I have another bout of either a terrible cold or the start of the flu upon me – very high fevers, chills, aches all over, sneezing, coughing, congestion, ears painfully popping! I pride myself on taking good care of my body, I eat a minimum of 3 fruits and 3 veg a day, I sleep, I exercise 2 hours a day, I get outside as much as possible, I don’t smoke (& never have), I drink a glass of wine a month , I’ve never taken an illegal drug in my life and yet for the last several months it has seemed like I’ve constantly had something – swine flu, ear infections, chest infections etc. So, I come to you my dear & wise readers and friends, what would you recommend to help boost my immune system? I’d welcome any suggestions, recipes, old wives’ tales etc! Hit me with your best recommendation 
Edited To Add: The two hours exercising is 1 hour swimming & 1 hour walking and not something I’ve been able to do consistently for the last couple of months, so I don’t think that is related to getting sick so frequently since I’ve actually been more sick since it had to become less frequent!
Oh, what a bummer! I know you take such good care of yourself, so it seems a mystery to me, as well, that you’ve been sick lately. Unfortunately, I don’t have any wives’ tales to offer, but I find what helps me get and stay healthy is positive thinking – in general, and in specific relation to how I’m feeling. Good luck, and get better soon!
P.S. I absolutely adore the plate in this photo!
Sorry you are feeling so icky. Are you getting enough sleep? Too much strenuous exercise wearing your body down maybe? Maybe it’s just to teach you patience, I’ve had that happen before and I think it was just to teach me to slow down for a bit. I do hope you recover quickly. Love your mug.
Elderberry extract helps quite a bit with various bugs. So does Grapefruit Seed extract. Otherwise, Echinecea is also helpful with the immune system.
Hope you’re feeling better soon!
My mother used to torture us as kids with nutritional yeast, also known as brewer’s yeast. It is vile (or was to me, as a child) but we never missed a day of school!
When we were little she’d mix it into our cereal; when we were old enough to rebel at that, she’d mix it into our morning orange juice. I think it’s got lots of B vitamins in it, and can’t recommend the taste, but if you are desperate, that may help.
Good luck, it seems very unfair that you live so healthily and yet your body is unhappy.
I would try more sleep and a little less exercise. Two hours seem rather much to me. In all other ways, you live such a healthy life which I can only dream of. I really hope you get better soon, I love your blog.
Best wishes from Germany
Definitely less forced exercise – try to give your body a rest from exercise other than walking for 2 weeks then start at 30 mins per day before getting to an hour a day with one rest day. I would avoid 2 hours a day unless you are counting a leisurely walk in that. No more than 1 hour high intensity!
go for the super foods which are local and in season i.e. kale, pomegranates, berries (although they are passing now) avoid imported out of season fruit and make lots of stews – your lentil recipe is fab. I add lots of beans and different veggies.
It does sound as if your body is asking for a rest.
echinacea and iron supplements! seriously whenever i get run down i check my iron levels – i don’t eat a lot of meat (hardly any red meat) and i don’t compensate the lack with enough green leafy veg. my doctor once told me that most women still need an iron supplement even if they’re eating a relatively healthy diet.
not that i take one regularly – must get back on that!
i agree with maybe more rest and indulgence – chocolate! (ok its probably mostly psychological but who cares! getting sick is a great excuse to indulge and relax
feel better soon hun! xx
I’m so sorry you’ve been plagues with sickness, but I’m glad you brought this up. I can’t wait to read all the suggestions. Even though I also eat tons of fruit and veggies and exercise consistently, I have been sick for most of the past year. A neti pot helped for a while, but soon my allergies were full-blown again and keeping me from engaging in everything around me.
