Final Up to date on March 3, 2025 by Carrie Korem, FNTP
There are such a lot of ways in which we are able to assist the immune system naturally, particularly throughout chilly and flu season. So right this moment, I need to provide you with some holistic, dietary remedy suggestions that you need to use to assist assist your physique with meals and dietary supplements once you’re sick.
First, right here two key issues to grasp about sickness and your physique:
1. When the physique is sick, it makes use of up vitamins in your physique in a short time, so it’s necessary to replenish these vitamins whilst you’re not feeling nicely in order that your immune system has what it wants it must combat and get well.
For instance: when now we have a fever, the physique makes use of up Vitamin A (aka retinol) in a short time, so replenishing with supplementation like cod liver oil might be very useful.
2. Signs comparable to a cough, drainage, feeling achy, a fever, and many others. are all methods the physique goes by way of he strategy of combating and eliminating no matter it must eliminate, be it a virus, micro organism, toxin, and many others.
Once we take symptom suppressing medicines, this reduces the physique’s potential to combat and heal, and within the long-run can really trigger additional points.
Please be aware: I’m not saying to by no means use standard medicines for ache or different signs. Generally we want this stuff. However, it’s good to know that there are such a lot of methods we are able to assist the physique by way of the therapeutic course of in order that when the physique is healed, it’s stronger and has had the prospect to completely combat no matter it was combating.
Listed here are the steps I personally take to assist the immune system with meals and dietary supplements after I get sick:
1. Eat lacto-fermented greens – Meals comparable to kefir, sauerkraut and different facto-fermented meals and drinks encourage the expansion of protecting micro organism which might safeguard your physique from pathogenic viruses and micro organism.
This research confirmed how kefir might be helpful for the prevalent virus that begins with a C.
Once I’m sick, I wish to have a couple of bites of fermented greens a day.
2. Home made bone broth or meat inventory – selfmade broths or inventory assist general intestine and immune well being. You’ll be able to drink 1-2 cups a day, heated with Celtic Sea Salt.
Once I’m sick and want a meal, however I’m simply not very hungry, I drink this “bulletproof” bone broth recipe. It’s very warming, comforting and gives plenty of vitamins.
3. Sleep – Sleep is when the physique not solely rests, but it surely restores, detoxes, heals and repairs. Once we are sick, 8-9+ hours of sleep an evening is extremely useful so the physique can have the time it must heal.
Most of us simply try to push by way of, however this could typically extend regardless of the physique is needing the vitality to combat. So, making sleep a precedence is tremendous necessary!
4. Castor oil packs – When castor oil is absorbed by way of your pores and skin (in accordance with Cayce and McGarey) your lymphocyte depend will increase. Elevated lymphocytes pace up the elimination of poisons out of your tissues, which promotes therapeutic.
I exploit castor oil packs frequently, to assist my liver and extremely suggest having the provides available so you need to use them once you get sick.
You need to use the pack on numerous elements of the physique. For instance: when you have some sort of higher respiratory sickness, utilizing a pack over the lungs might be helpful.
5. Keep away from sugar and processed meals – sugar lowers your immune system virtually instantly after digestion. When you find yourself sick, it’s necessary to maintain the immune system supported so it could actually do its job. So I be certain that to keep away from something processed or with sugar.
6. Eat complete, nutrient-dense meals – As I discussed above, the physique makes use of up the vitamins the physique has available when it’s attempting to heal, so replenishing the physique with nutrient dense meals might be very useful. Soups and stews are a beautiful choice and supply the physique with a wealth of vitamins.
In case you don’t really feel like consuming, then sipping on heat meat inventory or bone broth with some added Celtic Sea Salt might be useful. I at all times maintain some broth (selfmade or Bonifide broth) in my freezer in order that I’ve in available if I begin to not really feel nicely.
7. Light motion – the motion of the lymphatic system is essential to assist the physique remove toxins, together with viruses and micro organism. So, even when you aren’t feeling nicely, be certain that to maneuver your physique. This could possibly be a really gradual stroll, stretching (even in mattress once you’re mendacity down), or light bouncing on a rebounder.
8. Sunshine and contemporary air – Vitamin D is essential to the immune system, so sitting outdoors within the daylight helps restore D within the physique. In case you are sick, opening up the home windows to let in contemporary air and likewise getting outdoors for contemporary air could be very rejuvenating.
9. Epsom salt baths – Soaking in a heat bathtub with epsom salts is an effective way to calm down the physique and likewise replenish magnesium and sulphur.
I like to recommend including 1-2 cups of epsom salts to your bathtub and soak for about 20 minutes. Including a couple of drops of your favourite important oil may also be very good!
10. Purple gentle remedy – LLLT is a low depth gentle remedy that triggers biochemical adjustments inside cells and might be in comparison with the method of photosynthesis in vegetation, the place the photons are absorbed by mobile photoreceptors and set off chemical adjustments.
