The autumn and winter season and the current situation in the world are high time to take care of your immunity. These simple tips will help you enjoy better health and avoid colds and viruses. We invite you to read on.

Not so long ago we tackled the often neglected topic of mental health, today we will talk about resilience. We’re sure you’ll notice some common denominators (you can read about our ways to take care of your psyche here). Check out what to keep in mind in order to enjoy good health and immunity!

Vitamin D and coronavirus

We will begin with vitamin D, once again emphasising the important role it plays in the context of our good health, both mental and physical. At the turn of April and May this year, a study took place, the results of which are interesting to say the least. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine examined the blood of 235 patients hospitalised due to coronavirus infection. The organism of patients with stable levels of vitamin D had a significantly better ability to cope with the disease, and their blood also had a higher number of lymphocytes, which are involved in fighting the infection.

For patients over the age of forty, stable vitamin D levels were also supposed to be associated with a risk of death that was more than 50% lower than in deficient peers. Of course, at the very end it should be mentioned that there were some concerns about the sample size of the reported study and doubts about whether the results were robust enough. This does not change the fact that the work of the American researchers is a good starting point and we look forward to further reports. Here is a link to a description of the entire study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0239799.

The main source from which our body can draw vitamin D is skin synthesis. It is especially worth remembering during the autumn and winter, when in our latitude we are not able to expose our skin to sufficient sunlight. Sources of vitamin D are also fish, eggs, whole milk and dairy products, but according to the guidelines of the Food and Nutrition Institute, supplementation is mandatory in the autumn-winter period in Poland. The dose needs to be adjusted after an examination with the doctor, and when going to the pharmacy, it is necessary to ask about the medicine, not about the dietary supplement.

2. Water for better resistance

At least 60% of the mass of an adult human being is water. It is present in all tissues and organs, and in the context of our immunity, it plays such roles as supporting metabolism, removing toxic compounds from the body, regulating blood pressure and body temperature, or moistening mucous membranes, thanks to which these are more resistant to viruses. While its consumption is easier in spring and summer, in colder periods we often do not feel thirsty and water is replaced by additional meals, hot liquids such as coffee or tea, and soups.

How do you force yourself to drink water in autumn and winter? There are several ways. We can try to diversify its taste by adding our favourite ingredients (apart from lemon and mint, it is worth trying additives associated with the colder season, such as cloves, ginger or cinnamon). We can use applications that regularly remind us to drink a glass (such a function is available in the Fitatu application). Using more spicy and distinctive spices in the kitchen is also not a bad way.

First of all, remember to drink at least 2 litres of water a day (men even 2.5). Apart from the positive impact on our immunity, we should also notice an improvement in our mood and an increase in energy, which we may have been lacking lately 🙂

3. a good night’s sleep will help in the fight against viruses

Sleep is one of our basic physiological needs, so by not sleeping well, we are not giving our body a chance to regenerate. It is not only about the quantity of sleep, but also about its quality. Sleep deprivation leads to, among other things:

• increase levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the blood,
• decreased activity of T lymphocytes and monocytes,
• impaired functioning of NK cells, responsible for destroying viruses and cancer cells,
• increase the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which generate inflammation.

All these factors significantly lower the immunity of our organism. Numerous studies allow us to assume that an adult human being should get at least 7 hours of sleep a day. And how can we take care of the quality of our sleep? Among other things, by avoiding coffee and supplements with a large amount of caffeine in the second half of the day, eating the last meal 2-3 hours before bedtime, not falling asleep in front of the TV or with the radio on, so that light and sound do not activate our brain for further work.

4. movement is health and…immunity!

Regular moderate exercise, for 1-2 hours a day, reduces the risk of upper respiratory tract infections by up to more than 30%, according to the National Center for Nutrition Education. Physical activity can increase resistance to infections and colds in several ways, such as:

• increase the number and activity of macrophages and thus improve their effectiveness in fighting viruses and bacteria,
• an increase in white blood cell activity, especially Th lymphocytes,
• an increase in temperature accompanying the muscle work itself, which has an inhibiting effect on bacterial growth.

Interestingly, the Polish National Center for Nutrition Education also reports that too much activity can in turn lead to a lowering of our immunity. This is supposed to be due to an increase in stress hormones, namely adrenaline and cortisol, which inhibit the activity of white blood cells. The post-exercise weakening of the immune system is supposed to occur most frequently after continuous exercise of 90 minutes or more, of moderate to high intensity, performed on an empty stomach.

So how do we find the golden mean? Exercise of at least 40 minutes every day, but not to the point of exhaustion, should be considered to stimulate the immune system. In view of the recent restrictions in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, it should be a good idea to do a little gardening, walking, jogging or cycling.

It is also worth thinking about exercising at home, especially since…we are likely to spend more and more time at home. A stationary bike, orbitrek or stepper may turn out to be a great solution during the autumn and winter season.

5. what to eat for immunity?

Through the stomach to a healthy heart and beyond. The right diet, i.e. one that provides all the nutrients in the right amounts, also has a huge impact on your immunity. A healthy and balanced diet should be based on the following tips:

• The basis of the diet should be vegetables and fruit, which are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. It is worth trying to eat 5 portions a day.
• Bread and cereal products (preferably wholemeal) should become a permanent part of your diet. As well as dairy products, lean meat and vegetable fats; vegetarians can replace meat as a source of protein with pulses, tofu or eggs.
• Avoid highly processed foods, poor in nutrients (fast food, sweets).
• Find room in your menu for pickles, fermented dairy products and sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
• Eat regularly, at least 4 meals a day. Never forget breakfast, it is the most important meal of the day!

Reducing stress and resting are certainly worth adding to the universal ways mentioned above. Prolonged stress reduces the efficiency of the immune system and although it is often unavoidable, it is worth looking for ways to cope with it. Look for a suitable method of relaxation, from music, a film, a book, to exercise or other physical activity. Also allow yourself some time to relax, find time just for yourself – if you work from home then don’t let work take up more hours than it did before lockdown.

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At the very end, we have collected some ways to increase resilience straight from our users:

Maratha: a head of garlic, 2 lemons squeezed, a small jar of honey – in a one litre jar, add warm (but not hot) water. Spoonful a day, every day during the sick season. My mother has been using it for 2 years and she hasn’t caught a cold even once, while she used to get it a few times every year 🙂 I started using it myself only recently so I will test it on myself 🙂

Tom: a bowl of mountain oatmeal with yoghurt, cranberries and sultanas, good for cleansing the digestive tract, has lots of plant protein.

ManTorch: Of the tastier ones: syrup made of honey, lemon and ginger. The disgusting ones: a concoction on apple cider vinegar with turmeric, pepper, garlic, ginger, lemon, chilli and horseradish 😀

abcbcd: people who feel that their body is not working properly should get tested. Various disorders of the body can also affect immunity. Moreover, it is said that movement also increases immunity, humidifying dry air in heated rooms, diet, avoiding stimulants.

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You can monitor your diet, the amount of water you drink and your physical activity using the Fitatu application. More information about Fitatu can be found at: https://www.fitatu.com

Be sure to let us know if you have any of your own tried and tested methods and if you manage to roughly follow the ones we have mentioned in today’s article.