I hope you find something that works for you and that you feel better soon!
some good suggestions so far i think. one thing that springs to mind on top of resting up a bit, is to be happier. sometimes you take on the cares of the world it seems, and while it is good to help the world, having that sadness burden you, must hurt your bouyancy. just a thought? xxx lol. or sometimes you just catch the colds. teaching may be bringing you into contact with more than the usual amount. new teachers get a lot of colds. old ones i heard dont…
I haven’t been sick in 3 years and my allergies are completely gone. I already ate a very healthy organic diet, similar to yours but including organic meats and excluding all soy products. The only change I made was to start drinking 2 glasses of raw milk every day. I had ready alot about raw milk health benefits and was desperate to be healthy. At the time I was catching everything that went around, and everything that the kids brang home from school. Our whole family started raw milk together and we literally haven’t had the slightest sniffle in 3 years (except for 1 bought of diarrhea caused by bad potatoe salad) If you take the plunge, make sure the cows are grass fed and jerseys or guernseys, as they make the best healthiest milk, cheese, butter etc GOOD LUCK!
1000 mg of vitamin D twice per day.
I’m with Jennifer. Sleep is a great healer. Perhaps you should take a bit of time out from the exercising. Your body isn’t a machine. Listen to it and let it rest.
Sending love and hope you feel restored very soon.
Reading these responses, I definitely suggest more sleep, iron supplement tablets and the milk sounds a good idea too. Wishing you a speedy recovery my dear!
FT,
Try a good Probiotic pill once a day. Here in the states, the one I use is called FLORA Q (It has no lactose in it) Its ‘cousin, FLORA STORE does contain lactose. Perhaps your chemist can suggest something similar that is British. Alot of our immune health has to do with the colon health. I can not take vitamins or iron because of digestive problems with it, but the probiotic has helped me…and no side effects. I sympathize greatly with you, as I seem to do everything right with eatting and still end up catching everthing. I remember some of my Grandma’s wisdom…when God has you on your back, He has you looking up at Him for wisdom, truth, finding deeper faith and trust in Him, etc. God Bless, Pat
I suspect the reason you’re getting sick when you stop exercising, is your body is struggling to repair itself. It’s not the activity causing the illness, but if you over-exert yourself too much (regularly) all energy in the body will be relayed to the muscles ALL the time. So the immune system will suffer as a result.
It’s really hard getting the balance right with the correct amount of exercise. I find 30 minutes a day of exercise, which gets the heart pumping, is better than an hour.
I was constantly getting sick doing an hour of cycling a day, as opposed to 20 to 30 minutes. The colds would linger too and as soon as I’d get better – I’d try to cycle more to make up for the inactivity. I never seemed to get better.
My younger brother has done personal training and body building, and the trick to getting the most out of any exercise routine, is never get stuck doing the same thing over and over again. Your body won’t benefit from a fixed routine. You need to do some cardiovascular activity and some muscle building activity. Breaking up routine during the day means there are times for your body to rest also. Consider rest a much neglected part of your exercise routine. Without it your immune system will suffer.
Wait until your better – then only do 10 minutes activity per day. After a week, if you feel further improvement, build up to 20 minutes. Eventually move up to 30 minutes but try not to exceed 45.
Another thought to consider if you’re using a public swimming pool for exercising, you’re more likely to catch anything going around – especially ear infections (the popping sound you mentioned). Stay out of the pool for a while. Try skipping if you don’t have problems with your ligaments, or even a trampoline. You can get those mini ones that fit into a cupboard.
As a natural remedy, try looking for a recipe online for making boiled horehound lollies, as they’re meant to help stave off colds. Borage or nettle tea is a good pick-me-up too. A squeeze of lemon and honey, improves the flavour.
- Make sure you get enough sleep.
- Concentrate on those vegetables and fruits that are high in antioxidants. Try to have 2 cups of vegetables or salads at lunch and at supper.
- Onions and garlic are good for your immune system.
- Increase omega-3 (1 tablespoon flax per day, fatty fish three times a week, plus supplements maybe).
- Make sure you’re getting enough protein. You should have a decent amount of protein at every meal (2 eggs is enough protein for a meal, not just one) and have snacks with protein if you can (nuts, smoothies, cheese, etc.).
- Wash your hands frequently (with soap).
