Starting to feel sick? Herbs and foods to help you fight illness and recover quickly

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Starting to feel sick? Herbs and foods to help you fight illness and recover quickly

Sometimes, even after we take all the necessary precautions and maintain a healthy lifestyle, we still get sick. Whenever any of my patients (or family members) start to feel sick, there are certain foods and herbs that I recommend. Here are my recommendations of some herbs that you can start incorporating into your diet when you start to feel sick.

Garlic

Perhaps one of the tastiest foods, garlic packs quite a punch when it comes to fighting off pathogens. It’s one of the strongest herbal antimicrobials, even in in-vitro studies, and it’s especially effective in the respiratory system, where bacteria and viruses like to take hold. Garlic stimulates digestion and liver function, helping us assimilate the most nutrition possible from our food. It’s warming which acts as a circulatory stimulant, and warms the body making us inhospitable environments for pathogens to thrive in. Garlic also contains inulin, which feeds our probiotic flora and keeps it healthy and abundant.

Drink Bone Broth

Whether you make it yourself, or buy it from your favorite market, bone broth is a time tested tradition when it comes to supporting yourself during an illness. Not only is it anti-inflammatory and high in nutrients and minerals, collagen rich bone broth also supports healthy bones and joints, and can help ease some of the body aches and pains that we experience when we get sick. Supercharge your bone broth by adding some herbs like garlic, medicinal mushrooms, and seaweed. I recommend sipping on bone broth throughout the day as soon as you start feeling sick.

Echinacea

Another one of our revered immune herbs and something that you should start taking as soon as you start feeling sick, echinacea can be taken to stimulate the immune system and fight off infection. It also helps reduce symptoms like sore throat, cough, and fever. Many studies have suggested that the constituents in echinacea that boost immune function also help to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and have antiviral actions.

Ginger

Ginger has powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties, and it can be consumed in abundance when you start feeling sick to support your body’s fight against pathogens. There are lots of delicious recipes you can add ginger to, or you can also make a delicious immune boosting tea.

Herbal Steams

Herbal steams can be a really fun and easy way to get medicine directly into your body to fight infection quickly. Since many bacteria and viruses like to live in the respiratory system, a steam is one of the best ways to deliver herbal medicine right to the source of the infection. Gather some aromatic, antibacterial and antiviral herbs like thyme or garlic, place them in a pot of hot water, create a little tent around your head and water and breathe the steam right into your lungs.

Adaptogens

Adaptogens help the body mediate stress levels, whether that stress comes from work, life or an illness. Adding some of these superfoods into your diet can do wonders for your stress levels while also helping you fight off infections. Schisandra, for instance, is a powerful adaptogenic herb that is a powerful antioxidant that helps to neutralize damage from free radicals, while lowering inflammation in the body. It has immune-regulatory actions, is liver supportive, and even calms the coughing reflex.

Eleuthero has been found to increase the activity of the B and T cells, and helps to increase the level of antibodies the body is able to produce. It’s active on the respiratory system, toning the organs of the respiratory tract and helping the body to expel excess mucous. As an adaptogen, eleuthero is nutritive to the adrenals, and helps the body rebuild its immune and energy stores.

Herbs That Help With Certain Symptoms

Especially as we get into cold and flu season, I make sure to stock up on certain herbs that are particularly helpful with coughs or fevers.

Herbs that help coughs

In addition to being immune supportive herbs that are helpful to take when you start feeling sick, both ginger and elecampane function as antispasmodics. This action is important when it comes to illnesses that have a cough as one of their symptoms. When we cough, our bodies are trying to expel pathogens within the mucus, but oftentimes, viruses can cause a racking and unproductive cough that causes pain and makes it difficult to breathe. However, since coughs do have a function, rather than trying to suppress coughs, I recommend choosing herbs to help support the function, while easing the discomfort that the symptom causes.

Ginger helps to ease the urge to cough, while simultaneously acting as a pain reliever. It can help ease spastic coughs in the lungs, and soften the pain and tenderness that comes from an illness, whether it be in the respiratory system, the head, or the muscles.

