How to Start Off 2021 with a Strong Immune System
Our immune systems are the first and best natural defense against viral and bacterial invaders. Certain foods and habits can impair your immune system’s ability to protect you, but these activities, foods, and immune-boosting supplements can keep you strong in the new year.
Activities and Habits That Strengthen Your Immune System
Getting moving can benefit your immune system in many ways. Moving makes muscles contract, which increases the flow of blood and lymph, as well as immune cells, throughout the body. With more immune cells being circulated at a higher rate, invaders can be located and eliminated more efficiently from the body.
Managing stress is another way to boost the immune system; it keeps the heart rate at normal levels and reduces circulatory system stress. It will also prevent large numbers of cholesterol particles from being released and gathering on artery walls or forming clots through adrenaline and noradrenaline.
Quitting smoking can boost immunity in a number of ways; not only does quitting increase oxygen in the blood, which all cells need to thrive, but it also improves circulation. Also, when you aren’t smoking, the inflammation in your body is reduced, making it easier for immune cells to fight off invaders.
Staying hydrated is an incredibly easy way to boost your immune system. It assists with flushing toxins and waste. As well, water helps distribute nutrients, oxygen, and water to all organs, tissues, and cells—including the immune cells—in your body.
Eating a healthy diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables in as many colors as possible is another way to give your immune system a big boost—but what types of foods boost your immune system the most? Consider giving the following items a try:
- Almonds
- Ginger
- Citrus fruit
- Broccoli
- Fermented foods like apple cider vinegar and kefir
- Spinach
- Turmeric
- Elderberry
While by no means an exhaustive list, the above foods contain high concentrations of nourishing, protective, and immune-boosting compounds and nutrients.
Supplements That Boost Immunity
If you’re wondering how to boost your immune system in other ways in 2021, consider adding supplements to your regimen.
Vitamin D, vitamin C, and zinc all offer immune support and protection against pathogens. You can also choose a multivitamin, which will ensure that your body receives the vitamins and minerals it needs without having to take several pills each day.
Omega 3s strengthen cell membranes, probiotics introduce immune-boosting bacteria to the gut, and oil of oregano offers immune-boosting compounds and antioxidants.
However, in order to get the most benefit from the supplements and foods that boost your immune system, you must maximize their absorption. This can be done by optimizing your gut bacteria and consuming a healthy fat like avocadoes or olive oil with your meals and supplements.
Forrest Health is dedicated to providing top-quality innovative and natural supplements, remedies, and other products that support your immune system and overall health. Shop online or call 408-354-4262 to learn more.
The Relationship Between Vitamin D Deficiency and COVID-19
Where it comes to optimizing our immune systems, vitamin D is an essential component. When our levels are low, it can increase our risk of developing serious respiratory diseases. This has led many to wonder if there’s a link between vitamin D and COVID-19.
Does Vitamin D Boost Your Immune System?
Vitamin D enhances the way our immune cells function, such as macrophages and T cells. It helps the immune system to maintain balance by helping the body to fight infection quickly, as well as assists with the production of antibodies for long-term protection against foreign invaders.
All that being considered, it may seem logical that taking vitamin D supplements would be very effective at protecting you from the COVID-19 virus.
What the Studies Are Saying
Several studies have been conducted on the role of vitamin D in the reduction of COVID-19 severity. One that was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism revealed that over 80% of COVID patients in a Spain hospital were found to be vitamin D deficient.1
Another study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine found that those diagnosed with both COVID and a deficiency in vitamin D also had higher numbers of inflammatory markers.2 Elevated levels of these markers, which included D-dimer and ferritin, were found to be linked with poor outcomes from the coronavirus, including:
- A severe reaction to the virus
- Acute respiratory distress
- The need for intensive care
- Death from the virus
Despite these studies and their results, some maintain although it appears that vitamin D is instrumental in positive COVID-19 outcomes, there is insufficient evidence to prove that it can prevent you from getting the virus.
Vitamin D Deficiency Is Rampant
An unfortunate reality is that vitamin D deficiency not only affects millions of Americans, but also millions of people around the world. Why is this significant? Because insufficient amounts of vitamin D can negatively affect bone health, cause fatigue and depression, and raise the risk for the development of some cancers and serious respiratory diseases like tuberculosis and coronavirus. The bottom line is that our bodies need vitamin D to maintain optimal health and immune function.
Supplementing with Vitamin D
There are many supplements on the market today that allow us to optimize our vitamin D levels. However, before doing this, it’s always a good idea to get a blood test so that you know your levels before taking any vitamin D supplement. This will eliminate excessive intake and its risks, which include elevated blood calcium, bone loss, and nausea.
Top-Quality Natural Supplements
Although a link between vitamin D and coronavirus may not have revealed itself yet, this vitamin remains an essential part of human health. Supplements from Forrest Health are formulated to maximize the safe absorption of nutrients.
Our products are developed with only the highest quality of natural ingredients and the latest technology to provide you with maximum health benefits. Call 408-354-4262 to learn more.
