5 Tips for Immune Health

With cooler weather in Australia it means more infections and stuffy noses for kids. Here are 5 tips to strengthen your families immune system to defend against infections:

Tip #1 Sleep

I like to focus on sleep, and with good reason. Poor sleep can make children more susceptible to infections. Studies have shown that insufficient sleep duration, or poor quality sleep, increases the risk of contracting colds and ‘flus, and results in a longer recovery time from infections. (1) Unfortunately, winter bugs can disrupt sleep which impacts recovery time from the infection. The next tips will help to defend against infections and aid a speedy recovery.

Tip #2 Garlic

Garlic (poor man’s penicillin!) is a potent antimicrobial, effective against bacteria, viruses, fungus and parasites. (2) It is also showing promise as an immunomodulator and is anti-inflammatory. (3) In addition to cooking with garlic, I’ve included a fermented garlic-honey recipe below under Kitchen Medicines. This ferment is a great way of making garlic more palatable to kids.

Tip #3 Gut health

With most of the immune system in the gut it is vitally important to support gut health when seeking to bolster immunity. An easy way to do this is to eat a diverse range of wholefoods, in particular fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fermented foods while reducing sugar and processed food. In addition, a quality prebiotic and probiotic supplement can help support the microbiome. This will lead to rockin’ gut health and a stronger immune system.

Tip #4 Exercise

Regular exercise has been shown to boost the immune system. (4) Exercise outdoors is preferable as it provides fresh air and getting into nature has been shown to boost the gut microbiome, which is tip #3! (5) In addition, getting outside will expose you to sunlight which bolsters vitamin D levels. Vitamin D has antibacterial and antiviral effects and research supports its use in reducing respiratory infections. (6)

Tip #5 Nutrient support

There are many great nutrients that can support the immune system such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin A and Zinc. A few herbs to support immunity include Astragalus, Andrographis, Echinacea, Elderberry and Ginger.

Download my free foods for sleep list as it contains lists of foods rich in the above vitamins and minerals so you’ll not only be able to support your immune system but your sleep as well.

Fermented honey-garlic

Not for consumption by children 12 months and under.

It can be hard to get garlic into most kids. Garlic fermented in honey has a pleasant taste and a teaspoonful a day during winter can help ward off the nasties. It is super simple to make.

Ingredients

♥ Garlic (preferably organic)
♥ Honey (raw). Steer clear of store bought honey as much of it is not pure honey. Instead, find a local source. I like Four Little Bee’s naked honey or Kunzea honey as Kunzea has additional anti-inflammatory properties to soothe a sore throat
♥ Optional – sprig of thyme for added antimicrobial properties

Directions
♥ Pack a small glass jar with peeled and slightly bruised garlic cloves and thyme sprig, leaving an inch or so at the top of the jar.

♥ Seal the jar tightly and place out of direct sunlight to ferment. As it ferments the honey will become runny and you will see tiny bubbles begin to form at the top of the jar and around the garlic cloves.

♥ The garlic cloves will likely float to the top of the honey. To keep them all covered I flip my jar over every day. I’ve known others to put a clean stone on top to hold them down. At some point (maybe over a month) the garlic cloves should sink to the bottom of the jar.

♥ When you see fermentation occurring it is a good idea to open the jar daily – every few days to release excess carbon dioxide.

♥ 3-4 weeks is a good time to ferment the garlic, however you can begin using it whenever you see fermentation starting (bubbles and liquid honey). The ferment can be stored in the jar out of direct sunlight and at room temperature for years.

Immune-boosting hot beverage

This is a great hot beverage to drink when you begin to feel sick. The ingredients can be adjusted to suit discerning palates (i.e. kiddos!).

Ingredients
♥ Freshly diced ginger, about 1 teaspoon
♥ Freshly diced or minced garlic, one clove (to make it more palatable for children you may wish to leave this ingredient out or instead use a teaspoonful of the fermented garlic honey)
♥ Freshly diced turmeric, about 1 teaspoon
♥ Juice from half a freshly squeezed lemon
♥ A teaspoon of honey (for an added therapeutic benefit try adding the fermented garlic honey, 4 Little Bee’s Spiced Turmeric honey or Kunzea honey)
♥ Tiny pinch of cayenne pepper (leave out if you don’t think you can tolerate and omit for children)
♥ Optional – sprig of fresh thyme

Directions
♥ Place the all the ingredients except for the honey into an infuser and pour on boiling water. It is ok if the only ingredients that the kids will drink are the lemon and honey – these can still benefit them.
♥ Steep for 3-5 minutes.
♥ Before serving, add the honey to taste
♥ Drink daily

As a qualified naturopath I have therapeutic practitioner-grade supplements and herbal liquids available that can be delivered direct to your door. I offer express 20 minute consults to discuss and write a script for acute presentations such as infections and stuffy noses. Book here.

For educational purposes only. If you suspect you have a medical problem, please see a physician. This blog post is not recommending treatment for co-vid.

Some links in this blog are completely unsponsored (4 Little Bees) and contain no affiliate payments and others are affiliate links (Kunzea honey). I mention quality resources and/or other health professionals I know and recommend. When you shop via the affiliate links I receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) which helps me keep this business going, and you receive benefit from the wonderful products and services these businesses provide.

1. Ibarra-Coronado, Elizabeth G., Pantaleón-Martínez, Ana Ma., Velazquéz-Moctezuma, Javier., Prospéro-García, Oscar., Méndez-Díaz, Mónica., Pérez-Tapia, Mayra., Morales-Montor, Jorge. (2015). The Bidirectional Relationship between Sleep and Immunity against Infections. Journal of Immunology Research, 678164–14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/678164
2. Ankri, S., & Mirelman, D. (1999). Antimicrobial properties of allicin from garlic. Microbes and Infection, 1(2), 125–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1286-4579(99)80003-3
3. Arreola, R., Quintero-Fabian, S., Lopez-Roa, R. I., Flores-Gutierrez, E. O., Reyes-Grajeda, J. P., Carrera-Quintanar, L., & Ortuno-Sahagun, D. (2015). Immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory effects of garlic compounds. Journal of Immunology Research. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A453409583/AONE?u=dixson&sid=AONE&xid=236064f7
4. Nieman, D. C. (2011). Moderate Exercise Improves Immunity and Decreases Illness Rates. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 5(4), 338–345. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827610392876
5. Sobko, T., Liang, S., Cheng, W.H.G. et al. (2020) Impact of outdoor nature-related activities on gut microbiota, fecal serotonin, and perceived stress in preschool children: the Play&Grow randomized controlled trial. Sci Rep 10, 21993. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78642-2
6. Mailhot, G., & White, J. H. (2020). Vitamin D and Immunity in Infants and Children. Nutrients, 12(5), 1233. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051233