Fit through autumn and winter: Part 2 - Good routines
Lucky
"Some good news. I have a very mild, down-to-earth cold. Nothing global. Not a pandemic. Just inhaled a good old regional pathogen!" Twitter find
When I read that, I must admit I had to smile. Someone is happy about his cold. Lucky again. With all the things you can catch at the moment, a cold is definitely the better option. Even better: staying healthy because you have a good immune system. However, I don't just want to rely on luck, but actively do something about it.
Ensuring a good and strong immune system is not that difficult. It is much more challenging to find the right and suitable options for you and to actually do it:
- Sleeping strengthens the immune system because it supports the immune system's defence cells.
- Sea buckthorn fights cold viruses.
- Water flushes toxins out of the body. Sufficient fluid intake is particularly important in the cold season to keep the mucous membranes moisturised.
- Ginger is effective against headaches.
- Chillies contain capsaicin, which has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect.
- Horseradish, mustard and wasabi econtain mustard oil glycosides, which are good for colds.
- Less / no alcohol consumption supports the immune system, as the body's defences are blocked by alcohol.
- ...
My head is often spinning. 1000 things to look out for: free radicals for ageing, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids for the heart, iodine for the thyroid, vitamin C for the immune system and so on and so forth. How on earth are you supposed to memorise all this? Where to start? Albert Einstein put it aptly:
In the midst of the confusion, it is important to find the simple.
I like to make things easy for myself and others. The immune system is also easy. So today I would like to introduce you to an approach that, in addition to preventing viruses and bacteria, also helps to establish good and healthy behaviour in general:
Turning good behaviour into a routine
The key to success is to turn behavioural patterns that are good for you into good habits.
It often takes a while for a new behaviour to become a matter of course. Think about what a can be a concrete step for you to strengthen the three foundations for a strong immune system. We remember:
If you want to boost your immune system
- does not deliberately weaken,
- relieve
- and strengthen,
then you will have done a lot to be well prepared for autumn and winter and, at best, you won't even catch a slight cold, but will stay healthy.
Small measures, big impact - prevention
For example, at some point I gave up sugar in my tea (I still use honey from time to time). Why? Like everything that arrives in our stomach, the calories in sugar have to be processed by our metabolism. These biochemical processes consume important vital substances such as magnesium, vitamin B or vitamin C. My immune system then lacks them.
- Since I have my Do not weaken the immune system I leave out the sugar.
- Because I have my to relieve the immune systemI replace sugar with honey, which (especially Manuka honey) is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. So with this habit I can even
- my Strengthen the immune system, because honey is even said to promote sleep. Sleep is extremely important for a healthy immune system.
So with this one measure I have killed the famous "2 birds with one stone". Three even. It was unusual at first. Now I take it for granted - I no longer have to think about it.
It's no big deal for me to cut out sugar. Even if only for a certain period of time.
Expand good behaviour patterns
Choose something from the list above that you would like to implement. Or write down your own "I want to strengthen my immune system" ideas.
- Record your decision in writing and create reminders.
- Practise the new behaviours until they become automatic.
- Only when they have become a firmly integrated part of your life, then choose one or more new behaviours that you would like to practise.
In this way, you will gradually get used to new, good behavioural patterns that are good for you and your immune system in the long term. However, you won't overstrain yourself in this process thanks to the gentle approach.
EXTRA TIP: We now know that being overweight also has an effect on the immune system. Mainly because too much body fat leads to more inflammatory processes in the body. I love this "2 birds with one stone" principle, so I have the following suggestion for you:
How about replacing a meal with a healthy homemade juice made from fruit and vegetables for a month? Juices are ideal for boosting the body's defences. They are full of vitamins and defences. Bacteria, viruses and fungi simply have much less of a target. And by replacing a meal, you favour weight loss. If you don't need to lose weight, these juices are a great healthy addition to your normal meals. You can find inspiration here: healthy juices.
Do you want to do more and lose weight sustainably? It's not about looking like a model, but about being able to master life with energy - without unnecessary ballast and avoidable illnesses. Then I recommend my Quadro
"Slim and fit. Gain a healthy and strong body." Here I explain which foods and behaviours make you slim and fit. And what you can look out for if you want to do something good for your body. In this way, you can find your way to a healthier lifestyle step by step.
You can find a collection of tips for strengthening the immune system in my free e-book Strengthen the immune system.
