By Lucy Wilcher

As we move into the cooler months of the year, it’s important that you nourish and support your body.

Our gut is home to trillions of microbes. We have a synergistic relationship with these microorganisms, where they need us to live and we need them to thrive. It is these microbes that are a part of our first line of defense when it comes to fighting off unwanted bacteria, viruses, and toxins.

Did you know that 70-80% of your immune system lies within your gut?

Here are my top 4 tips to support microbiome diversity and overall immunity:

1. Eat a fiber-rich diet

Eating fibre helps to feel the good microbes within our gut, overall supporting a healthy gut lining, reducing inflammation, and helping to fight off invading pathogens.

Fibre is found in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains e.g. buckwheat, brown rice, and quinoa.

2. Fermented foods

These foods contain bacteria that can support microbiome diversity, and overall help to reduce inflammation within the body. Include foods such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh and miso wihin your diet.

3. Eat zinc-rich foods

Zinc is an antioxidant, supporting the body during inflammatory processes. It is required for our body’s immune cells to work optimally, and help combat viral infections. Zinc is also needed to produce hydrochloric acid (HCL), which is the acid within our stomach. This is one of the body’s first lines of defense, where the right PH levels can break down an unwanted pathogen.

Foods rich in zinc include; oysters, red meat, nuts, and seeds.

4. Vitamin D

Spending time in the sun supports healthy vitamin D levels within the body.

Vitamin D is important in immune health as it modulates the immune response in the body. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to infection & autoimmune disease.

If you don’t spend time outside in the sun, talk to your health practitioner before supplementing.

* TIP * Before eating mushrooms, place them on the benchtop down in the sun for 20mins, this helps to increase their vitamin D levels.

IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE.

Prevention is KEY when it comes to health.

Remember your body is constantly in conversation with you… LISTEN.

Give your body what it needs i.e., nutrition, sleep, and movement to help to strengthen your overall immune system.

If you are getting sick regularly and would like some further immune support, CLICK HERE to book in for a free discovery call to find out more on how we can support you!

Take care,

Lucy.