MY TOP TIPS FOR IMMUNE SUPPORT as we head into the cooler months:

• Sleep is a non-negotiable, even on weekends aim for that minimum 7-9 hours per night and keep your bedtime consistent, with as many hours before midnight as possible; every hour before midnight is worth 2 after midnight ;)

• Sip on warm water with fresh lemon, sliced ginger & Manuka honey if you feel a scratchy throat coming on (or just as a nice morning beverage for cool mornings).

• Eat seasonally: the cooler months are calling us to ditch the cold smoothies for breakfast & cold salads for lunch in favour of: a warm bowl of rolled or steel cut oats (Orgran Quinoa porridge or Brookfarm GF Porridge if you’re gluten-free) for brekky, and soups, stews, broths, rice dishes, & slow cooked meats for lunch & dinner. TIP: ensure you add good fats & protein to your oats! I’ll be cooking some whole eggs into mine + some vegan protein powder, with some almond butter & coconut yoghurt on top for good fats.

• Opt for produce that’s in-season: fill your shopping cart with Vitamin-C rich mandarins, oranges, lemons, kiwi fruits, passionfruit, pears, & nourishing root-veggies like parsnips, pumpkin, sweet potato, turnips etc. The Earth gives us the foods we need to best serve our bodies during that season.

• Time in the sun is more important than ever! Vitamin D is a key immune nutrient. Get sunlight exposure on your bare skin each day.

• Make bone broth! It’s easier than you think to make it at home (infuse it with turmeric, garlic, onion, carrot, celery, leek & fresh rosemary) or get a powder or gel from Best of the Bone, Star Anise Organics, Nutra Organics or the like, and sip on 1-2 cups per day (hint: whenever you support your gut health, you’re supporting your immune system too as most if our immune cells our hosted within the gut!)

• Sip on immune tea: there are so many kinds available from the health food store (I like the immune blends from Orchard St, Love Tea, Mindful Foods) with herbal blends containing the likes of Echinacea, Olive leaf, Elderberries, Hibiscus, Rosehip, Ginger & Thyme). You can even MAKE YOUR OWN BLEND via purchasing the dried herbs online from Mudbrick Cottage. Teas are such a lovely way to weave more plants into your life/

• Time to hibernate: let go of the FOMO & listen to your body this Winter when it asks you to REST, stay indoors & keep warm. Keep the weekend partying & after-work socialising to a minimum; your immune system is not as robust as it was in Summer!

• MAKE YOUR OWN IMMUNE FIREBALL SHOT: (also great for the skin) chuck in a blender 1 whole lemon, a knob of ginger, a small finger of turmeric, crack some black pepper, a teensy pinch of cayenne, a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and either some Manuka honey or a few orange slices for sweetness. Blend with some filtered water, store in glass in the fridge, and take a small shot each morning.  

• Supplement support: high-quality immune nutrients such as Vitamin C & Zinc, immune probiotics & customised herbal tonics are available through me.

Words: Phoebe Auckland, Naturopath.

You can find Phoebe on socials or on her website.