Boost Your Immune System with these 6 Simple Substitutions

It’s important that coming into the cold and flu season we all do what we can to boost our own immunity. There’s no need to completely change your life and buy dozens of supplements and potions – you can make small changes to improve your overall health, one small step at a time.

Here are 6 simple substitutions to help you be healthier with a stronger immune system.

Have one less cigarette a day

We’re not here today to tell you to ‘give up smoking’ because if you smoke, you probably hear that all the time already. But we are going to ask you to have one less cigarette each day. The easiest way to do that is to skip your first smoke of the day. For some that will be as soon as you wake up, for others it’s when you come home from work. Some of you might only smoke when you drink. Regardless, cut back on that first cigarette. That means you’ll have 7 less smokes a week, 30 less a month. That’s huge! And every cigarette you avoid gives your body a better fighting chance against this year’s nasties.

To get help cutting back, come in and talk to our staff about nicotine replacement therapy and other options.

Choose a healthier lunch option

Swap out your jam sandwich for avocado and tomato. Pick a wholegrain bread instead of white. Instead of a side of fries, ask for a small salad. By focusing on making just one meal a day more nutritious you’re changing your habits and improving your health.

Our trained staff and nutritionist can help you make better nutrition choices! Whether you want to lose weight, have more energy or just get back on track with your diet, come in and let us help you feel better today

Before that next glass of alcohol, how about some water?

A lot of us could probably cut back a bit in this regard. Instead of cutting out alcohol altogether, an easier step is to space your drinks and increase your water intake. Your body takes a lot of energy to process each alcoholic drink, energy we need to help us fight off infection, and so reducing the number of drinks you have gives your body, especially your liver, some much-needed rest. Add a slice of lemon to make it feel a little more festive.

Unwind by taking a short walk

Instead of relaxing in front of the TV take a leisurely stroll around the block. Exercise improves the health of your heart and lungs and is known to improve your mood. By switching out some of the time you would usually spend sitting on the couch with 20-30mins of movement you’re improving your body’s ability to fight off disease.

Have your afternoon tea outside

Vitamin D is needed for healthy muscles and bones and the easiest source is spending a little time in the sun. A deficiency in vitamin D is associated with poor health and a weakened immune system, particularly around the body’s ability to fight infection. There’s a fine balance between too much sun and not enough, and so having a designated break outside each day will help you get the right amount.

If you have concerns about your vitamin D levels, come and talk to our staff

Instead of winding down with your phone in bed, read a book

You might read a magazine or newspaper instead, but the key thing here is to not spend time looking at a screen immediately before going to sleep. Technology before bed interrupts the production of your sleep hormone melatonin. Good sleep is vital for a strong, healthy immune system, and poor sleep also affects how quickly you bounce back from illness.

If you don’t feel refreshed when you wake up, come in and talk to our sleep specialists.

Improving your body’s natural defences can seem like a daunting task. But a few small changes here and there will soon add up, giving your body’s immune system the support it needs to fight off infection, and help you recover when you become ill.

Are Your Bones Ageing Faster than You Are?

  • Strong bones are important at any age
  • Osteoporosis can be prevented
  • Assess your risk early

Osteoporosis is often referred to as a silent disease. It occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone or both.

Most people don’t know the condition of their bones, because we can’t see them! Around one in every three women, and one in every five men are at risk of osteoporotic fracture. Fractures most commonly occur in the wrist, spine or hips, but can also affect the arm or pelvis.
We start to lose bone density from the age of 35. This is a normal part of ageing, but for some people it can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fracture.
There are often no warning signs for osteoporosis, until you experience a fracture – usually after a very minor fall. Some people have even known to get a fracture from leaning across a table!
Having a bone density scan can assess your risk, and ensure you take all preventative measures possible to optimise your bone health. Exercise is very important, as is ensuring adequate dietary calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K2 intake.

Tips to reduce osteoporosis risk, so you can live better for longer

Both men and women can use these simple tips from an early age to avoid your bone density degrading to a point where you pass through osteopenia and become a sufferer of osteoporosis.
You can maintain healthy bones by:

  • Enjoying a healthy lifestyle with a nutrient rich diet, including fresh fruit and vegetables
  • Taking a calcium supplements or ensuring good dietary intake of calcium rich foods as well as ensuring adequate vitamin D to ensure proper absorption of the calcium.
  • Quit smoking
  • Consume moderate amounts of alcohol
  • Reduce and limit caffeine
  • Be physically active. Physical activity is great for your bone density and muscle strength. Aim for at least 3 days per week – see a professional trainer if you are unsure how to achieve the best results.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a nutritious diet and a wide variety of foods to enrich your body with a good intake of calcium is vital for your bone density. If you have a lack of calcium in your bloodstream, your body steals calcium from your bones to function efficiently. The key to preserving our bone health is ensuring our dietary calcium intake is optimal, to prevent this from happening.
The Australian Nutrition guidelines recommend that people consume at least 1,000mg of calcium every day. If you’re postmenopausal or aged over 70, the Recommended Dietary intake is 1,300mg of calcium daily. Dairy has high levels of calcium, however there are plenty of other sources of calcium which include sardines and almonds, and sometimes the calcium from these sources is better absorbed. If you can’t get the appropriate amount of calcium in your daily diet, it is recommended you talk to a highly knowledgeable nutritionist, who will be able to help you.

Vitamin D and the Prevention of Osteoporosis

Vitamin D is very important for bone density growth and maintenance. It assists your body to absorb calcium from your daily diet. Vitamin D is produced in the body after exposure to the sun, and an average of 15 minutes of safe sun exposure helps your vitamin D production.
You can also get small amounts vitamin D from these other foods:

  • Fatty fish including mackerel, salmon and herring
  • Liver
  • Eggs
  • Foods fortified with Vitamin D

Get moving! The role of exercise in preventing osteoporosis

Movement is very essential to the prevention of osteoporosis. Weight bearing physical activity, strength and resistance training exercise helps bone density and promotes steady balance. Reducing your risk of falls is also a preventative measure for osteoporosis.

Before starting any exercise program, please consult your healthcare professional, especially if you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle for many years, are over 70 years old or have any any pre-existing medical conditions. Osteoporosis prevention can be achieved with strength training to help maintain your bone mineral density. Be guided by a health or fitness trainer who specializes in complete body health.
Consider Improving your balance with exercises that include tai chi, yoga and pilates. Balance is integral to preventing falls.
30-40 minutes of exercise, 3-6 times per week is a great recommendation to maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis.

Take the Quiz!

Are you at risk of Osteoporosis?
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions you could be at increased risk of fracture (and we suggest you follow up with a bone density scan)

  • Are you a female over 40 years of age?
  • Are you a male over 50 years of age?
  • Do you have an Oestrogen deficiency as a result of menopause, especially early or surgically induced?
  • Do you have a family history of osteoporosis or easily broken bones?
  • Have you had prolonged absence of menstrual periods?
  • Have you had eating disorders e.g. Anorexia nervosa?
  • Have you had low lifetime calcium intake?
  • Have you had prolonged use of cortisone based medications, diuretics, or medications, for epilepsy or thyroid conditions?
  • Are you a male with low testosterone levels?
  • Have you broken a bone as an adult due to minimal trauma?
  • Do you have an inactive lifestyle?
  • Are you or have you been a cigarette smoker?
  • Are you an excessive user of alcohol?

There are many steps that can be taken to prevent and minimise the impact of osteoporosis. Book in for a Bone Density Scan now, and learn what steps you need to take to prevent future debilitating fractures due to osteoporosis.

Chapman & Wood