The emergence of Covid-19 has changed our lives immeasurably and it is highly likely it will be in our communities for some time yet. As Covid19 is a virus, and with no vaccine or effective treatment yet found, we rely on our bodies’ health and immune system to fight it, and our behaviour to avoid contact with it.
Social distancing, hand-washing and avoiding touching your face can all help to prevent us coming into contact with the virus and are the first line of defence.
If we do get Covid19, we need to ensure that our bodies will be able to cope, and there are lots of ways we can keep our bodies healthy and boost our immune system.
1) It is essential to make sure you are getting a good balance of exercise and rest to keep your body healthy and your immune system strong. Aim for 8 hours sleep a night to help your body’s defence system. When you sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokine. Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation. Sleep deprivation may decrease production of these protective cytokines.
2) Look after your gut health. 70% of your immune system is located in your gut. It is very important to eat a colourful unprocessed diet which is rich in fibre to support gut health and provide vitamins and minerals.
It can be helpful to take a probiotic to improve your gut health. Probiotics are bacteria and yeasts that are good for you. Taking a probiotic supplement can help balance your “good” and “bad” bacteria to keep your body working the way it should. We have a wide range of probiotics including high strength Udo’s Choice Super 8 which are great for people who may have been on antibiotics or are in recovery. Bio-kult and Optibac are brilliant solutions for everyday gut health.
To strengthen and heal the lining of the gut omega 3 oils can help. These can be in the form of fish oils, if you are looking for a great tasting liquid fish oil locally made Somega is delicious and is suitable for all the family. There are vegan omega 3 oils available like Udos Oil or Testa Omega 3 capsules.
3) Supplement with key immune supporting nutrients and ingredients such as Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Elderberry and Beta Glucans. All these nutrients may help to shorten the duration and severity of Covid19. Solgar’s Beta Glucans Elderberry Immune Complex includes all these ingredients and we can highly recommend it as a good all round immunity booster.
As you will have seen in the media Vitamin D is increasingly being highlighted as playing a very important role in helping our bodies to handle respiratory illness. In recent Irish studies, vitamin D deficiency was found to be common, particularly amongst the older population. It is believed that consuming an adequate amount of vitamin D can reduce the severity of Covid19. Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin, our bodies produce it in response to the sun. It is also present in oily fish, liver, cheese and eggs. It can be hard to get enough Vitamin D from your food or from the sunshine so it is helpful to supplement your Vitamin D intake. At New Leaf we have a wide variety of supplements including Vitamin D sprays, tablets, and liquids and a wide range of fish oils in liquid or capsule form.
Our New Leaf Stores are still open in Kanturk and Charleville and the staff here at New Leaf are able to give you personal advice according to your individual situation. If you can’t come in and need a delivery, or you would like us to prepare your order for you in advance, contact us by phone on 029 51922 or 063 30015. Stay Safe and contact us if you need help.