- Be less busy, have more down time, don’t try to accomplish too much!
Hmm, I am not really sure. We have been plagued with a handful of summer colds around here as well. Funny thing is, I have been trying to get more exercise by going to the gym, where I drop my daughter off at the child care. I am 100% convinced that despite a thorough hand washing when we get home, she is bringing home some little germies. She gets sick for a day, maybe two, and then passes it along to me and I am knocked out for at least a week.
My tips, and take them for what they are worth since I keep getting sick, are:
- thorough hand washing, but not necessarily with an antibacterial soap. Just regular soap. I have read that antibacterial soap can weaken your immune system by not forcing it to fight for itself, and also that many bugs are becoming antibiotic resistant.
- sleep. I struggle here!
- lots and lots of water and oj
- light meals that your body doesn’t have to work to hard to digest so it can spend its time repairing your body. But eat fairly frequently so your body is properly fueled – and definitely some protein
- more sleep
- some good homemade chicken soup!
Well, all those things that you do already…fruits and veggies and daily exercise, some of it pretty hard (training for a 1/2 marathon).
But I also:
take a multivitamin daily
and when I feel something coming on…sore throat, earache, stuffy head – even though >50% of the time it’s probably allergies, here’s what I do:
1. Zicam lozenges or the generic equivalent (zinc)
2. Vitamin C
I do 4-5 Zicam a day and I follow the recommendations on frequency and how to space it with respect to food and drink.
And I take two 500 mg Vitamin C tablets a day, which can’t be taken WITH the Zicam, have to be spaced between them.
And I get extra sleep, as in – to bed at 8, up at 5 or 6 (9-10 hrs).
Since I started that regimen, I’ve never had more than a scratchy throat for 1-2 days. I usually do 2-3 days of the “regimen”, or until the sick feeling goes away, whichever is longer.
Good luck!
Forgot to add…haven’t been sick really in >1 year…maybe 1.5 years almost? And I have a full time job and a child in daycare/preschool.
So sorry to hear the germs are on the attack again. This is so timely for me, as I’ve seemed to barely get over one thing before catching something else lately, so I read all the comments with great interest.
Hope you feel better soon.
Hmmm. Seems like you should be improving somehow, after so long. I’d gripe about your iron level too, but the diet you describe seems like it covers that. (Maybe a little more red meat now and then, though?) Chicken soup? (The homemade kind performs better in test results.) A heavy shot of Vitamin C every single day, either in pill form, or…? (You can buy these packets of powders called Emergen-C here in the U.S. that have great lollups of C…I’d be happy to send you some if you’d e-mail me privately, and give me your address.)
The green leafy vegs may do the trick. Kale is jumping with vitamins, and tastes great in soup.
If it’s any comfort, there are a lot of people sick around here, too — Daughter #1 included. I’m sending you a bouquet of wishes to be feeling better soon. (Write me about that Emergen-C.)
I needed really good vitamins on top of your list. I also needed to know which foods were bad for me, so I could avoid those. Very healthy now!
Susan
Maybe its just a reflection of the number of changes you’ve made in your life – for eg, moving house several times is very stressful. Something that helps me is meditation – daily, 20 minutes, focusing on the breath. Also a very gentle yoga practice. But maybe being sick at the moment is part of a cycle calling you to look more deeply into your life … I hope you feel better soon.
So sorry, I too have a wacky immune system, I’m so healthy and yet I seem to catch a cold so quickly.
I have found that taking Dr Weils Immune Support Formula really helps me (it’s a blend of various wild mushrooms). Taking vitamin D also helps a lot.
Here’s a great post you might enjoy about the same thing: http://notdabblinginnormal.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/family-medicine-chest-preparing-for-flu-season/
Im sorry to hear you are ill. I dont have anything else helpful to add.
Its horrible being consistantly ill.
