The Time to Act is Now

It may seem overwhelming, stressful and anxiety-producing as we hear daily news of the astonishing number of people contracting Covid-19. As expected, the Omicron-variant is highly contagious within our community whilst the Delta-strain is also still circulating.

Whilst we have no control of our external environment, we can take control and support our immunity now.
When we focus on the factors we do have control over, it can reduce stress and anxiety levels and carve a positive and empowering way forward where we draw upon our own resilience to continue to live our lives with purpose and passion through these ‘trying’ times.

But before we look at what beautiful herbs and nutrients we can use to support ourselves through this time, I wanted to take a minute to explain, in simple terms, how our incredible immune systems actually work.

Our Complex Immune System in a Nutshell

Our bodies are remarkable in the way they are designed to protect us from foreign invaders and viruses, such as the Covid-19 virus.

We have an Innate Immunity which is the one we were born with. It is activated immediately as a first line of defense against any invading pathogens. It contains, amongst others, Natural Killer cells which attack virus-infected cells, macrophages which eliminate a broad range of invading pathogens and Dendritic cells which co-ordinate T-cell responses against antigens.
And we have an adaptive immunity, which contains our T-cells and B-cells which are subsequently triggered by these foreign antigens that have entered our body. They either directly attack the invading antigen (T-cells), or produce and secrete antibodies which bind to and inactivate the foreign antigen (B-cells).
 
Whilst our Innate immunity is a broad system that is activated the minute any foreign pathogen invades our body, our adaptive immunity takes a few days longer to kick in, as it needs time to develop the specific T-cells to fight that specific invader and antibodies to inactivate the virus.
However, once these cells are formed, the body remarkably remembers them in the event that this particular virus reinfects the body again where they will be ready and waiting to attack it immediately.

The biggest issue with the Covid-19 virus however, is that it is mutating very quickly and thus the innate immune system is working overtime to give protection to the body whilst the adaptive immune system works tirelessly to create the specific immune cells to attack and inactivate the virus.

Factors that undermine our Immunity to do its work optimally

Unfortunately, there are many factors that compromise these immune processes, with the most general ones being:

• stress
  • insufficient dietary nutrients (eg Vitamin C, D and Zinc)
  • insufficient exercise
  • poor or inadequate sleep
  • excess sugar, unhealthy saturated fats and highly processed carbohydrates
  • low-grade, system inflammation

Therefore, if your body is already compromised by the above factors, then it can impact how well your immune system functions when it is called upon. This is why it is so important to address lifestyle factors to maintain optimal health.

Herbs and Nutrients that directly support both your Innate and Adaptive Immune System

Thankfully, nature provides us with an array of beautiful immune herbs and nutritional’s that can both support your immune system when it is directly under attack, or build it up if when it is in the face of an attack, as we are in now.

It is now very important to build your immunity and support it during a Covid-19 viral infection.

• Andrographis and EGCG (an active constituent in Green Tea), along with Reishi mushroom, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, Vitamin C and Zinc are our top immune supporting herbs for Natural Killer cells.
• Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc, coupled with the beautiful medicinal mushrooms, (Coriolus, Reishi, Shiitake, Cordyceps) support our macrophages
• Coriolus and LGG (probiotic strain) supports the Dendritic cells of our innate immune system
• Astragalus, Vitamin C and Zinc along with AHCC, Reishi, Shiitake and Cordyceps supports T-Cell function
• Reishi and Cordycep medicinal mushrooms along with Vitamin C support B-Cells to create antibodies to bind to and inactivate the viral antigens.

Acute-Covid Naturopathic Consultations

In response to the overwhelming and swift impact the Omicron strain is having on our Community, we have introduced Acute-Covid Naturopathic Consultations so that you can speak to a professional to either support you and your symptoms whilst you recover from the Covid-19 virus, or boost your immune system in the face of the viral onslaught.
These 20-minute Telehealth consultations (30-minute for New Patients to our Clinic) will allow you to consult with a Professional and be prescribed quality Practitioner-only supplements ensuring the benefits of herbs and nutritional’s that are not available over the counter.
Be quick to Book your Consultation Now as they are filling fast!

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© 2022 Live Better Naturally Pty Ltd

 The information provided in this article is for information purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. We recommend you consult with a GP or other healthcare professional before taking any action based on this article. While the author uses best endeavours to provide accurate and true content, the author makes no guarantees or promises regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information presented. If you rely on any information provided in this article, you do so at your own risk.