Tips to strengthen your immune system

Our immune systems do a remarkable job of protecting us from illness. However, we can’t expect them to perform at their best if we are not taking care of ourselves and our body is then having to work over-time. The article below outlines some areas we can consider working on, in order to ensure our immune systems are strong and ready for action.

Your immune system is your first port of call in the fight to stave off infection and disease. Keeping it in good condition is important both for individuals and the public at large to stay happy and healthy.

To help, we’ve put together a list of top tips on how you can keep your immune system fighting fresh.

First-hand hygiene

Soap and water can be hugely helpful in stopping transmission of the infection. Some viruses have a lipid (or fatty) layer on the outside, so simple hand washing breaks them down and stops them spreading. 

We’ve also learned that a person’s underlying level of health is relevant to how well the body copes with infection. Lifestyle changes can do nothing to stop you from becoming unwell – that mostly comes down to hand hygiene or social distancing techniques – but they can help to strengthen your body and mind.

The strength of the immune system varies not only from person to person but also from day to day – its ability to fight off disease fluctuates depending on many factors. 

Reduce stress

The headlines we’re bombarded with every day could easily have an impact on the nation’s mental health. In this time of stress, it’s useful to remember the impact stress hormones have on weakening the immune system.

In short supply, the stress hormone cortisol can boost immunity by limiting inflammation. But, once it crosses a certain threshold, too much cortisol in the blood opens the door for more inflammation. 

Stress can also negatively impact the production of lymphocytes — the white blood cells that are the body’s first line of defence against infection — putting you at potential risk of viral disease. Consider limiting your daily screen time and take breaks when you feel burned out. Relaxation techniques like meditation and gentle exercise might also help.

The importance of exercise

Regular exercise promotes cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and offers protection against diseases. 

Exercise also improves blood circulation, allowing immune system cells to move through the body more freely and do their job more effectively.

Eat a balanced diet

The immune system is the body’s natural defence system, and (like any army) its soldiers need sustenance. Make sure you eat a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables in order to receive the right proportion of micronutrients.

Nutrition, and the advice of nutritionists, is useful in understanding the best way to respond to patterns of illness. Monash University’s ‘Food as Medicine’ course, designed especially for healthcare professionals, gives an introduction to current evidence surrounding the impact of nutrition on the development and treatment of chronic low-grade inflammation, and potential subsequent disease development.

Don’t smoke

Smoking tobacco has several negative effects on immune system health, such as:

• Greater susceptibility to infections such as pneumonia and influenza.

• More severe and longer-lasting illnesses.

• Lower levels of protective antioxidants (such as vitamin C), in the blood.

Try to sleep

Studies show that people who don’t get enough sleep or good quality sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus.

When we sleep, the body releases proteins called cytokines, while sleep deprivation decreases their production. Cytokines are paramount during times of infection or inflammation.’

Source: FutureLearn

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Ayurvedic practices to enhance your health & digestion

Overall health and well-being is so much more than just the absence of disease or illness. It should include the state of our mental health, our senses, and what we are actively doing to nurture and care for our bodies to prevent negative disruptions - illness or otherwise. Ayurveda takes a very holistic approach to wellness, the article below discusses in more detail what we can do to support a healthy and happy life..

‘The healing tradition of Ayurveda teaches that health and wellbeing depends upon our ability to digest everything we take in from the environment. This includes not only tangible substances like food and drink, but also our experiences, emotions, and the impressions we take in via our sensory portals, namely our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin.

Agni is the Sanskrit term for the “digestive fire” that breaks down the food and other things we ingest from the environment, assimilating what is useful, and eliminating the rest.

When our digestive ability, or agni, is strong, we create healthy tissues, eliminate waste products efficiently, and produce a subtle essence called ojas. Ojas, which is a Sanskrit word that means strength, can be envisioned as the innermost vital essence. According to Ayurveda, ojas is the basis for clarity of perception, physical strength, and immunity. On the other hand, if our agni is weakened through improper eating, lack of activity, negative emotional energy or unhealthy daily routine, our digestion will be hampered and we produce toxins that get stored in the body. According to Ayurveda, this toxic residue, known as ama, is the root cause of disease.