Jen
I forgot to add that when I do feel ill, I go for the probiotic pills too. The ones you get from chemist, not the drinks. and you can get one that boosts your immune system too. they are good. xxx there seems to be a lot of good advice here – hope it all helps and you get your mojo back
Oh no, hope you feel better soon! I can definitely empathise, a year ago I started a new job working with the oublic all day (you’d be amazed how germ-ridden books and libraries are) and literally had cold after cold for months, so I know how it can drag you down and it gets a vicious circle then because you are low and down so pick up another cold etc etc. I hope you can manage to boost up your immunity. I found zinc helped, and echinacea, and get some of that gel hand sanitiser stuff so when you touch communal stuff (door handles, escalators, etc etc) you can have a quick spritz to kill any germs you’ve touched before you spread them, not a cure all but it can help x
Lots of sensible advice here so far. I agree with those who recommended Zinc, echinacea and increasing iron consumption. I also think there’s some truth in the probiotic advice. It won’t help eating loads of fruit and veggies if you’re not absorbing the nutrients because of poor digestive function.
I must also thank you for visiting my blog and commenting despite feeling so grotty. Hope you get well soon and find the remedy that suits you.
xx
I have no brilliant ideas, but do wash your hands often. Your immune system may be down a little, but hand washing should get rid of a lot of bugs.
Otherwise, I’d agree you may be overdoing the exercise and echinacea tea is good, they say….
Read some happy things, some good news. It’s there, you know.
Hi
I have been reading your blog for a while now and have noticed that you manage to catch every bug that goes around!
I agree about the comments about the swimming pools. I used to work as a swimming teacher and I have never had so many colds in my entire life. I know that you really like swimming and find it relaxing, but perhaps with winter on the way it is something to consider cutting back on or eliminating for a time to see if it makes a difference.
Also, 2 hours of exercise a day is a lot and a lot more than is necessary.
One other thought – have you lost weight recently? I know that when I get towards the lower end of my healthy weight range (ie not underweight, still what would be considered healthy for my height) I start to get sick. I am better off health wise being a little plumper!
I hope you get better soon.
Dear FT
I’m with a lot of the others here. I think that 2 hours exercise per day is too much, especially as you have had specific health problems. Isn’t the normal recommended amount 30 mins a day, 6 days a week?
I would advise slowing down all round. Forgive me for saying it, but sometimes your life comes across to me as being like a route march. It’s all very well trying to be focussed but you seem to be trying to fit EVERYTHING in. Living life by a list is not sustainable and not desirable.
We all have to take time to relax and be quiet and re-charge our batteries, both physically, mentally and most important of all, spiritually.
Hope this is of some help to you and I that you will soon start feeling better.
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Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions. I am thinking that swimming might be a culprit and will try some supplements, & slowing down too!
According to the Pharmacist ( aka my husband) exercise helps you from getting sick. We both run and find that we are hardly ever sick. I say that you need to increase your cardio to something that gets your heart up to speed. It doesn’t have to be running but something that gets your heart rate up.
I also agree that perhaps slowing down is good. Exercise should be 30-45 minutes at least 3 times a week. Now I don’t know if your heart rate is up while your walking as it’s a pretty sedentary exercise but that could help. Perhaps weight lifting? Yoga? Pilates?
Secondly, do you sleep well? I don’t but I manage with my job and it makes it easier for me to get 9 hours ( what my body requires).
hey FT … has anyone mentioned astragalus root yet? buy it in liquid form and add as directed to cups of hot water sweetened with a little agave or honey or lemon … DON’T drink tea when you’re sick, it’ll only make you feel worse!!
hope you mend up again real soon … scared of getting s.f. here … i work in a preschool!
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I’m a bit late to the party here, but dark green leafy veggies are my favorite defense against illness. I make green smoothies every day – sometimes several times a day, much to my husband’s dismay
I blend up a bunch of kale or swiss chard, and add some fruit or berries to make it taste less bitter. I also add in all sorts of other veggies, so it dramatically increases our fruit and veggie intake, while making sure we get tons of green leafies. We’ve been doing this for two years now, and neither of us has had any colds in that time. Best of luck!