Why be slow to take immunity boosting into your own hands

EASTERN PHILOSOPHY ESPOUSES mindful eating: which is simply fostering the practice of thinking about what you plan to put in your mouth. Of course, you can think good, healthy food to high heaven ... but then you have to actually eat it or all the thought was for naught.

Before I go on, perhaps you’d like to peruse the two posts directly before this, for Covid-combating immune boosting information I’ve delivered thus far.

Now then … the body’s impressive natural array of defences block, trap and kill outside organisms considered threatening. This system also has a memory, to prevent these same attacks again.

“Wonderful!” you declare with a sigh of relief. 

But remember: women with endometriosis have immune system abnormalities and impairments.

Without this strong, properly functioning immune system defence, most people would constantly fall ill from the wide range of pathogenic assaults to the body. Oops! That seems to actually be happening all around us.

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE … 

Imagine if as an endo-coper you could live almost entirely free of fatigue, headaches, listlessness, repeated infections, diarrhea, weight issues and inflammation agonies—all symptoms accepted as being caused by endo; but may be caused by weak immune systems.

That’s why we are at high risk for Covid.

BOOSTING IMMUNITY VIA NUTRITION 

My new live-by motto is: “Control the “controlables.” 

The immune system works more effectively when internal and external factors are under control. It may be difficult to control everything in the outside world; but bet your bottom dollar you can control what goes inside your body.

Here’s the simple equation: 

Good diet = GOOD HEALTH 

Look this up, ladies! I’ll start you off with a taste (pun intended) of what wholesome, healthy foods to try. 

So, antioxidants are a great group of vitamins, minerals and enzymes that prevent the formation of free radicals—which can damage cells and cause infections and degenerative diseases. Antioxidants also safeguard our DNA, the genetic material necessary for healthy cell reproduction. 

Many herbs, natural foods and nutritional supplements contain powerful antioxidant ingredients that can preserve and heal the body. A diet made up of foods rich in antioxidants is a truly superb (and delicious) way to strengthen your immune system. I bet you lose weight, too 😤. 

Changing your diet is also an equation: you have to add, sure; but also subtract. Cut out, or considerably cut down, alcohol, specific caffeine, tobacco, cow’s milk, refined flour/sugar. Even small amounts can serve as “food” for unwanted microbes.

WHAT YOU WANT TO ADD ARE … 

• VEGETABLES like cabbage, spinach, garlic, peppers
• FRUITS like coconut and coconut oil (superfoods!), berries, citrus, apples. These provide soluble fibre, which can help to alter the “personality” of immune cells, turning them from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory. A WORD OF NOTE: some good foods contain salicylates, like apples and broccoli, and may make you feel drained, bloated, etc. Citrus fruits can produce alkaline urine, thus encouraging bacterial growth.
• HERBS are fantastic—like oregano, turmeric, ginger, licorice root, fennel.
• TINCTURES AND EXTRACTS like astragalus—a superb adaptogen; oregano oil, mushroom extracts, echinacea
• TEAS like ginger, holy basil (tulsi), peppermint, chamomile, lavender
• Even BEAUTY PRODUCTS can transfer nutrients through skin absorption. So invest in antioxidant-enriched face wipes, spritzers, massage oils, hair products. And get some sunlight on your face and neck. Before 8AM and after 3PM are deemed the safest hours.

Graphic illustration by Jhaye-Q Baptiste, from photos by Patrick Joyce.

Investigate the inventive array of recipes using many of the above cited foods on the Internet (for starters). 

We eat to live. So change your lives, dear hearts. Your bodies will love you for it … then you’ll love your bodies for it.

       In beauty may you walk

Living stories from Trinidad and Tobago via: Trinbago Come Good

Access free to use island insight visuals via: Jhaye-Q Trinbago Photography