The sunshine used for LLLT is a wavelength within the pink to close infrared spectrum (600 – 1000nm) and has the potential to penetrate the pores and skin and mushy/laborious tissues, and will help with ache, irritation and tissue restore. It has additionally been proven to assist speed up the physique’s potential to heal itself.
I bought a photon pink gentle from SaunaSpace a couple of years in the past and have discovered it extremely useful after I’m not feeling nicely. Not solely does it assist speed up the physique’s potential to heal, it additionally helps calm the nervous system.
Listed here are the entire meals dietary supplements I like to recommend preserving available to assist your immune system naturally. Please be aware that these dietary supplements to not deal with any sort of sickness or illness. They merely present useful vitamins to assist the physique naturally.
Immuplex – It is a incredible normal immune assist complement. It’s a superb supply of iron, zinc, copper, chromium, folate and nutritional vitamins A, B6, and B12 and antioxidant nutritional vitamins C and E.
Prompt Use: 2 a day (or as directed).
The chewable selection is usually a good choice for teenagers 4 and older. The advisable dosage is 2 wafers per day.
Congaplex – That is what I attain for after I’m getting sick or am sick. It’s useful for issues comparable to congestion, sore throat, a viral an infection, chilly, flu, fever, and many others.
Prompt Use: 2 capsules, 3-4x each day (or as directed).
There may be additionally a chewable choice for teenagers. For dosage, I like to recommend following the directions on the label.
Calcium Lactate – this can be a nice choice for viruses or when fever is current.
Prompt Use: 2 tablets, 3x a day (or as directed).
Cod liver oil – The Vitamin A and D in cod liver oil are very helpful to assist the physique when sick.
As I discussed above, the physique makes use of up retinol (aka vitamin A) in a short time when it has a fever, so I wish to complement with cod liver oil till the physique temperature comes again down.
Prompt Use: 3 a day (or as directed). These capsules are on the bigger aspect, so you possibly can chunk them open after which suck out the cod liver oil. It’s flavored with lemon, so the style will not be too unhealthy!
Drenamin – when the physique is sick, the adrenals must work additional time, so I wish to assist my physique with Drenamin. It’s a mixture of adrenal assist, vitamin C (which accommodates tyrosinase, which is natural copper), and and mixture of choline, B6 and riboflavin.
In case you have very low blood stress, remember that it may create a drop in blood stress. Once more, because of this I at all times suggest speaking to your practitioner about one of the best dietary supplements to your scenario.
Prompt Use: 1 at every meal
Echinacea Premium – this natural complement is useful to assist the immune system, respiratory tract and will help relive a dry, hoarse throat.
Prompt Use: 1 pill, 2-3x each day (or as directed).
Thymex – that is useful to decongest the lymph and might assist the immune system. Three a day might be useful for adults.
Prompt Use: 3 tablets, 2-3x each day (or as directed).
Zinc Chelate – It is a good supply of zinc and copper to assist the immune system. Zinc isn’t meant to be a long-term complement, so I solely suggest taking it when the physique is poor, otherwise you want further assist once you’re not feeling nicely. I like this one as a result of it accommodates the co-factors comparable to copper and iron.
Prompt Use: 2-3 each day till feeling higher (or as directed).
Andographis advanced: This accommodates Andrographis, echinacea and holy basil to assist the immune system. They’re incredible for respiratory features, and to keep up a traditional physique temperature. I began utilizing this a few yr in the past for after I’m not feeling nicely and have discovered it extremely useful!
Prompt use: 1 pill 2-4x each day when not feeling nicely (or as directed).
Cataplex C: It is a incredible vitamin C to make use of each day, or once you’re not feeling nicely.
Prompt use: 3 at every meal (or as directed)
Natural Throat Spray: This spray is so useful when you’ve a sore throat!
Prompt Use: 4 sprays into the mouth and swallow each 1 – 2 hours, or as directed.
Lastly, listed here are a few of my favourite soups, stews and heat drinks to eat after I’m not feeling nicely. In fact, you could not really feel like cooking once you’re sick, so you possibly can at all times make certainly one of these recipes forward of time and put it within the freezer for when you actually need it, or as a member of the family or buddy to make certainly one of these for you.
Bulletproof bone broth
Lemon Hen and Vegetable Soup
Hen Pot Pie Soup
Beef Stew (so nourishing and satisfying once you’re underneath the climate!)
Creamy Vegetable Soup
General, it’s actually necessary to relaxation and nourish your physique once you’re not feeling nicely, so your physique can combat what it must combat and get well extra shortly.
As at all times, please take note this isn’t a complete record, and naturally, I like to recommend speaking to your practitioner about what’s best for you.