Coronavirus forces a lot of people to work at home or stay at home to minimize infections. Here are 5 tips for those who want to get a boost of your immune system while staying at home:

1. Use Ginger, Onion and Garlic

Ginger, onion, and garlic are some of the key food that will support an Antibacterial and/or antiviral infection. Prevent infection by adding garlic to your juices, porridge or your legumes. Garlic juice or meshed garlic can also be mixed with honey for soothing sore throat and combating infection. Allicin, from raw garlic, is most potent when garlic is crushed/chopped and left standing for 10 minutes or so. It gets destroyed quickly with high heat though, so if you want to preserve its anti-bacterial / anti-viral activities, consume fresh or throw them in last in your cooking.

Onion (so does fruits and vegetables that are yellowish orange in colour) contains quercetin. Quercetin is known for its antioxidant activity in scavenging free radicals and its stimulation of immune system, as well as antiviral properties. Equal amounts of onion juice and honey can be mixed and three to four teaspoons of this mixture can be taken daily for combating cough.

Onion (so does fruits and vegetables that are yellowish-orange in color) contains quercetin. Quercetin is known for its antioxidant activity in scavenging free radicals and its stimulation of the immune system, as well as antiviral properties. Equal amounts of onion juice and honey can be mixed and three to four teaspoons of this mixture can be taken daily for combating cough.

Fresh ginger has been used in many cultures and in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is called “the universal medicine”. Fresh ginger is often used in treating colds; it also increases circulation and promotes digestion. Your immune system comprises of many cells that rely on the right nutrition to keep them alive and well or nourish new healthy cells. Your digestive tract (or your gut) takes on a critical role in feeding the right microbes to fight invaders (or infection).

Look out for these 3 must-haves (garlic, onion and ginger) in your kitchen during the flu season!

2. Balance your Optimism in the world of Social Media

Keeping abreast of the evolution of the latest coronavirus epidemic is important. Equally important though, don’t lose sight of the positivity that helps to nourish your neuro-immunal system.

A study conducted by specialists from Pennsylvania State University in State College has found that negative moods may change how the immune response functions and they are associated with an increased risk of exacerbated inflammation.

Amygdala, located in our brain, is the core component in neural circuits involved in Emotional Intelligence and emotion regulation. Besides, the amygdala is critical in modulating biological responses of the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-axis) and the sympathetic–adrenomedullary (SAM) system to stress, with profound health consequences.

Subscribe to a positive channel on your favorite social media, spend a few minutes doing mindfulness breathing or meditation every day, and enjoy the extra time that you get to spend with family.

3. Exercise at Home

Moderate and regular exercises can boost circulation, enhance metabolic rate and helps support a healthy immune system. Some suggestions on stay-home exercise routines:

  • 7-Minutes workout is one of the HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) that combines aerobic and resistance moves to strengthen the core as well as to enhance circulation.
  • Sun Salutation Yoga pose can strengthen your core while relaxing your fascia throughout the entire body. You don’t have to be perfect. Just do what you can and gradually improve.
  • Arm-swinging for 10 minutes in the morning is simple, and it enhances circulation through the spinal column to the BaiHui Accupoint (the “Hundred Convergences” on the Governing Vessel meridian GV20). It is also very helpful relieving tightened shoulders and necks.
  • Legs up wall stretching Hands behind is most suitable for those who are mostly sedentary and doing 15-30 minutes at night can also help with restful sleep.

Keep the body moving!! And it is best to keep windows open during the routines!

4. Optimize your Immune System, Optimize your Sleep Routine

Sleep improves the functioning of the immune system, including increasing the effectiveness of cytokines, making them more responsive when needed. Sleep also helps to eliminate metabolic wastes or chemicals and one of the key organs performing this critical function is the liver. When awake, the body focuses the resources on supplying nutrients to the brain and body parts that are active. When asleep, the body redirects the resources to help the systems to replenish and detoxify. For the brain, detoxification also happens only during deep sleep via the Glympathic System.

The right timing and right amount of sleep are important – the adult needs 7 hours of sleep and children or teens need more. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver and gallbladder are most active during 11:00 pm to 3:00 a.m., and the lung meridian is most active during 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Hence, getting sleep between 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. is MUST for a healthy replenishment daily. You know when your body is replenished when you wake up fresh in the morning! Your quality of sleep may be compromised if you wake up not feeling rested in the morning.

5. Ditch your Nutrient Scavenger and Stay Hydrated

Vitamin C, and Zinc are amongst some of the vital nutrients to prevent/combat infection. Do you know smoking a pack of cigarettes a day can deplete 400mg of Vitamin C? It can deplete other micronutrients in addition to making your lung more exposed to infections. It may be time to consider quitting smoking!

In some cultures/countries, hospital wards are equipped with humidifiers because low humidity (humidity lower than 45%) accelerates the chance of infection. Stay hydrated with plenty of warm water and keep your home at a comfortable humidity!

Stay Active, Stay Positive and Share your Love and Care with family and friends. We will get through this epidemic in no time!

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