12 Simple, Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System

We all want to have a strong immune system so that the body can fight off any illness quickly. Using these evidence-based, natural, and simple recommendations you will be well on your way to boosting your immune system for your entire family. Below are 12 natural ways to boost your immune system.

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Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System

By doing these 12 recommendations consistently you will be improving the health of your family. These natural ways to boost your immune system are not only helpful for you but also for your children. You need to support yourself as much as your children, as we all know taking care of sick kids when you are sick is the WORST!

Sleep

Being well-rested is one of the most important things you can do. Children need regular bedtimes and need to be getting adequate sleep nightly. Getting enough sleep as an adult can be hard. I’m a night owl, and as I’m typing this it is nearing midnight!

“Without sleep, there is low energy and disease. With sleep, there is vitality and health.”

Michael Walker, sleep scientist, University of California, Berkeley

That quote explains everything. To be healthy you need to get enough sleep. If you aren’t getting enough sleep your immune system weakens.

Michael Walker also states:

“Once you know that after just one night of only four or five hours’ sleep, your natural killer cells – the ones that attack the cancer cells that appear in your body every day – drop by 70%….”

To cold and flu proof your family you all need to be well-rested! If your children are cranky and dragging, take that as a cue that they need some downtime at home.

During cold and flu season don’t be afraid to step back and spend more time at home. Let them have the rest and relaxation that their bodies need.

Hydrate

This is not huge news that we need to stay hydrated. However, our immune system depends on water and electrolytes. If you are not drinking enough water you will be dehydrated and your immune system will suffer.

Make sure everyone in the family drinks enough water. Your water should be filtered of contaminants so that your body can focus on fighting germs and not chemicals.

I use and recommend this water filter (we use the Ultra UC). I personally have tested this filter and it was free of contaminants.

If we feel like we need some extra electrolytes we will occasionally drink organic coconut water as well.

No Sugar

Seriously, no sugar. I hope I don’t lose you after this one but sugar immediately reduces your ability to fight off disease and increases inflammation in your body.

We go into cold and flu season with the holidays and a focus on candy, sweets and other processed, high sugar foods. Just say no to refined sugar. Organic maple syrup, honey, and coconut sugar are fine substitutions in limited quantities.

Strong Gut Health

Immunity, and health in general, starts in your gut. Make sure your gut health is strong.

Do you have leaky gut symptoms such as food allergies, IBS, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorders, nutritional deficiencies, weakened immune system, or skin rashes? If you do, you need to work on healing your gut.

The first step is an elimination diet to determine which foods are triggering your symptoms. The next step is to start repairing your gut.

You can find help from your naturopathic doctor or many resources online. It can not be stressed enough, that if you have leaky gut your immune system will suffer. You need to make healing your gut a priority.

A majority of people living in the United States have leaky gut or have had, due to the standard American diet. An author, and nutritionist, that I have followed for years and have a huge amount of respect for has a book called The Elimination Diet which can help you on your journey.

Organic Whole Foods

The importance of organic, whole foods can not be stressed enough. Eating freshly prepared, non-packaged foods is the best possible way to feed your family.

We strive for 100% organic. Eating food that has been sprayed with toxic pesticides will damage your gut health. It will also tax your body. Both will lower your immune system (as well as increase the chance for other diseases).

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) can cause leaky gut. By buying organic you will be avoiding GMOs. Check out these great tips for saving money on organic foods.

Immune Strengthening Foods

There are some superfoods you can add to your diet to help immunity. Try to incorporate these foods on a regular basis and up the quantities when you are sick.

Onions, garlic, mushrooms (shiitake), turmeric, ginger, and of course citrus.

Onions

Onions contain quercetin which fights inflammation as well as allicin which is known for attacking viruses and bacteria. Onions can also break up mucus in your chest and head.

Garlic

Garlic is nature’s antibiotic. It fights off colds and flu viruses.

When sick, chop up garlic the size of pills (so that you can easily swallow). Let the garlic sit for 10 minutes, this is a crucial step. By chopping, and letting the garlic sit for 10 minutes you are activating the allicin in the garlic. This is the medicinal property in garlic. I then swallow 1 clove (not a bulb!) with food morning and night.

Eating raw garlic can upset your stomach so adjust as necessary.

Allicin is deactivated by heating and cooking. So if you are wanting to use garlic for medicinal properties, avoid heating.

