Supporting your Immune System

Our Top 5 products for Immune Health

We have been getting a lot of questions recently on how best to support our immune systems during these winter months, so we've decided to curate a list of 5 products for boosting immune health that we can't go without.

1. Bone Broth 

Bone broths are rich in protein and amino acids, which are the building blocks for immune cells, as well as supporting gut health. Remember, 70% of our immune system is located in the gut, so we want to make sure we are keeping it happy! We love the broths from Nutra Organics, as they are delicious and nutrient dense. 
We also stock the vegetable broth which also provides immune support by being rich in zinc and containing anti-inflammatory ingredients such as turmeric. 

You can purchase these online via our website here: Nutra Organics Broths.

2. Medicinal Mushrooms

Mushrooms such as Reishi, Lions Mane, Chaga and Turkey Tail have all shown benefits for their role in providing immune boosting, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial actions. This makes them a good addition in your daily supplements to support immune function as well as to take when ill. We like powdered mushroom blends such as Superfeast which you can add to your morning cacao or coffee or blend into a smoothie. 

3. Cod Liver Oil 

This is a great one to get into babies (over 6 months old) and children to boost their immune health. Not only are they rich in powerful anti-inflammatory omega 3’s, they also contain Vitamin A & Vitamin D, which have important roles in immune health.

We stock Nordic Naturals Baby DHA and Children’s DHA on our online store which you can find here: Nordic Naturals DHA.

4. Fire Cider 

For the organised ones out there, Fire Cider is simple to make and a potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial concoction that can be taken every day to support your immune system & reduce infections. It does, however, require to be made 3 weeks in advance for the ingredients to infuse into the apple cider vinegar, so if you are wanting it now, you are best to source one of good quality from your local health food store or farmer’s markets. We recommend shotting 5mL slightly diluted each morning. It can take a little bit of time to get used to the flavour, but after a bit of time you may even find yourself looking forward to your vitality shot in the morning! 

You can find the recipe for Fire Cider below:

Fire Cider Recipe 

Ingredients:

• Raw unfiltered Apple cider vinegar approx. 1 L bo
• Grated or sliced ginger root (approx. ½ cup)
• Grated or sliced horseradish (same amount as the ginger)
• 1 x medium chopped Red onion 
• 1 full garlic bulk crushed or chopped (Approx 10 cloves)
• Grated turmeric root (approx. 2 tbsp)
• ¼ tsp cayenne powder
• 1 full lemon juiced and zest included
• Rosemary 
• Red chill chopped
• ¼ cup of raw honey

Method:

1. Add all ingredients except the honey to a jar ensuring the apple cider vinegar is covering them all. 
2. Place in a cool, dark place with the lid on for 3 weeks. 
3. Strain the liquid into a bottle and add the honey. 
4. Put the lid on and give it a good shake to stir in the honey.
5. Store in the fridge & shake before use. 

5. Zinc + Vitamin C 

In the realm of supplements, you cannot go past Vitamin C & Zinc. Whilst we use practitioner only brands in clinic, we also want to make sure we are getting a lovely dose of these through nutrient-dense foods such as variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrains. Zinc is rich in shellfish & seafood as well as red meat and legumes.   

Supplements we use in clinic:

• N-acetyl cysteine
  An amino acid which we love to use in clinic for its array of actions including immune modulating, anti-inflammatory and improving lung health. It has been studied recently for treatment in COVID-19 and provided benefits particularly in relation to respiratory symptoms.
• Vitamin D
  Low Vitamin D status has now been linked to increased COVID-19 symptom severity. Vitamin D has a crucial role in our immune function, so low status may increase risk of infection. 
• An array of herbs that provide anti-viral, immuno-modulating & anti-inflammatory actions. 
• Practitioner-grade Vitamin C + Zinc 
  
  

We do recommend seeking professional guidance before supplementing with any nutrients or taking any herbs to ensure they are safe for you and/or your family.

For more information, you can check out our recent Instagram posts for things you can do to boost your immune health. 

If you are a current client of Balanced Beings, we are offering immune bundles with practitioner-grade products to keep you and your family safe. If you are interested, or would simply like more information on this, please email us at info@balanced-beings.com.au.
Alternatively, if you have become ill, recovering from said illness, or are not a current client, you can book an acute consult via our website so we can assist you.