5 ways to Boost your Immune System

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

-Benjamin Franklin

With a pandemic, the best thing you can do for yourself is cultivate a robust immune system. While the media is telling everyone to panic, run, and hide from the current virus outbreak, the truth is that you can empower and create health for yourself and your family.

Here are 5 ways to improve your immune system.

1. Mitigate stress.

Everyone has a certain level of stress in their lives. Deep breathing, sleep, and moderate exercise are the best ways to help your body and mind process stress.

There are many breathing practices out there like the Wim Hof Method, which has a free app you can download. I also like the 5-5-5 method. Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, and exhale for 5 seconds. Repeat for a few minutes. This breathing exercise can help you fall asleep and even get rid of a mild headache.

Getting enough quality sleep is something we all know we should do but can seem impossible some nights. To help your body want to sleep, reduce screen time 2 hours before bed or use blue-blocking glasses so that you don’t suppress your melatonin levels.

Yoga is fantastic for releasing tension and stress, but the simplest thing you can do is go for a walk. The movement aids in circulation and brain function.

2. Reduce junk food consumption.

Excess weight puts a strain on our bodies, making it harder for our systems to operate. Along with the excess calories in junk food comes many chemical additives that have been proven to create a host of problems, including everything from hyperactivity, mood swings, and depression to digestive disorders and cancer. This toxic-load makes it harder for your body to operate at optimal levels and reduces its ability to heal when faced with a virus.

3. Increase whole foods and drinks into your diet.

The foods that we eat are the number one thing we can do to either support our health or compromise it. Adding in one apple, one green smoothie, or a sweet kale salad a day can make all the difference. See my healthy eating blog here: https://www.406cbd.com/post/5-things-that-cbd-can-t-do-blog-series-1

4. Add supplements and adaptogenic herbs to your diet.

Adaptogen’s are plants that help your body find a healthy balance called homeostasis. Some of my favorite adaptogenic herbs are Rodiaola, Tulsi, Chaga, Ashwagandha, Turmeric, and of course, Hemp.

Be sure to feed your body the primary nutrients it needs to thrive. During the winter months, this tends to be vitamin C, vitamin D3, and B vitamins.

5. Use natural cleaners and fragrance.

Hot water and plant-based soaps are incredibly useful in killing germs. Whereas chemical-laden household cleaners contain ingredients and create a toxic load on our bodies and suppress our immune systems. Toxic chemicals can be found in the bodies of every American. There are more than 80,000 chemicals produced and used in the United States. Of these, the EPA has been able to require testing on just 200 chemicals, and only five chemicals have been regulated. Learn more by watching https://stinkmovie.com/

Plant-based soaps, along with essential oils, are a match made in heaven. They clean, disinfect, and smell great. I love Dr. Bronner's soap, Young Living’s Thieves line, and 7th Generation.

New viruses come and go regularly. Take action now to boost your immune systems so that your bodies can do what they were designed to do - heal.

Love and Light,

Heidi the Hempress