Improving my immunity during the pandemic

The pandemic (COVID-19) is not showing any sign of slowing down. So I have decided to focus on improving my body’s immune systems instead of worrying about what might happen. Here are the steps I am taking every day to give my body a fighting chance.

1. Meditation – focus on positives and remove negative thoughts:

 Every morning I close my eyes and try to clear my mind for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, I try to think of at least three positive things in my life. I use sentences like – how blessed I am to have “X” in my life, or thank god that I have “Y”.  I repeat the same routine before I go the sleep.

2. Turmeric Milk

I make a warm cup of turmeric milk every night and drink it after dinner. The anti-inflammatory characteristic of turmeric and vitamins, minerals, and fat from organic whole milk improve our immunity. They give the body a fighting chance against many pathogens. You can check out my recipe for turmeric milk here.https://www.improvehealthnaturally.com/turmeric-milk.

3. Elderberry

I have read in several books on natural home remedies for many diseases that the Elderberry improves the immunity of our bodies. It is a good idea to take Elderberry regularly during the winter to keep off the seasonal flu. The shops around me sell elderberry syrup, elderberry gummies, and elderberry softgels. I prefer the gummies or softgels, so I have been taking one every night just after dinner.

4. Vitamins – C, D, B12, and Zinc

The vitamin D and B-12 level drops in my body during the winter months, and I am assuming this is true for many others. I have also learned that zinc helps reduce the severity of the common cold. Therefore, I take vitamins D, B12, and zinc shortly after dinner. Instead of swallowing these supplements with plain water, I add Emergen-C in the water, which supplies my body with a daily dose of vitamin C.

5. Managing blood pressure with a breathing exercise

I came across this video on youtube and started practicing the breathing exercise described here. It has helped me control my borderline hypertension. Now my blood pressure is almost always within the normal range.https://www.improvehealthnaturally.com/breathing-exercise/

6. Physical exercise

I am not big into working out in a gym, but I try to keep my body physically active. Every day, after work, I spent time on the lawn by mowing, watering, removing weed, etc. After that, I go for a two-mile run on the treadmill. I get sunlight on my body, which I think is essential for immunity.

7. Managing sugar

I have read that this new virus impacts people with Diabetes. I am not diabetic, but sometimes my fasting sugar level is borderline with a pre-diabetic person. Therefore, I take extra effort to manage my blood sugar. I have completely removed any type of soft drink from my diet. I don’t drink any bottled juice either. Instead, I make a smoothie (see below) every morning and drink it. I have increased the intake of fiber by eating fruits, cucumber, etc. I have also reduced carbohydrate intake by 25%.

8. My favorite smoothie

Instead of buying bottled juice from the supermarket, I make a fruit smoothie at home. I prefer this smoothie because it is fresh, and I get the benefit of the fiber in the fruits. I love the taste of this smoothie. Please see my recipe here. https://www.improvehealthnaturally.com/my-favorite-smoothie/

9. Sleep better 

 I do not look at my phone or a computer or a watch TV 30 minutes before I go to sleep. Instead, I read a book on my kindle, the basic one that does not have a backlight. So I need my table lamp to be on to read. I also read a physical book. Reading for thirty minutes starts to relax the mind. As sleep sets in, I think about positive things in my life and turn off the light.