#116 Tracee Talks – Tips to Boost Your Immune System

Today we are going to talk about immunity.

So much is going on right now in our country and around the world that I think it is super important to talk about immunity not just to protect yourself against viruses and flu, and other communicable diseases but also even about cancer cells because from what I understand, a healthy immune system should be out there destroying cancer cells before tumors actually become tumors.

One of the first things that I think is really important is to make sure that you get enough sleep.

You really want your sleep to be timed ideally. Meaning, if you get 7 hours of sleep that is from midnight to 7:00 AM, then you are missing the sweet spot which is from 11:00 PM to 3:00 AM.

You really want to be in bed at 10:30 PM at the latest so that you are sound asleep by 11:00 PM and you want to sleep through until 3:00 AM. That is the sweet spot according to Dr. Nasha Winter who was on the show a while back (you can listen to her episode here.) I asked Dr. Nasha about how to prevent cancer, she talked about sleep is so important, but it wasn’t just about the quantity of sleep but the actual sleep timing so that it would balance with the circadian rhythm.

What I advise my clients to get more sleep or how to get more sleep is to make sure to set a reverse alarm when everything goes off and you head down towards your bedroom. Also, do some restful activistic before bed. One of my favorites is taking an Epsom salt bath while reading a good book just to relax, unwind and let the day go by.

Another really good thing is to have a journal by your bed so that you can remember what got to do the next day. You also want to sleep in a cool, dark room and I have a chilipad which I TOTALLY LOVE! You can hear my podcast with Tara Youngblood who is the founder of the chilipad and it is AMAZING!

I also take magnesium before bed – 400 mg and that also relaxes my muscles which helps me sleep. I no longer use any screens near bedtime because the blue light that emits from your gadgets is really disruptive to melatonin production and it will be difficult for your body to sleep from that blue light exposure.

Another thing is the LED lightbulbs. In my room, I have the old incandescent light bulbs so that they emit blue light. They are not so easy to find these days because everything’s LED today.

Have a restorative practice too. I think stretching is really good. Sometimes, I do the yin yoga, sometimes I do the foam roller and sometimes, I just stretch. Either way, it is good to have a nighttime routine so that your body will realize that it is time for bed.

The other thing is hydration. You want to make sure that you get plenty of fluid.

I always say to my girls that are in the Lean Lady Challenge, “what is the difference between a grape and a raisin?” Well, that is the benefit when you hydrate for your complexion. Hydration is really key when protecting your immunity.

A gallon a day, keeps the plastic surgeon away is what I like to say, but how about, a gallon a day, may keep illness away.

It is really important to hydrate properly because most people are actually dehydrated and by the time they get thirsty, they’re re already dehydrated and they need more water.

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is to drink 16 oz. a glass of water, fill my hydroflask and drink a 32 oz. bottle of water in the gym. I believe that it is good to drink a liter by 9:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, and 3:00 PM so that you’re not up all night by going to the bathroom.

Some of the ways that you can improve your water intake are herbal tea – that counts as water. I love passion tea because it is hibiscus flowers.

Another step to boosting your immune system is eating foods that are high in antioxidants and polyphenols. Coffee is really good, they are really high in polyphenols.

Also, eat your vegetables. I always say to eat the most nutrient-dense vegetables possible. One of my favorites is broccoli sprouts and I make my own broccoli sprouts because it is super easy. You just get a seed sprouting tray and some broccoli seed, organic is preferred and in 4 days you’ll get an amazing broccoli sprout. I also like to eat arugula, cilantro, the greens that are not just lettuce.

Other foods that are good to boost your immune system would be things like turmeric, dark chocolate, garlic, ginger, and even berries

Lastly, cut out the sugar, fast food, refined carbohydrates because those would create more yeast in your system and can lead to overgrowth of bad bacteria.

Coconut oil or oil pulling is really great practice that was developed – it was an ancient practice. What you will do is take a coconut oil which is an anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal, you melt it in your mouth like maybe a tablespoon and you swish around your mouth and all of your bad bugs on your mouth will kind of be magnet into the coconut oil and when you spit it out, those leave your mouth. Do this for about 20 minutes.

Another practice to boost your immune system is to make sure you have a practice in handling stress because stress can be toxic on your body.

Meditation in the morning is a great practice ideally before you do anything else so that your mind is still uncluttered from your day. All you need is 10-15 minutes.

You can use an app to CALM or HEADSPACE.

I do Qi Gong which is a moving meditation and it actually brings energy into your body. It is really helpful to restore the life-force in your body. I do Qi Gong at least every other day which is very beneficial.

One of my favorite ways to boost the immune system literally go out on the sun and get some vitamin D. Most people are vitamin D deficient and it is super important for a healthy body.

It is also important to wash your hands with soap and water. A good trick is to sing “Happy Birthday” twice while washing your hands.

I am not a fan of anti-bacterial because it will kill off all the bacteria, not just the bad ones and we have more bacteria in our body than we actually have cells so we want to keep, fertilize and maintain the good bacteria while destroying the bad ones.

Healing our gut can actually help our immune system. If your gut microbiome is out of balance, it can lead to immune issues.

Another great food to heal your gut and boost your immunity is bone broth.

Lastly is supplements. So, I take vitamin C and colloidal silver. I mix them up together which is my immunity cocktail and I take a very high-quality vitamin, mineral and fish oil. I also take enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics which will lead to healthy cells, immunity, and gut.

Our gut health is important to our immune health. At least 70-80 percent of our immunity resides in our gut and research has recently said that your gut controls so many functions to your body that is often referred to now as a second brain.

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