Shiitake mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are anti-viral and combat both cold and flu viruses. Lentinan is a compound found specifically in shiitake mushrooms that has been shown to stimulate the immune system.

Turmeric

Turmeric contains curcumin which is a powerful antioxidant that supports the immune system.

Ginger

Ginger is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.

Citrus

Citrus is one of the main sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for fighting off infections.

Natural Immune Boosters: Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and Acupressure

All three of these things, if done regularly, can improve immunity. I’m not saying do ALL three of these, pick one or two that works for you and your family and incorporate it into your life.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic supports the nervous system function. When the nervous system is functioning optimally, your immune system will benefit as well. To find a pediatric chiropractic click here for the ICPA directory.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a bit more complex but ultimately will get the root of stress, or inflammation in your body, which will then increase your immune system.

There are also specific acupuncture points that can be used to target your immune system when you are not feeling well. Acupressure is great and easy to do at home. We do a very basic acupressure massage on our kids every night to help support their immune system.

You can watch a brief YouTube video on Tunia Back Roll massage here that we do often.

Vitamins B, C & D

Make sure your vitamin D and B levels are optimal. If they are low, you will have lower immunity.

Vitamin D

Getting vitamin D from the sun is optimal. If you live in an area where there isn’t sun year round then you can supplement with vitamin D3. We use Thorn vitamin D/K. It’s important to test both active and storage levels of vitamin d before supplementing.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B you can get through foods but certain diets or people with MTHFR might require additional supplementation.

Vitamin C

Using a food-based vitamin C for extra support during the winter months is helpful for some. We save taking vitamin C for when we are sick. This is the food-based vitamin C we use.

We make it a priority to eat high vitamin C foods on a regular basis. Kiwi, citrus, red bell peppers (which is a nightshade and can cause inflammation in some), kale, broccoli, cauliflower are all great sources of vitamin C.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Drinking raw apple cider vinegar with the “mother” can provide many benefits. The “mother” is beneficial bacteria and it’s important to make sure you are using a good brand. We use Bragg’s Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) contains acetic acid which is antimicrobial. ACV also is loaded with minerals, enzymes, and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps promote an alkaline state in your body. All of these things combined help boost your immune system and help ward off illness.

It is unrealistic to think our children will drink this. Instead, I make an ACV, honey, and mustard salad dressing that my kids love.

I personally just add a tablespoon of ACV to 8 ounces of water and drink it (if I get sick or feel something coming on I up this to 3 times a day). My husband has a very strong dislike for vinegar so he mixes his ACV into his kombucha and he can tolerate it that way.

Probiotics and Fermented Foods

We take a high quality probiotic as well as eat fermented foods that have probiotics from the fermentation.

Probiotics

We take Klaire labs probiotics (for infants – Klaire Infant Powder, for children – Klaire Chewable, and for adults – Klaire Ther-Biotic Complete).

Fermented Foods

We love Firefly Kitchens fermented kraut.

Prebiotics

You also need to make sure you are eating enough prebiotic foods so that your probiotics can stay alive. Think of prebiotics as food for probiotics.

Prebiotic food sources include raw garlic, raw and cooked onions, and bananas.

Plenty of time outside

Spending time outside daily is a benefit for everyone. Fresh air (better than most indoor air quality), exercise, free play for kids, and an increase in vitamin D are all reasons to make sure you spent as much time as possible outside daily. We aim for between 1 and 3 hours a day for our children.

Wash Hands

This might seem very obvious but I can’t tell you how many times I see kids eating food before washing their hands. Everybody needs to wash their hands before eating (every meal and every snack).

You should also wash your hands when you come home from being out. If we are at a park, indoor play area, grocery store, etc we wash our hands when we return to our car or use a natural hand sanitizer like Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lavender Hand Sanitizer.

You don’t need to go overkill on washing hands (which can be very bad for your immunity) but a few basic, preventative measures go a long way in helping to stay healthy.

Final Thoughts on Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System

While getting an occasional sickness is part of life, these natural tips to boost your immune system should help reduce systems or keep those illnesses at bay! We were on a 7-month streak of not getting sick for my kids which I think was pretty impressive!

Start incorporating these 12 simple, evidence-based tips and you will be on your way to building a strong immune system for your entire family!

Do you use natural ways to boost your immune system other than what is listed here? I would love to hear about them!

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This post has been medically reviewed by the Natural Baby Mama Medical Advisory Board. This is not considered medical advice, and you should consult with your medical providers.

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