Have you ever tried exercising with a sore throat or nasal congestion? It’s not that easy, is it? While the whole point of getting fit is to be healthier, there are so many illnesses that cannot be prevented with exercise. Illnesses such as flu will put you down longer than you would want. This is why keeping your immunity high is a top priority, especially when working towards your fitness goals. But how do you boost your immunity? The answer is to take the right foods and supplements.
As your health coach in Hollywood LA, my job is not just to get you in shape but also to ensure you are healthy. But first things first, can supplements really boost your immunity?
What is contained in a supplement bottle?
As a personal health coach in LA, this is a question I get almost every day. People are more conscious of what they put in their bodies today. Speaking to a professional like myself is one of the methods people use to ensure they are not wasting their money or taking harmful substances. I do not sugarcoat the facts.
Most of the products that claim to support or boost immunity fall into several categories. Most of them are vitamin formulations.
There is truth in the idea that vitamins can boost immunity. However, you should note that vitamins ward off diseases and other health issues only in persons who are severely malnourished. This is according to Michael Starnbach, a professor of microbiology at Harvard Medical School.
The average American adult is not malnourished. As a result, you will enjoy very little benefits from taking vitamin formulations alone. What most people tend to forget is that vitamin supplements are there to fill the gaps in your diet.
It is not always possible to include all the required essential nutrients in your diet. When eating in a restaurant, for example, you will never know precisely what has been put in your food. When cooking at home, it is easy to get lazy and cut corners in food preparation. There are also so many times that we overcook food and destroy the essential nutrients. It is times like these that make taking immunity-boosting supplements important.
If you are searching for functional medicine in Los Angeles, one of the key things you will need is to find the best immunity boosting supplements.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change our way of life, it is our duty to keep ourselves from contracting the virus. Social distancing, wearing a mask and opting for online integrative health coaching has been working great so far. Even so, you still need to boost your immunity to better combat the virus and other illnesses.
COVID-19 has cold and flu-like symptoms. With that in mind, you will be able to boost your immunity by taking vitamin B, C and D as well as zinc. These supplements work in the same way they help the body to get over flu or cold.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps fight colds faster and eases the cold symptoms if you were taking it before you got sick. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation. A severe symptom of the coronavirus is lung inflammation. If you are still healthy, it doesn’t hurt to take more vitamin C supplements now.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps the body to maintain optimal blood levels of phosphorus and calcium. You can get vitamin D from exposure to the sun’s UV rays or through supplements. Adequate vitamin D helps protect you from respiratory infections. As a respected wellness coach in Hollywood LA, I always advise my clients to get adequate sunlight and if that is not an option to take enough vitamin D supplements. This is all because vitamin D reduces the risk of respiratory tract infections. You don’t want to miss your fitness goal because of a sore throat, do you?
B Complex Vitamins
If you are looking for the best supplement to boost your immunity, you should take more Vitamin B6. This vitamin is essential for keeping your immune system in top shape. As a nutrition coach in Los Angeles, I strongly recommend taking enough vitamin B in your daily diet. You can get these vitamins from fortified cereals or in multivitamins.
Zinc
The length of rhinovirus colds is shortened by taking any remedy that has zinc in it. Zinc further helps with nasal congestion, sore throat, cough and nasal drainage. Zinc also activates T-cells which in turn trigger the body to fight infections. Don’t take zinc supplements if you are already on zinc medication.
While vitamin supplements come highly recommended, you must remember that the body absorbs and uses vitamins and nutrients better when they come from a dietary source. You must never use supplements as a replacement for food. The work of supplements is simply to add what your diet lacks.
If you are seeking:
Integrative health coaching in LA
- Online fitness coaching in LA
- In-person or online integrative health coaching
- A nutrition coach, Los Angeles
- A corporate health coach, Los Angeles
Derek Opperman of LifeUp Health Coaching offers competent, compassionate care. Whether you live outside of Los Angeles and are interested in online integrative health coaching or you live in the Hollywood, LA area and have been seeking a “health coach near me,” we invite you to reach out. Derek can help you to meet all of your personal wellness goals.