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How Anxiety Can Affect Eating Habits and Sleep
We have all experienced some form of anxiety and insomnia at points throughout our lives, but, when anxiety reaches a certain intensity, it can have significant negative effects not only on sleep but on appetite as well. Today, we take a closer look at the connection between eating, anxiety, and sleep. We offer solutions for natural stress relief.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is typically felt when we respond to situations that are stressful or fearful. When this emotion causes excessive distress and worry that overwhelms all other emotions, and when it becomes so persistent that it interferes with daily life, it is characterized as an anxiety disorder.
There are many kinds of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Effects of Anxiety on Eating Habits
The stress caused by anxiety can lead to changes in our eating habits. Some people will respond to anxiety by binge eating, while others respond by eating less or not at all.
In those who overeat, the cause is cortisol. This is a stress hormone that can cause your brain to send cravings for foods high in fat, salt, and sugar because it thinks fuel is needed to fight a perceived threat. As well, overeating is often used to distract oneself from anxiety and stress.
Others respond to stress and anxiety by focusing so much on these that they ignore or forget their feelings of hunger entirely. This can cause them to eat very little over long periods or stop eating altogether because they no longer have the desire to eat. Another hormone, called corticotropin-releasing factor, or CRF, can lead to loss of appetite.
Effects of Anxiety on Sleep
Research has revealed that anxiety can be the cause of sleep disorders like insomnia. However, we also now know that an existing sleep disorder can cause the development of anxiety. The combination of lack of sleep and anxiety can have many negative health consequences, including an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and heart attack.
Additionally, increased injury risk and poor focus and performance are among the other dangers of inadequate sleep.
Natural Treatment for Anxiety and Sleep Deprivation
There are many treatment options available for those experiencing sleep and eating disorders associated with anxiety. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can decrease anxiety by teaching individuals to reveal and change their negative or false beliefs.
Improving sleep hygiene by eliminating noise and light and making your bed more comfortable can improve your quality of sleep and lessen episodes of insomnia. Relaxation techniques can allow you to fall asleep more quickly and eliminate anxiety.
Natural stress relief supplements offer another effective option for decreasing anxiety and improving sleep. Some products regulate sleep, while others calm the adrenal system and decrease cortisol levels. Forrest Health’s range of supplements combines high-quality natural ingredients with cutting-edge technology for maximum health benefit. Browse our products online or call 408-354-4262.
Natural Supplements and Foods that Play a Vital Role in Memory Enhancements
The brain not only controls all of the processes in the body but holds our memories. The brain needs the right mix of nutrients all the time. As we age, it becomes even more important to preserve brain health and structure. We reveal what foods are good for memory and discuss important supplements for memory and focus.
Memory-Boosting Foods
The right diet can have a profound positive effect on overall health. When you add the following foods to your diet, you will be providing your brain with specific and powerful benefits.
Oily fish such as sardines, mackerel tuna, and salmon all contain high amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, which help to build brain cell membranes and, ultimately, improve neuron structure. These healthy fats are also available in soybeans; flax, chia, and hemp seeds; walnuts, and other nuts.
Certain berries have been found to contain many brain-benefiting compounds that can reduce or delay the onset of cognitive decline, in addition to boosting memory. Try eating more blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, and strawberries.
Turmeric is getting a lot of attention as a food that’s good for memory. Its active ingredient, curcumin, is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that can cross the blood-brain barrier and benefit the brain directly. Turmeric helps grow new cells and removes the amyloid plaques found in those with Alzheimer’s.
Dark chocolate’s antioxidants, caffeine, and flavonoids offer powerful brain benefits. Dark chocolate’s flavonoids tend to collect in the brain’s memory and learning areas, its caffeine boosts focus, and its antioxidants protect and repair brain cells.
Supplements
In addition to foods, many supplements benefit the brain. Phosphatidylserine is a fat compound that already exists in the brain. Supplementation with this phospholipid has been shown to improve memory and thinking skills and reduce brain function decline in older adults.
Ginseng can have powerful brain benefits. Animal studies have shown that the compounds contained in this root offer protection against free radical damage, and human studies have suggested some benefits for memory.
The Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish can also be obtained in supplement form. In particular, these supplements offer DHA, which maintains brain function and structure, and EPA, which is an anti-inflammatory that protects the brain.
Vitamin E is another one of the best supplements for memory and focus. It protects brain cell membranes from free radicals, slowing mental decline. B vitamins, including B12, not only provide the energy needed for the creation of new brain cells but also break down homocysteine, which has been linked to higher dementia and Alzheimer’s risk.
When brain health is supported with the right mix of foods and supplements, improved memory, enhanced focus, and a better mood can be just a few of the many results you will realize.
Brain health supplements from Forrest Health combine the highest quality of natural ingredients with cutting-edge technology for maximum health benefits. Browse our inventory of brain and other supplements online or call (408) 354-4262.