In the wake of both the pandemic and BBC's recent The Truth About Boosting Your Immune System documentary we thought it might be well worth while talking to you about everything you can do to take control of your health.
The term 'boost' in relation to immune health or health in general can be a little misleading. What you really want to look at is giving your body what it needs so that these systems are working optimally when challenged by something like a bacteria or virus. All of the nutraceuticals (fancy name for supplements - but perhaps more descriptive as it is very easy to forget that they can have a very strong impact, overload of certain vitamins/minerals and herbs etc. can be harmful and some can even interfere with medications you may be on!) on our shelves are things we highly rate and there is a huge variety. If we don't stock what you're after, we can most likely order it in for you.
They can impact how your body is working, providing nutrients you need to support certain cells, provide ingredients for chemical reactions and building blocks (e.g. vitamin C is essential for not only your immune system, it's vital to your connective tissue, cartilage, and skin health as well as providing antioxidant support).
It sounds like a huge undertaking, but for those of you who watched the programme (it's still available on BBC iPlayer) you know that it can start with really small additions/changes to your everyday life.
Simple little things like eating more fibre, getting your vitamin D (it's a very good idea to get tested before supplementing, although currently supplements of 400 - 1000iu are being recommended across the board by the government/NHS and British Association of Nutritional Therapists for adults and a consortium of UK doctors have now recommended up to 4000iu!), reducing your stress (so much easier said than done, we know!), moving your body more and getting plenty of fresh fruit and veg for you vitamins and antioxidants can all have a profound impact over the course of mere months.
Echinacea is an amazing herbal product which has been clinically shown to bolster your white blood cells in the presence of an infection which can really help to shake it off in record time! It's not recommended for those with autoimmune problems but for everyone else it can be a bit of a wonder product! We absolutely adore the A Vogel Echinacea on our shelves, we even keep a bottle of the tincture in our kitchen for staff to use as and when they want to (even though they've all got it on the shelf at home too!).
There has never been a more relevant time to talk about health and start learning how to improve your own.
If you're lacking inspiration, pop into chat to us! We're always here as a sounding board when you're thinking about how to improve your health and can help by suggesting things you can include whilst making sure you stay safe in relation to any health problems you may have or medications you need to work with.