Uncovering the Root Causes of Digestive Issues

Whether we are coping with weight issues or uncomfortable GI symptoms such as bloating, gas, or indigestion, often the underlying root problem is weak agni, or poor digestion. Unfortunately, in Western medicine, we aren’t trained to ask the key question “How strong is my digestive fire?” Instead, we concentrate solely on the foods going in. When a patient goes to a health care provider trained in conventional allopathic medicine, the treatment options for digestive issues are typically medications, which serve to control symptoms, but do not treat the underlying cause.

Even when a provider’s approach includes testing and the elimination of offending foods, this is still only addressing part of the problem. While this treatment addresses the agent (or food) being ingested, it doesn’t look at why it is not being digested properly. Although eliminating foods that are bothersome can often alleviate symptoms, it is often difficult for patients to continually avoid those foods. It can often begin to disrupt their quality of life. The Ayurvedic concept of agni allows us to expand the conversation into answering the most important questions: “Why did the body begin to improperly digest, or not tolerate, this food?” and “How can we both eliminate the offending agent and concurrently increase agni or digestive power?” This approach opens up the possibility of re-introducing the food at a future time, allowing the person to fully experience foods again.

Getting Practical

Ayurveda recommends a variety of practical techniques for keeping our digestive fire strong. Incorporating these practices into your daily life can strengthen agni and, in turn, facilitate weight loss, improve the metabolism of food, and minimise uncomfortable GI symptoms.

Here are six powerful ways to strengthen your agni:

1. Meditate on a regular basis. Studies are increasingly confirming the genetic changes that occur with regular meditation, which can help restore the body’s homeostasis, including the processes controlling digestion. To achieve maximum benefit, meditate for 20 to 30 minutes, twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. To get started with meditation or to deepen your meditation practice, please visit the Chopra Center’s Meditation Resource Library.

2. Do some form of daily movement. Whether it is a little yoga every morning, or a daily walk, a recent study published in Diabetes Care showed that a short 15-minute walk after each meal helped to control sugar spikes after eating. These short post-meal walks were more effective than taking a longer, 45-minute walk once daily.

3. Don’t overeat. When we eat more food than our stomach can accommodate, we cannot properly break it down. We also tend to produce more acid, thus causing reflux and indigestion. In addition, the amount of digestive enzymes produced may not be able to completely break down the volume of food ingested, which leads to more gas formation, discomfort, or bloating. Ayurveda recommends that we leave one-third to one-quarter of our stomach empty to allow space for our body to easily digest our meal.

   Here is a simple way to gauge an ideal portion of food for a meal based on your body size: Cup your hands together with your fingertips touching, forming the shape of a bowl. The recommended amount of food for a meal is the equivalent of two of these handfuls of food. Of course, you can eat less than two handfuls if your appetite is smaller.

4. Sip on ginger tea throughout the day, and with meals. Ginger is known in Ayurveda as the “universal remedy” due to its many benefits for the body, and it has been used for more than 2,000 years to treat digestive issues. Ginger can relax the smooth muscle of the intestines, thereby relieving symptoms of gas and cramping.

   A recent study in the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that ginger stimulates digestion by speeding up the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine, and helps eliminates digestive discomfort after eating. In addition, ginger can stimulate saliva, bile, and gastric enzymes to aid in digestion of the food that has been ingested. The researchers concluded that these beneficial effects are a result of phenolic compounds, primarily gingerol and shogaol, and various other volatile oils that are present in ginger.

   Ginger Tea Recipe: Ginger tea is refreshing and easy to make. Just add one teaspoon of grated or sliced fresh ginger root to a cup of hot water. You can prepare a larger batch and keep it with you in a thermos bottle to sip throughout the day.

5. Eat your largest meal at lunchtime. Our bodies are most able to digest food at midday, when we are active. As studies have found, our digestive system secretes the highest concentration of “digestive juices” around noon, making this the best time to eat our largest meal. In the evening, our bodies are slowing down and preparing for sleep. If we eat our biggest meal at dinner, when our digestive fire is weaker, we will feel heavy and bloated and will be more likely to have difficulty falling asleep.

