As we come to the end of the summer season getting back into a routine of work or school is an ideal time for setting new habits for health and wellness.

For many of us improving our immunity as we come into the autumn and increasing our energy and productivity are key goals that can be achieved through small habit changes. Here are our top tips to help you get back into a routine that works for you.

Sleep

Sleep plays a vital role in how your immune system is functioning, getting adequate sleep helps with stress and our mood. Stress deprivation is also directly linked to weight gain and stress. Getting enough sleep is vital for our immune system to function properly however the quality of the sleep we get is also important to ensure our bodies are repairing and renewing as we sleep.  If you find you are sleeping the recommended 7-9 hours a night but do not feel refreshed and still feel tired perhaps you are not getting enough hours deep sleep where the body restores energy.

If you are finding it difficult to concentrate during the day you may not be getting enough REM sleep, this can cause slower cognitive and social processing, problems with memory, and difficulty concentrating.

• Start by creating a sleep schedule where you go to bed at the same time each night. REM sleep usually lasts longer the second half of the night.
• A sleep hygiene routine to include Eye Masks, Pillow spray and sleep supplements that contain magnesium to relax the muscles and Ashwagandha to help you fall asleep.
• Psychological factors- Avoiding extreme anxiety and fatigue by gaining tools to manage daily stressors can help with REM sleep. Meditation, breathing practices and journaling are all great tools.
• Diet- Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and medication can negatively impact the levels of REM sleep. Try to moderate and control your intake.

Nutrition

A balanced, vitamin-rich diet is the first step in boosting your immune system. In addition, you reap many health benefits by being keen on a healthy, active lifestyle. How well you balance your food intake will determine how the body responds to health challenges once they arise.

A complete meal plan in your day should contain different types of beneficial vitamins, minerals, good fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Its important to fuel your body with a variety of foods, to eat the rainbow and avoid restrictive diets. Try and include as many immune boosting vitamins as you can on a daily basis.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is vital in ensuring that your body is protected  from the presence of harmful pathogens in the system. A powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C helps guard your body against external attacks from the free radicals. The concentration of these radicals in the body can lead to respiratory infections such as the common colds and flu.

By increasing your blood antioxidant capacity, your body is guarded against inflammation. In addition, the anti-inflammatory feature of Vitamin C helps your body curb your immune system threats that could lead to contracting infectious diseases from viruses.

The C vitamin is found naturally in citrus fruits such as oranges and in berries such as elderberry, which has a high concentration of the C vitamin, standing at 52 Mg per cup. Other excellent sources of Vitamin C include Potatoes, Broccoli, Sweet potatoes, Peppers and Kiwis.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 helps in the formation of antibodies which are responsible for fighting any infection while at the same time supporting the dissemination of proteins within the body. The B6 Vitamin helps the body avoid the risk of diabetes as it helps contain the blood sugar levels at the desirable range.

Foods rich in B6 include whole grains, bananas, elderberry, pork, and poultry in foods. It can also be included in a supplement that will help protect you from viral infections such as colds and flu.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in your overall bodily health, keeping autoimmune diseases and microbial infections at bay, among several other essential benefits including maintaining bone health.

Maintaining a natural, steady supply of 'the sunshine vitamin' (via sunlight, good food and supplementation) will help stave off a vitamin D deficiency and keep your immune system firing on all cylinders.

If you struggle with including all these vitamins in your diet daily you might consider supplementing.

Gut Health

99% of our microbiome is in the digestive track. This microbiome is key in supporting a healthy immune system, preventing infections and aiding digestion. Gut microbes play an important role in your immune system and inflammation by controlling what is passed into the body and what is excreted. Improving our gut health and balancing the microbiome will have many many benefits for the body including improved digestive health, improvement in inflammatory conditions and in cognitive function.

Diet, the environment, stress and drugs such as antibiotics can all disrupt the balance of bacteria, undermining the diversity of your gut microbiome. The gut bacteria are important as they break down food and toxins, make vitamins and interact with our immune system.

Introducing a supplement is a great way to feed the gut microbiome with good bacteria and enable the gut to thrive and to help enforce our immune system. Symprove is a water based gut health supplement that will help rebalance the microbiome and restore a healthy gut.

Movement

Having a routine that includes regular exercise to meet your physical abilities is very beneficial to your immune health. Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. Some stress increases the chance of illness therefor lower stress hormones may protect against illness. Regular movement can boost your heart health helping and help with blood pressure.

These factors help to facilitate a healthy and functioning immune system, allowing immune cells to travel throughout the body more easily to get to where they are needed. Exercising regularly also helps to promote the growth of new immune cells.

So even if that is a 30 min walk a day or taking up a sport or yoga remember consistency and habit forming is key so make sure you enjoy it!

This is an ideal time of year to enter into a new chapter of your health and wellbeing by adopting small habit changes this new term. If you need any advice reach out to our experts at Meaghers.ie