Naturopathic Tips to Stay Well this Winter
Now that it’s winter in Australia, colds, flus and COVID are running rampant. Every second person I speak to seems to either be sick, recovering, or struggling to get over lingering symptoms from a recent cold/flu.
So I thought I’d share my top naturopathic tips to give your immune system the best chance to do its job: fighting off infections, reducing your chances of catching something, or if you do get sick, reducing the severity and duration of your symptoms.
🧼 Tip 1: Wash your Hands!
It seems basic, but regular hand washing can reduce your risk of catching a cold and flu. Regular handwashing can reduce your risk of influenza-like illness (fever, cough, sore throat, etc.) by around 22% (Wong et al., 2014).
It’s a simple and effective step to reduce your chances of getting sick this winter. Be extra diligent after touching public surfaces like door handles, elevator buttons, money, or your phone, and especially before you eat or touch your face.
🥕 Tip 2: Focus on Nutrient Dense Foods
Your immune system functions its best when it has all the tools it needs to do it’s job properly. Think of nutrients like these tools. Protein, zinc, iron, selenium, Vitamins A, C, and D, are all very important for your immune system to function optimally.
Try to:
Include protein with every meal (e.g. eggs, legumes, fish, chicken, tofu, tempeh)
Eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies (they’re full of vitamin c, antioxidants, and immune supporting phytochemicals)
Choose wholegrains, nuts, and seeds (good sources of fibre, zinc, and selenium)
🔥 Tip 3: Stay Warm!
Your grandma was right! Put your coat on or you’ll catch a cold!
Cold weather can actually make you more vulnerable to getting sick. Being exposed to cold air or having a cold body for too long can reduce your immune function and make your respiratory tract more susceptible to infection.
This happens because being cold causes vasoconstrcition (narrowing of your blood vessels in the nose and throat) which affects your immune system's ability to fight off viruses (Mourtzoukou & Falagas, 2007).
So make sure you:
Dress warmly, especially heading outside
Stay active to generate internal warmth
Keep your home cozy and heated
Wear socks and add an extra blanket to your bed
🍊 Tip 4: Prioritize Vitamin C
Vitamin C plays a very important role in supporting your white blood cell production which is crucial for fighting off infections. Vitamin C can reduce the severity and duration of colds (Hemila & Chalker, 2023) Focus on eating an abundance of Vitamin C rich foods every day such as:
Kiwi fruit
Pineapple
Oranges
Red capsicum
Guava
Lemon
Fresh herbs like parsley
Kale (raw or slightly cooked)
🌞 Tip 5: Don’t Forget about Sunshine
During the colder months we tend to cover up and don’t get outside as much, this can increase our risk of vitamin D deficiency. One of vitamin Ds important functions is to support our immune system. To keep your Vitamin D levels up try to:
Get outside for 20-30 mins daily with some skin exposured (arm, legs, belly, or back)
It’s important to know that if you have a darker skin tone or you keep your skin covered up with clothing that you are at a higher risk of deficiency
If you’re worried you might be vitamin D deficient, ask your practitioner to check your vitamin D levels, they can do this with a simple blood test and then help you to correct your deficiency with supplementation.
🌻 Tip 6: Don’t forget Zinc and Vitamin A
These two nutrients are also essential for the optimal functioning of your immune system. Sources of zinc include:
Oysters (the richest natural source)
Chicken, beef
Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews
Food sources of vitamin A include:
Liver, eggs, butter
Sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin (rich in beta carotene which converts to vitamin A)
🌿 Tip 7: Herbal Medicine
There are a variety of wonderful herbal medicines that can provide support during cold and flu season. Some of my favourites include:
Elderberry
Echinacea
Reishi
Thyme
Andrographis
Astragalus
Herbs can be used at different stages:
Prophylactically - to reduce your chances of catching a cold/flu
Acutely - to reduce the severity and duration of your sickness
Recovery - they can help with lingering fatigue, phlegm, or lingering coughs that can stick around afterwards
If you’re curious about trying herbs, I can make you up a personalised herbal tincture based on your needs, medications and other health conditions. You can book in a full consult with me via my website, or if you just want a simple formula made up for an acute cold/flu, send me a message and we can organise a short consult 🙂
PLEASE NOTE: it’s important to know that even though herbs are considered a ‘natural’ therapy they are not always safe for everyone. They can interact with medications, or be contraindicated in certain medical conditions, so always seek advice from a trained herbalist, naturopath, or doctor before starting a new herbal remedy.
🌝 Tip 8: Rest and Sleep
Rest is wonderfully supportive for our immune system. It improves our white blood cells and immune memory. If you listen to your body, and give it what it needs during times of illness, instead of forcing yourself to 'soldier on' you may find yourself recovering from sickness faster, and catching colds and flus less frequently.
Let me know if you’d like help supporting your immunity this winter. Book via marigoldmender.com.au or message me directly.
References:
Hemila, H. & Chalker, E. (2023). Vitamin C reduces the severity of common colds: A Meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 23(2468). https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-17229-8
Mourtzoukou, E. G. & Falagas, M. E. (2007). Exposure to cold and respiratory tract infections. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 11(9) 938-943. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17705968/
Wong, et al. 2014. Hand hygiene and risk of influenza virus infections in the community: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology & Infection, 142 (5), 922-932. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4891197/