6. Focus on releasing negative emotions. You’ve no doubt noticed that your emotions influence your digestion. You may get heartburn when you’re under stress, lose your appetite when you feel sad, or become nauseated or even throw up before a big exam or presentation. A growing body of research is finding that the stress associated with unprocessed negative emotions can inhibit the natural digestive process and lead to chronic digestive issues.

   As we now know, a complex, independent nervous system called the enteric nervous system (ENS) lines the gastrointestinal tract. Dubbed “the second brain” by Dr. Michael Gershon, a researcher and physician at Columbia University Medical Center, the ENS contains many of the major neurotransmitters that are found in the brain, including serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine, and nitric oxide. In fact, about 95 percent of the serotonin contained in the body at any given time is in the ENS.

   This second brain controls our digestion and can work both independently and in conjunction with the brain in our head. Without getting bogged down in the details of this intricate system, we can briefly state that there is an intimate relationship between our brain and our gut, and our digestion responds to the thoughts and emotions. When we experience a situation that we interpret as stressful, signals from the brain can alter nerve function between the stomach and oesophagus, resulting in heartburn. With extreme stress, the brain sends signals to the gut immune cells that release chemicals leading to inflammation. This inflammation can then lead to malabsorption, and even food sensitivities if the stress becomes chronic. By learning how to manage stress and release emotional turbulence, we help our digestive tract to work naturally and efficiently.

Proper digestion, with a strong agni, plays a central role in our physical and emotional wellbeing. As Ayurveda recognises, we are not what we eat, but “we are what we digest.” By making choices that strengthen our digestive ability, we form the foundation for good health and vitality.’

Article Source: https://www.deepakchopra.com/articles/six-ayurvedic-practices-to-improve-your-digestion/
Article author: Deepak Chopra

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Supporting a healthy brain and mind

Our brains and minds are such powerful things. What we feed our brain – nourishment, exercise, leisure activities, rest & sleep etc – can impact the way we think, feel and function. There are modifiable activities that can enhance our brain health, and others that can jeopardise it. Read more in the article below!

Mind over matter—these days, this proverb feels extra relevant. From mental wellness, to focus, to stress management, the health of our mind is central to our quality of life. So how do we keep our mind in its very best shape? We make brain health a part of our daily routines.

Why does brain health matter?

A healthy brain is the baseline of any thriving lifestyle. In terms of wellness, it comes before the quartz crystal face rollers, infrared saunas, and plant-based meat alternatives. A healthy brain helps us harness our own potential, solve life's inevitable problems, sort out emotions, and manage stress. And this brilliant organ (which research suggests may be more powerful than all the digital computers in the world combined) does these things all on its own. But that doesn't mean we can't lend a hand.

We can do that by adjusting our routines and activities to cultivate the brain functions we appreciate most, like focus and stress management. Getting more intentional about brain health is pretty straightforward, but potent—here's what it looks like.

Begin a regular meditation practice

Intuitively, we all know that meditation is probably a good idea (and it is), but we rarely prioritise it. The truth is that if we understood just how beneficial meditation is for our brain, it would be easy to make it a nonnegotiable part of our daily routine.

We've all heard that meditation helps with stress—but there's so much more to it. A regular meditation practice has been proven to literally change the brain. In one study, Harvard neuroscientists found that after just eight weeks of regular meditation, participants' brain cortex thickened in key areas responsible for factors like cognition, memory, and compassion. Meditation works wonders on the brain—50-year-old meditators have the same amount of grey matter in the brain as 25-year-olds... And this just scratches the surface of how many benefits there are.

Our brains are constantly running the show, but we can assist them by providing the ingredients that help nourish it. Vitafusion* Brain Food is a gummy supplement that nourishes the brain with important nutrients. It includes a daily dose of ashwagandha, a popular Ayurvedic herb that has been used for thousands of years to help with stress. To help support focus, the Brain Food formula also includes phosphatidylserine, a phospholipid/fatty acid that is a critical component of cells, including cells in the brain. Just two Brain Food gummies also provide vitamins B6 and B12, essential nutrients to help nourish our brain.

