Supplements + Other Tips I've implemented To Boost My Immune System During Coronavirus (COVID-19)

With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak spreading globally, I wanted to share what I'm doing to give my immune system a much-needed boost.

Besides the basics that we should all be doing to help protect ourselves from the Coronavirus like hand washing, keeping social distances from others, limiting travel to only when necessary, and disinfecting common or frequently touched areas, we can also incorporate other measures to help keep ourselves and our loved ones protected.

There are so many vitamins, herbs, and supplements that can help boost our immune systems and we certainly can't take them all. Starting with the basics, we need to have deep, restful, and reparative sleep which can be difficult during stressful times, so we also want to look at ways to support our sleep and stress level. We should also focus on a healthy diet filled with antioxidant-rich foods, protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.

MULTIVITAMIN

Many vitamins including B6, C, and E are all known to help boost the immune system and can be found in a healthy diet. Although I try to eat a healthy diet, it's not always possible, so I like to start with a good multivitamin to fill in any possible nutritional gaps. My current favourite multi is My Kind Multivitamin by Garden of Life. There is one for men and one for women and non-age-related ones. I actually feel a difference when I take this multi and it's chocked full of amazingly healthy and organic ingredients! I can even take them on an empty stomach as they are made with whole foods.

VITAMIN C

I've also been taking extra Vitamin C. I love this spray version and take a couple of sprays AM and PM. Vitamin C is water-soluble so we just pee out what our body doesn't use. I keep chewable ones on hand also. If you want to know how important Vitamin C is to our immune systems, you can check out this article on 20 Ways Vitamin C Strengthens the Immune System.

 As always, check with your doctor for professional advice before starting a new supplement.

QUERCETIN WITH BROMELAIN

The 3rd supplement that I've incorporated as a result of this outbreak is something that I had heard of but never taken before, Quercetin. It's actually what prompted me to write this article. I had known of this supplement as one that helps with allergies, but it also has anti-inflammatory actions as well as a whole host of other benefits that I wasn't aware of until recently. It has anti-viral properties and specifically supports the respiratory system which is where the Coronavirus attacks. This one that I'm taking has Bromelain which also has a number of health benefits. Bromelain can slow blood clotting so you may want to choose a Quercetin supplement without Bromelain if that is a concern to you.

From NCBI: 
In vitro and some animal models have shown that quercetin, a polyphenol derived from plants, has a wide range of biological actions including anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities... Read more HERE.

I don't know if it's helping but I feel better taking it, plus it has so many other benefits! You can read more online or check out webmd. 

VITAMIN D

I also take some extra Vitamin D for my immune system and actually take it all winter long. Vitamin D also plays an important role in immunity and has so many other health benefits that I will most likely always take extra Vitamin D (on top of what's in my multi). I had had my Vitamin D tested this winter and it's in the normal range thanks to my intake of this supplement.

Read more about the role Vitamin D plays on the immune system at Science Daily.

Some other herbs that I like for the immune system are echinacea, astragalus, and zinc or zinc lozenges. There are many others to choose from, these are just some of the ones I like to take as prevention to illness or when I feel rundown. Again, speak to your healthcare practitioner to decide what's right for you.

Other simple things I've been doing is eating more onions and garlic, making sure I drink a lot of fluids to stay hydrated, mostly water and herbal teas that are calming or green tea is a good choice thanks to its antioxidants. I already have trouble sleeping and it's significantly worse since the Coronavirus outbreak, so I try to not watch the News before bed and I practice deep breathing or listen to meditation apps or soothing sounds on my phone before bedtime. I also like to have calming herbal teas at night to help with my sleep, just not right before bed or I'll be waking up to use the restroom.

I hope you find some of these tips helpful! I'd love to hear your tips in the comments about what you are doing to stay healthy and happy during these difficult times so we can all learn something from each other.

Hoping you and your families stay safe and healthy! 

*Note: Always check with your doctor or health care provider before beginning any new supplements

Some links are referral links and we may receive a small commission if you use them. We only use links that we trust and use ourselves.

iHerb Haul | Health, Supplements, Beauty

It's been a long time since I shared an iHerb haul. I shop there pretty much every month and have since I've had a computer... aka, a very long time. They have the best prices even with the Canadian exchange rate, shipping and prepaid taxes!

Today, I wanted to share my purchases as I ordered quite a few items this time.

Nature's Answer Rhodiola
This is the best Rhodiola that I've tried so I keep going back to it. It's a great adaptogen that helps my body deal with stress. This one is 100mg, which I find is the right dose for me. Purchase HERE.

CocoCeps Dark Chocolate Cocoa Beverage
I've been drinking this in my morning protein smoothies for as long as I can remember. It contains certified organic unsweetened dark cocoa plus Cordyceps and Reishi Powders. Excellent for immunity, heart health, energy and provides antioxidants. Purchase HERE.