In addition, another herb to consider when you have a cough is elecampane. This bitter herb is phenomenal at managing a cough, and respiratory symptoms in general. It’s a warming plant that has excellent expectorant actions, which is key for those coughs that are constant, but not strong enough to bring up any mucus. Elecampane helps to break up anything in the lungs making it easier to expel, while also making the coughs more productive.

Treatment for fevers

Whenever you start to feel sick and a fever is present, make sure to stay hydrated. Drinking lots of liquids like water and broth are key, and if you’re feeling like you can’t keep up with liquids, a short, tepid bath can be helpful for rehydrating the body quickly.

Elderberry is a delicious syrup that I recommend you start taking as soon as you start to feel sick (and you can even take elderberry daily to help keep your immune system strong and able to fight off illness). Additionally, elderberry has been shown to shorten the duration of symptoms like fever, and can be taken as often as one desires. It is a diaphoretic herb, which means that it helps to relax the muscles to release tension, and opens up the pores to release heat, both actions that are essential to managing a fever.

Want to read more?

What to Eat When You are Sick to Get Better Faster

Four Natural Remedies To Fight Off Cold Season

Super Collagen Bone Broth Recipe

References

Hopkinsmedicine.org

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279364/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32395846/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31237569/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/

Barak V, Halperin T, Kalickman I. The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines. European Cytokine Network. 2001; 12(2):290-6.

Zakay-Rones Z, Varsano N, Zlotnik M, et al. Inhibition of several strains of influenza virus in vitro and reduction of symptoms by an elderberry extract (Sambucus nigra L.) during an outbreak of influenza B Panama. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1995; 1(4):361-9.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30011890/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664283/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6264271/

By Clair Moore
Health Expert at Further Foods

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the NTA. They are intended for general information purposes, and are not to be considered a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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You Are What You Digest: 5 Strategies for supporting your digestive system

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You Are What You Digest: 5 Strategies for supporting your digestive system

You are what you digest: 5 strategies for supporting your digestive system

They say you are what you eat, but the reality is that you’re really made up of what you digest. These may sound the same, but unfortunately, they are not always. If our digestive systems are not functioning properly, our bodies are unable to fully break down and absorb the nutrients we consume.

If we are prioritizing a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet, we want to make sure our cells are able to use all the wonderful nutrients we are providing. We’re going to give you five strategies to help you support proper digestion, but first, let’s discuss how digestion works.

How digestion works

Before we jump into solutions for supporting digestion, we think it’s important to have a baseline understanding of how it works. This understanding will connect you to why we recommend what we do, so we’re not giving you a random to-do list of behavior modifications. Let’s get to it.

Brain

Digestion is a north to south process that begins in the brain. The sight and smell of food triggers the salivary glands to begin producing saliva.

Mouth

The mouth is the physical gateway to the digestive system where mechanical and chemical breakdown of the food begins. One solute in saliva is the enzyme salivary amylase, which begins carbohydrate digestion.

Stomach

Food enters the stomach as bolus. The stomach continues the mechanical breakdown of the bolus, along with a number of chemical activities and turns it into chyme.

Small Intestine

Chyme enters the duodenum and travels through the small intestines and stimulates the production of other enzymes. This is where the bulk of nutrient absorption happens.

Large Intestine

The large intestine recycles water and waste material, which nourishes the colon cells. It captures any lost nutrients that are still available (with the help of the bowel flora) and converts the nutrients to Vitamins K/B1/B2/B12 and butyric acid. Then the remnants form and are eliminated as feces.

5 Strategies for supporting your digestive system

The strategies below are powerful tools that can help you support your digestion. Implement them into your life to keep things moving properly and fuel your cells with all the goodness that nutrient-dense, whole foods have to offer.

1. Reduce stress

Digestion works best when we are in a relaxed (or parasympathetic) state. Avoid fight-or-flight hormones like epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline), which interrupt proper digestion. You can do this several ways, including taking a few deep breaths before eating. For more ideas, check out this blog post on reducing stress.

2. Slow down and chew your food

This one is vital. Eat meals slowly and chew food thoroughly in order to break down carbohydrates and activate other enzymes before moving onto the next stage in digestion. Try not eat in the car or in front of the television as these activities tend to make us eat more quickly. Sit down and make your meal the main event!