Get serious about hydration

As if you needed another reminder to drink more water... hydration is actually key to supporting our brain function. Considering water is responsible for 75% of our brain mass, it's understandable that dehydration affects our brain health. Studies have shown that for middle-aged adults, dehydration requires the brain to work harder to complete a task, resulting in fatigue and changes in mood. Dehydration has been linked to impaired attention, executive function, and motor coordination. For the sake of your brain, stay on top of your hydration goals! Make it easier by infusing your water with fruits, set reminders on your phone to drink up, and make every work break a water break. 

Play games that help with cognitive training

Games and puzzles? We have to be real with you; some of these practices and routines are actually a no-brainer. Studies show that cognitive training can yield improvements in attention, memory, and processing speed—meaning that you now have a worthy reason to play "brain-training games" like crosswords and apps like Luminosity (basically a workout for your brain). But under the "use it or lose it" philosophy, research also indicates that persistence is key to maintaining benefits. A fundamental part of brain health is simply using our brain: Play challenging games, learn something new, get creative!

Brain health is an everyday intention

When it comes to brain health, there isn't a single solution or quick fix. Brain health is an everyday intention. Just like we work out and nourish our bodies—our brain needs exercise and nourishment, too. Instead of taking your brain for granted, think about how fascinating "thinking" really is (that's a brain exercise right there). Embrace the lifestyle of brain health, and show your mind that it matters!

**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Read the original article here
Article author: Devon Barrow

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Diet Duality: Getting the Balance Right

You can’t appreciate the light without darkness, rewards without challenges, inhalation without exhalation and movement without stillness. Life is a constant dance between contrasting situations, ideas, and states of being. It is only fair then that we afford this same leniency and appreciation to our diet – being conscious and making healthy choices as much as possible, yet also allowing some freedom and flexibility and being kind to ourselves when we do. Because we won’t get it perfect all of the time and we need to be open to that idea, in order to set ourselves up for success and not be easily defeated or disappointed. 

So many people struggle with this concept of duality when it comes to diet. Because unlike many situations in life, diet should be easily controllable, right? For the most part, we can choose what we feed ourselves, we have the power to control our weight and nutritional wellbeing. Unfortunately, as with anything that we have control over, it can open the door to self-criticism and guilt if we don’t make the “perfect” choices all of the time. Additionally, we don’t always appreciate that the drivers behind our dietary choices and ability to stick to them are multifactorial and complex. Our relationship with food can be quite intricate and can stem from a lifetime of environmental factors. It is therefore not uncommon for people to have a tendency toward an ‘all or nothing’ approach to diet. Either we are following the “perfect diet” all of the time, or, there is a lapse and we go the complete opposite direction. It can be difficult to comfortably dance the line between making mostly healthful choices and occasional nutrient poorer choices. 

Like yoga, a healthy diet works best when we can remain neutral in times of celebration and relaxation with our diet, not focusing on what we could have done better or what the impact of the less healthy option(s) will have – essentially, detachment. Guilt associated with our diet can feed into emotional eating and can even have a flow on effect to our mood day to day. One relaxed snack, meal, or day is not going to have a significant impact on anything. However, if we ruminate on this and then continue to indulge, this will make a difference over days, weeks and months. Having the ability to enjoy yourself and then return to your regular, healthy diet is when people really flourish. There is equilibrium. Afterall, life is fleeting, we want to support good health and quality of life well into the future but we also want to enjoy ourselves with people we care about - even if that means straying from your regular diet from time to time. 

Take this as a gentle reminder to be kind to yourself. To anticipate the detours from your ideal diet and to accept that, then move forward. As controllable as diet is, it is far more complex than we give it credit and there will be bumps in the road! Try not to villainise food or nutrients - good vs bad - this can unknowingly create unhealthy attitudes and behaviours around food, which often have the opposite effect to what people want. Rather, know what to limit and what to focus more on. It is never too late to make changes and your body and mind will thank you for that.


