of so many other things. Your body will do the rest!
Take good care,
~Dr. Holt
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