3. Hydrate

It is important to stay adequately hydrated throughout the day so that your body can properly transport nutrients through your digestive tract. If you have trouble doing this, try finding a water bottle you love (we’re talking pretty colors, fancy straws, the whole nine yards!). It may sound silly, but if you love your water bottle, you might be more likely to carry it around with you and drink throughout the day.

4. Eat fermented foods

Besides being a delicious and fun way to variety to your diet, fermented foods also support your gut. They increase bioavailable nutrients and are easier to digest. The microorganisms they contain support overall gut health. (We wrote this blog post to help you increase the fermented foods in your diet.)

5. Take a walk

Movement is useful not only for reducing stress but also for stimulating the muscle contractions necessary for digestion. If you suffer from slow digestion, a 15-minute walk after each meal is a great way to improve digestion.

Digestion is one of the NTA’s foundations of health. If you’re interested in learning more about digestion and the other foundations, check out the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Online program.

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How to Cope with Stress (In a Stressed-Out World)

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How to Cope with Stress (In a Stressed-Out World)

Ah, stress. That sensation we reluctantly know so well. Stress as a concept is so ubiquitous in our modern lifestyle it almost needs no introduction.

You know what it is; it’s what makes your neck tense up when you’re drowning in work. It’s the exhaustion you feel when there’s too much to deal with around the house or you’re under a lot of pressure. It’s the way you drag a little after watching the news for too long.

Stress has a way of affecting us, and in fact, it has profound implications regarding our bodies and overall wellbeing.

What exactly is stress?

Stress as a set of symptoms was a term first used by a researcher named Hans Selye in the early 1930s. He defined it as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.” Selye’s work was built on the foundational work of Claude Bernard and Walter Cannon, who proposed the ideas and terminology of “homeostasis.” Triggers that can provoke a stress response include physical, mental, and emotional challenges.

The most common types of stress are psychological or emotional stress and the physiological stress that comes from the body doing its best to function optimally against all the odds stacked against it, such as overwork, toxicity, and overly processed foods.

However, stress is not inherently bad. It’s a life-saving mechanism our bodies use to turn on our alarm systems — the nervous system’s “fight or flight” functions—and alert us to a situation that needs our attention. The problems arise when those alarm bells never stop ringing.

How does stress affect our bodies?

Living in a state of chronic stress puts a burden on each of our body’s systems. During times of stress, the body will use all its energy to focus on the stress response.

Depending on the intensity of the stress, this may cause digestion to take a hit. Stress impacts several necessary players in optimal digestion, including saliva production, hydrochloric acid production, the pH of the stomach, the ability of the valves and sphincters to open and close, and so on. Think of it this way: when stress is off, digestion is off.

Because stress requires blood sugar changes, chronic stress can lead to blood sugar dysregulation. It can also contribute to mineral balance issues and other consequences.

How to cope with chronic stress

Here are some strategies for dealing with stress, particularly chronic stress that can lurk in the background of daily life. As you read this list think about ways you can practically and regularly implement some of these strategies in your day-to-day.

1. Mindfulness

Many find it helpful to practice meditation, deep breathing, or breathing exercises. These can help to bring awareness to the present moment, allowing for a state of mindfulness where judgments and worries can melt away. Spending time in nature can also be also a wonderful and effective way to cope with stress.

2. Movement

Adding movement to your day can help to offset stress and bring balance back to your nervous system, and ultimately, your life. There are many forms of movement to choose from, and everyone has different lifestyles, preferences, and levels of accessibility.

When it comes to movement, the most important thing is not what you do but that you do it. That means do what works for you— whether that’s Olympic lifting or jumping rope or vacuuming or dancing or taking a walk. It’s all beneficial.

Everyday actions can be both a mindfulness and movement practice. For example, when you sweep the floor, sweep with your whole body. When you stir a pot, stir from the hips, not just your wrist. When you reach for something on the top shelf, use it as an opportunity stretch from your feet on the floor through the reach of your fingers. When you walk, swing your arms and smile.

3. Nutrient-Dense, Whole Foods Diet

As we’ve discussed, chronic stress is detrimental to the body. Stress depletes several important nutrients that our bodily systems need to function properly. One way we can use nutrition to manage the consequences of chronic stress is by ensuring we include a variety of nutrients in our diets, especially the ones we use up in times of stress.