Author: Belinda Elwin, Dietitian & Nutritionist, APD

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Nutrition to Support Mental Health

Our bodies are extremely complex. Far more than we often appreciate. At any one moment, there are thousands of different systems working in synchrony together, just to keep us functioning and performing our day-to-day tasks. It is therefore natural that such a complex organism requires the right balance, quality and quantity of fuel in order to keep it performing to the best of its ability. When we neglect our diets, it can very quickly take its toll on many different processes within the body, including our brain functioning – mood, concentration, energy levels, memory and so on.

So what dietary measures can we take to ensure we are supporting our mental health? There are many nutrients and dietary characteristics that play key roles in our brain and mood, this article will introduce the gut microbiome and omega-3 fatty acids.

The Gut-Brain Axis  

Simply put, your brain and gut communicate with one another. Gut microbiota play an important role in these exchanges. The gut microbiome is an area that has been receiving a lot of attention recently. We have learned a lot about it but there is a lot to still be explored! What we do know is that our gut houses trillions of microorganisms with thousands of different species, some beneficial and some harmful, but in the healthy individual they coexist quite harmoniously. Each person has a very unique microbiome that is cultivated before we are even born and can quite quickly adapt to our changing lifestyles and conditions [1,2,3].

Changes in the diversity of our microbiota can actually directly affect our mood. Fortunately, diet is one way we can enhance our microbiome ecosystem. Our gut microbiota love prebiotics, which are readily available in many common foods. The same foods lower inflammation in the body, which can decrease the risk/ severity of numerous mental health disorders, as well as many other lifestyle related diseases [2,3]. In order to nurture happy & healthy gut microbiota, try incorporating more of the following prebiotic rich foods in to your diet:

• A range of different colours and varieties of fruit and vegetable – ideally leaving the peels on where possible! Aiming for at least 5 serves of veg and 2 serves of fruit per day.

• Legumes

• Nuts and seeds

• Wholegrains e.g. oats

• Healthy fats e.g. nuts, avocado, olive oil

Probiotics can also be beneficial as they contain live microbiota. Probiotics are generally found in fermented foods such as; yoghurt, kimchi, kefir and kombucha. It is not essential to take a probiotic supplement if you are eating a varied diet, however, there are circumstances where one may be beneficial to encourage growth of healthy bacteria within the gut [2].

Conversely, a diet higher in processed, more indulgent foods has been linked to low grade chronic inflammation and gut dysbiosis (imbalance of gut bacteria leading to common digestive issues), which increases the risk of mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, and heightened risk of other disease [2].

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fats are also linked with lower rates of inflammation in the body and reduced levels of anxiety, depression and memory dysfunction [1]. They are essential for brain development and functioning throughout the lifespan. The brain consists of a high concentration of lipids (fats) and omega-3 fats play a key role in the structure of cell membranes.

Some countries that follow diets incorporating a lot of fish have remarkably lower rates of depression, which is thought to be partly influenced by the omega-3 content of fish and its role in brain functioning [1].

Find omega-3 in:

• Oily fish e.g. salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines

• Nuts and seeds e.g. walnuts, flax seed, chia seeds

• Plant oils e.g. flaxseed oil

• Fortified foods

Not only is omega 3 great for our mood and brain function but it also promotes cardiovascular and ocular health.

The mechanisms of how different nutrients and dietary patterns influence our mood and brain function are also very complex and can be deeply explored. The above provides a brief overview of just two elements to take into consideration, again supporting the idea of a balanced, varied diet focusing on wholefoods. Stay tuned for further information!

Author: Belinda Elwin, Dietitian & Nutritionist

References:

1. Swaney S. Nutrition and Mood – What’s the Connection?. NSW: Nutrition Australia. Source: https://nutritionaustralia.org/division/nsw/nutrition-and-mood-whats-the-connection/

2. Harvard School of Public Health. The Microbiome. MA: The Nutrition Source. Source: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/microbiome/#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20family%20genes,of%20microbiota%20in%20the%20intestines.

3. Clapp M, Aurora N, Herrera L, Bhatia M, Wilen E, Wakefield S. Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clin Pract. 2017 Sep 15; 7(4): 987.