Now Foods Glycine Pure Powder 1lb
I purchased this for sleep as it's reported to promote restful sleep. I'm not sure that it's doing anything for my sleep, as I still have sleep issues, but what I did notice while taking this is that it helps with daytime stress. I need to take a whole teaspoon in my water bottle to notice a difference. I believe the recommended dose is 1/4 tsp. I ran this by my Doctor and he told me it's okay for me to be taking 1 tsp as it's water soluble, meaning you'll just pee out what you don't use. :) Purchase HERE.

Brain Awakening Magnesium Supplement
I actually didn't order this, it just showed up in my order. It's funny because in all the years that I've been shopping with iHerb this has never happened before. I contacted them and they told me to keep it. I've been taking it but I really haven't noticed anything yet. I cannot find this on their site.

Now Foods Vitamin D 1000IU
This is my first time ordering Now Foods Vitamin D. Vitamin D is such an important vitamin as so many of us are deficient, especially in this part of the world where we don't get enough sunshine for much of the year. This has a dropper, offers 1000mg per drop, and is very affordable. D is fat-soluble, so I always take it with my fish oil capsule and preferably some food or drink with fat in it. Purchase HERE.

HyaFlex Hyaluronic Acid For Joints
I've been purchasing this for my cat for a while. I noticed a difference after the first time he took it, he went charging around the house about 2 hours after taking it. It's expensive, so I give him half of the recommended dose. There is also one for Dogs.

Now Foods 5-HTP 50mg
I keep this on rotation for my insomnia issues. I prefer the 50mg so I have the option of taking 50mg or more vs. the 100mg caps. 5-HTP often helps put me into zzz land. As a side benefit, it helps to improve my mood as well. I guess I should really take it more often :D Purchase HERE.

Jarrow Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is great for our liver. I actually purchased this because I read that it's good for balancing hormones on top of the fact that it would help my liver, so win-win. This is a great brand and it's very affordable. Purchase HERE.

Wet Brush Mini
I have a large wet./dry brush and I like it so much that I wanted the mini for my purse. This one was only a few dollars and works just as well as the full size. Can be Purchased HERE.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my iHerb haul!

If you haven't shopped with iHerb before, I can highly recommend them. They have amazing prices, super fast shipping, and excellent customer service!

My tips for shopping iHerb: I try to spend the amount that will get me free shipping if they are offering it, otherwise, I go for the cheapest shipping method with taxes prepaid. I use a discount code each time like the one shared below. I pay in my own currency as my credit card conversion will be more than iHerb's conversion. I always choose to prepay the taxes, you'll save the customs fees and it makes shipping much faster, too!

*You can save $$$ on your orders with iHerb by entering discount code AGU725 into your cart or just click this link to save! This code can be used by anyone and can be used every time you shop!

Remember to always check with your health care practitioner before beginning any new supplements.

*Contains referral links. All opinions are my own.

Week 10: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

Hi everyone, It's the end of week 10 on my Health and Weight Loss Journey. Here is a link to week 9 if
you'd like to check it out.

I think my blog had some kind of glitch and reposted week 1 of this journey somehow, sorry for that.

I am slowly getting better from my injuries and I'm doing what I can while trying to be careful not to
aggravate the injuries.

I've made a few changes this week...

-I have been alternating days with yoga and cardio/weight exercises.

I would like to do yoga everyday even if I do another workout,
but I just can't seem to find the time to do it all. So, for now,
I'll keep this schedule up and see how it goes.

-I have also added a 10-minute walk to the start of each day- before I do anything else.

It's quick, easy and starts the day off right. It's not hard to find 10 minutes, right!?

I do the walk outdoors to get some natural vitamin D and I don't wear sunscreen on my body.
I do this for maximum Vitamin D absorption. You may not agree with this. But, it's something I am 
trying out. It's only 10 minutes and it's not at the time where the sun's rays are at their peak.

Here are some pictures from my walk. I used to do this walk all the time years ago. It's good for the body, mind, and soul to get out in nature. As much as I know this, I don't do it enough.

This is one of the yoga DVDs I used this week. Kundalini yoga is completely different from Hatha style yoga.

If you've never tried it, you should. It has a lot of exercises that are good for hormones etc.

Here is a workout chart that I created for myself. I do these exercises when I'm not doing a workout DVD and I'm just working out on my own. I'll do about 20 minutes of cardio and then use 8lb weights and follow the chart below.

My workouts for the week:

Mon- 20 min Stepper + 8lb weight routine using above chart
Wed- Kundalini yoga - 40 min
Fri- 25 min morning walk (1st day)  + Hatha yoga 20 min

Weight - No change
Fat %- No change

I was hoping to see some changes on the scale this week. But, I know that most weight loss, at least for myself, comes from diet alone. Working out is healthy, but I don't usually lose weight from it. Eating a bit of ice cream everyday doesn't help either. lol  But, realistically, I do my best to eat healthy most of the time, but I'm not going to deprive myself.

It will be interesting to see if the 10-minute morning walk will make any difference as I just started the morning walk at the end of this week.

What are you doing to stay in shape?

See you next week.

Amy

xoxo