These nutrients include:

Vitamin C
B Vitamins
Magnesium
Zinc
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Antioxidants

Remember, some stress is a normal part of life. Stress is also a life-saving response that your body uses to protect you.

However, our nervous system’s stress response is not meant to be activated 24/7. Chronic, never-ending stress is detrimental to human health.

There are a number of lifestyle techniques that are useful in reducing stress, including mindfulness, movement, and nutrition. Stress involves the whole body, so in coping with it, we must think holistically.

The next chance you get, take some time to do something that helps you de-stress.

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Eat Real Food: The Power of a Nutrient-Dense, Whole Foods Diet

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Eat Real Food: The Power of a Nutrient-Dense, Whole Foods Diet

Eat Real Food: The Power of a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet

Overly processed, chemically enhanced foods have become a convenient preference in our modern diet. Years of relying on these nutrient-poor, calorie-rich options have changed our mindset toward both food and health. Unhealthy habits and unbalanced meals have led to health concerns like digestion issues, hormonal imbalances, blood sugar swings, and trouble sleeping.

Unfortunately, people tend to see these problems as “normal”, but simple changes to the food we eat can make a huge difference.

We suggest starting with the basics: a nutrient-dense, properly prepared, whole foods diet.

In the Nutritional Therapy Online program we believe that “real food” has the power to make a positive impact on health, and that everything, from healthy digestion to hydration and everything in between, stems from fueling our bodies with the right nutrients.

The energy we need to get up and go each day, the focus we need to check items off our to–do lists, and the fuel we need to keep our bodies functioning are all impacted by the foods we eat.

When we choose to support our bodies with the right foods, we thrive. When we pick unhealthy alternatives and deprive our bodies of what they need….well, we all know how that feels.

What is a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet?

We are all different, and depending on the season, our gender, age, ancestry, activity level, and stress load, we might need different sources of fuel to feel, look, and perform our best. But, knowing which foods are the best options and how to properly source them is a great place to start. For a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, aim to eat foods that are:

What is a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet?

Simple ways to eat more whole foods

Small changes and habits can go a long way when it comes to learning how to fuel our bodies properly. Taking the time to learn and try new things is a great way to connect with the food we eat and understand the amazing ways in which our bodies work. There is no one-size fits–all approach to nutrition, but there are ways that you can easily start incorporating whole foods into your diet. Here are a few guidelines to follow:

As much as possible, try to eat foods in their natural, unprocessed form
Try to have 5 different colors of food on your plate for a range of vitamins and minerals
Look for labels with few ingredients that come from whole foods
Replace processed foods with healthier, whole food alternatives
Source food from local farmers and ranchers in your area
Plan a trip to the farmers market or purchase a local CSA box for produce
Try to eat plenty of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats throughout the day

Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine be thy food

Health concerns like digestive issues, trouble sleeping, and blood sugar swings are common but they are not normal. We deserve to feel good and that starts with taking the time to make better choices when it comes to the foods we eat. Eating a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet is the first step in giving our bodies the fuel it needs to thrive.

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5 Nutrition Tips For Working From Home

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5 Nutrition Tips For Working From Home

5 Nutrition Tips for Working from Home

Whether you are brand new to working from home or a remote work pro this is for you.

Eating nourishing, nutrient-dense foods throughout the day is super important. Not only do they make you feel great, but also give you more energy and help you be more productive.

Here are five tips to help you prioritize nutrition while working from home.

Find a rhythm that works for you

Try to eat meals around the same time every day. This way, you won’t accidentally skip meals when you’re in the zone and haven’t looked at the time in 4 hours.

When you’re in the habit of eating at a certain time, that time serves as an opportunity to check in with your hunger level and eat a meal if you’re hungry.

Snacking all day when you’re not hungry keeps you from being in tune with your true hunger. It also often prevents you from ever seeking out a full meal. Full meals tend to include more nutrient-dense foods like vegetables and fat and protein sources that are harder (though not impossible) to find in snack form.

There is no rule you need to follow as to how frequently you should be eating. Some people find that 3 large meals a day with periods of fasting in between is best for them. Others find that eating every 2-3 hours helps them stabilize their blood sugar and support their hormones.

Whatever timing you prefer, a rhythm will help you be intentional with your meals and ensure you’re getting the vitamins and minerals you need from your diet.