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How to Approach A Healthy Diet: Setting the Foundations

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant”

— Robert Louis Stevenson

A ‘healthy diet’ can mean many different things to each person. What works for one person may not be suitable for the next. This is one of the reasons we should be cautious about the dietary information we are faced with day to day, and whether it is worth our investment. A healthy diet is a long-term investment in our health and wellbeing, making the best choices we can right now will support our health well into the future.

Broadly speaking, a healthy diet incorporates the following:

Balance and variety 

As with most things in life, too much of anything is not a good thing! Even nourishing foods should be balanced, focusing too heavily on one area will displace other important foods and nutrients. Additionally, each individual food has its own unique nutrient profile and health benefits (even between the different colour pigments within the same variety of fruit/ vegetables e.g. red capsicum vs yellow capsicum) so when it comes to diet, variety really is the spice of life.

Choose wholefoods as often as possible

The less processed, the better. Both your body and the environment will thank you for this one! This is an easy way to ensure you are minimising unnecessary additives such as excess sugars, fats, salt and artificial colours/ flavours/ preservatives. Sometimes even seemingly healthful packaged foods can be deceptively potent in the aforementioned ingredients. In saying that, most people will require packaged foods from time to time and there is nothing wrong with that. Life gets busy, we have to budget – whatever the reason. However, it can be good to be aware of what to look for and perhaps do a quick comparison of similar products' ingredient lists/ nutrient information panels.

Takeaway, fast food and indulgent foods high in sugars, fats and sodium should be enjoyed but limited. These foods put stress on our bodies and can lead to negative health implications in the long term, when eaten in excess. They can also be detrimental to the functioning of our bodies and mental wellbeing in the short term!!

Eat plenty of plant foods

Our bodies LOVE vegetables, fruits and legumes. There are too many benefits to delve in to for this article but they can have profound effects on our general and mental health and will support not only our health in the present but in the longer term. To get all of the goodness you can out of them, leave the skins and peels on where possible and wash them well.

Keep hydrated and limit alcohol

Fluid requirements can vary greatly from person to person based on; build, gender, activity levels, the amount you sweat, the amount of fibre you eat, the temperature (and so on). Generally speaking, most people don’t drink enough water – especially if you are a hot yoga yogi! Some of the effects of dehydration can include dry skin, headaches/ poor concentration, fatigue, low blood pressure and concentrated urine/ sluggish digestion. Perhaps take a look at your fluid intake and consider whether it needs increasing. In regards to alcohol, try to mostly keep it to social occasions and in moderation!

A Note on Blue Zones

Blue Zones are areas in the world where the populations live the longest, healthiest and fullest lives in comparison to other locations. This includes Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica) and the Seventh Day Adventist community in Loma Linda (California)1. What do these populations have in common?

• They mostly eat plant foods

• Those that do eat meat, eat only minimal amounts

• Seasonal vegetables, beans and wholegrains make up the basis of their diets

• Nuts are common in their diets

• There is a strong emphasis on community and social engagement around food

• They are physically active in their day to day lives
  

Other helpful tips in your approach to nutrition:

• Respect other people’s choices. What influences the dietary choices someone makes can be a deeply personal thing and can stem from experiences we aren’t aware of. Be mindful of this, each to their own!

• Set realistic expectations of what you can achieve and don’t beat yourself up when you don’t meet a “perfect” standard, or if you have an off day/ week etc. Be kind to yourself.

• Try not to have an ‘all or nothing’ approach.

• Take the time to plan and prepare. Think of it as an investment in your health and wellbeing (because it is!). 

• Do not demonise any foods or nutrients.

• Avoid fads and overly restrictive diets, unless there is reason. Don’t make things harder for yourself than they need to be.

• Be fluid and flexible with your approach. Requirements change throughout the life time, as well as day to day.

• Eat mindfully, avoid distractions. 

• Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the food you eat and the people you share it with!

References:

[1] Crowe, T 2013, ‘What We Can Learn From The World’s Long-Lived People’, accessed 14 February 2021.

Author: Belinda Elwin

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