Keep a water bottle with at all times

Water is vital for healthy functions like digestion, detoxification, and the immune system. Dehydration can cause or contribute to fatigue, anxiety, irritability, cramps, headache, heartburn, constipation, and back pain.

If you keep a water bottle at your work area, you’ll be more likely to sip water throughout the day. Try to drink most of your water in between meal times, not with your meals.

Why? Sipping throughout the day is better for your digestion than drinking water with your meals because excess liquid can water down digestive juices that are needed to break down food and alter the pH of the stomach environment.

A good rule of thumb to figure out if you’re drinking enough water is to divide your body weight by two. That number in ounces is your starting point.

Extra credit: find or invest in a water bottle you LOVE. This may seem silly, but if you love your water bottle, you’ll drink more water!

Eat plenty of healthy fats

All three macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbs) are important sources of energy, but fat tends to be the one people are most afraid of because of the misconceptions that dietary fat is the same as body fat or causes heart disease.

In reality, fatty acids are a very important part of a nutrient-dense diet.

Fatty acids are a great concentrated source of energy. They help regulate energy absorption by slowing the absorption of food, so they also keep you satiated for longer.

This is why having fat in your diet is so valuable—it gives you a slow-burning energy to get through your workday.

Here are ideas of great fat sources to incorporate into your diet:

Walnuts
Pumpkin seed
Cod Liver Oil
Coconut Oil
Eggs
Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Avocados and Avocado Oil
Duck/Chicken/Goose/Turkey Fat
Salmon and other fish
Fatty animal meat from pastured animals

Plan meals ahead of time

If you plan out your meals for the week during the weekend, you’ll be more likely to choose nutrient-dense options.

There are a few ways to do this, with varying degrees of work up front.

For starters, you can make nutrient-dense food available. Purchase foods like meat, vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts and seeds. Keep your fridge, freezer, and pantry stocked with options you can make.

If you want to do all the leg work up front so that you can have grab-and-go meals ready throughout the week, take a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday to make big batches of several meals and separate them out into smaller containers.

We find that chilis, soups, casseroles, and sheet pan meals work particularly well. We love these meal-prep-friendly sheet pan recipes created by one of our graduates, Alison Marras.

It’s a lot of work up front but the pay-off is that instead of mustering up the willpower to cook on a Wednesday afternoon, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your pre-prepared meal.

Have fun with it

A nutrient-dense diet doesn’t have to mean quinoa, broccoli, and chicken for every meal. A nutrient-dense diet can be fun and flavorful and even a form of self-expression!

It can be easy to fall into the rut of eating the same things week-in and week-out. Not only does this prevent us from getting the diverse variety of nutrients we need, but it can also make us sick and tired of the same ole’ veggies we always make.

Food is for fuel, but it is also for pleasure. Cook things you enjoy! Try new recipes to give your usual rotation a break. Here are some ideas to get you started:

8 Paleo Instant Pot Recipes
Soup Season
Stuffed and Baked Sweet Potato Recipe
Bacon Holy Guacamole Recipe

Taking Care from Home

It’s far too easy to neglect your health when working from home. There always seems to be something else to do. But prioritizing nutrition is worth it, and following these tips are a great way to start.

Find a rhythm that works for you
Keep a water bottle with you
Eat adequate fat
Plan meals ahead of time
Have fun with it

You take care of many things throughout the day—make yourself one of them.

Resources:

Nutritional Therapy Association (2019). Hydration Module Study Guide. Olympia, WA.
Hazzard, V. M., Telke, S. E., Simone, M., Anderson, L. M., Larson, N. I., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2020, January 31). Intuitive eating longitudinally predicts better psychological health and lower use of disordered eating behaviors: findings from EAT 2010-2018. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32006391
Nutritional Therapy Association (2019). Fatty Acids Study Guide. Olympia, WA.

Join us for a Live Webinar with one of our Instructors and Admissions Advisors!

During this call, you’ll explore and learn:

How to create a rewarding career in holistic nutrition that will give you the confidence and competence to replace your full-time income (whether you’re new to nutrition or or using it to enhance your current services)
How our unmatched education and instructor support sets our NTP program apart from other nutrition programs
How graduates are successfully using their education and the many career opportunities available to you
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