Winter has officially arrived so there’s no better time to ensure your immune system is as strong as it can be to keep colds and flues at bay.
To help you survive the cooler temperatures this winter, ProbioSkin’s co-founder Amanda Parker has put together her 7 top tips to build immunity this winter.

But first….. what is immunity?

• Immunity is the ability of an organism to resist a particular infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies or sensitised white blood cells.

Protecting yourself through winter is a daily commitment, a lifestyle plan of action, choosing to consider yourself, be selfish, by checking in with our 7 top tips for building winter immunity.

Stay Warm
Hot or cold, our bodies prefer to have our core body temperature remain stable, at 37 degrees C (98.6F) and within 0.6 C (1F) either way as we are running about in a normal day. Incredibly, more than 1 Degree C (33F) of variation from our core body temp, for any length of time, can affect how well or unwell we are. At our ideal temperature, our bodily systems function well and our immune system is efficient in responding to daily fluctuations and warding off viruses and germs. So for winter, be prepared, carry a scarf for those sudden changes in temperature, windy days, or commuting home in the evening. Keeping your neck (glands, thyroid), ears and back of your head warm and cosy, can help to keep your whole body warm and protected from the “chill factor”. The lower back and kidney area is another “chill factor “ zone to be aware of so a singlet, bodyglove or camisole, or a jacket that covers this area can be the magic that protects you from sudden environmental temperature fluctuations. Not always so sexy when out at night but neither is a runny nose ☺ Herbal teas are a pleasant way to keep warm and with ingredients such as ginger, lemongrass, and rosehips in Mayella Ginger Kisses, they will warm your inner core and ward off chills and infections.
Side note: a separate consideration is Cryotherapy, a specialised therapy using extreme cold. It can have many health benefits for our body, as will hot yoga, steam rooms & sauna, all building a strong immune system and longevity with purposeful cold and heat sessions as opposed to systemic influences that arise with day to day activities.

Keep Hydrated
An all year round factor for a happy healthy body. It may not be so easy drinking the 2-3 litres of H2O in winter but your body craves fluids when the air is dry and we are usually in heated environments throughout this season. I highly recommend infused waters and non-caffeinated herbal teas as they keep you hydrated, have antioxidants and phytonutrients to assist with maintaining your immunity plus they’ll keep your tastebuds entertained. If you choose to drink fluids that contain caffeine, sugar, flavours, preservatives and other additives, they all involve some level of give and take by the body, sacrificing the value of the hydration factor.
A herbal tea such as Mayella Ginger Kisses, Beauty & Brains, or Skin Tonic is beautiful to make up and drink warm in the morning, taking the brew with you in a thermos to keep warm or letting it cool slightly and taking to drink as a cold tea throughout the day. You may prefer an infused water where you slice one or more different fruits such as lemons, limes, kiwifruit, strawberries, oranges, or herbs such as mint or parsley and layer into a wide necked bottle or jug.

Sleep Well
Winter is a time our bodies naturally want to hibernate, not literally quite like our bear friends but it makes sense that as the nights are longer, we need to consider our sleeping patterns. Going to bed earlier and if you’re not yet ready to sleep, reading a book, writing in your journal whilst sipping on a herbal tisane or doing some breathing exercises as part of a meditation is so very restorative and helps the mind to reconnect to important “down time”. Rest, Recycle & Repair happens in down time and important physiological processes are busily happening while we are off in LaLa Land zzzzz. Finishing the day with a Herbal Tisane such as Mayella Rest Easy is like enjoying a sleep tonic, formulated to destress, unravel your mind from your day and calm your being and helping your mind to hand over into a deep sleep pattern, allowing you to awake feeling refreshed and recharged. If you’re feeling tired at 8.00pm, go to bed! Pushing past the evening tired zone often leaves you on a “second wind” that when you finally go to bed at 10.00pm or 11.00pm, you’ve lost the precious deep restoring sleep time that your body is telling you it needs. There is a connection between our sleep / wake cycles and our immune system where studies have shown that broken sleep, not enough sleep, and poor sleep cycles can lead to conditions such as inflammation, which underlies many conditions from poor skin health to arthritis, and even an increased risk of heart disease, obesity, certain cancers and diabetes. Quality and consistent hours of sleep are vital to building immunity.

Let it Shine
Sunshine, it makes us happy and keeps us healthy. As with all things in life, moderation and timing is everything and sunlight is no exception to this rule. We need exposure to sunlight to trigger vital functional processes such as the production of Vitamin D, a hormone that helps with bone growth and density, avoiding debilitating conditions such as osteoporosis by balancing calcium and phosphorus and increasing our ability to absorb magnesium. Did you know current research indicates that most people on our planet are magnesium deficient? Blood pressure and cholesterol levels are affected negatively by a lack of sunlight. And while we now know that sunbathing for hours, especially in the midday sun, is a no no, as little as 15 quality minutes a day can give us the immune boosting benefits we need for good health. Sunlight through windows and natural lighting count as healthy exposure to our daily sunshine requirements, boosting our physical health and immunity health as well as our mental health by helping us to avoid S.A.D or seasonal affective disorder.

Eat Well

Such a delightful experience and kind of essential to life. Eating a well balanced diet of whole foods, fruit and vegetables is absolutely key to building and maintaining a healthy immune system. Seasonal changes means considering changes in diet to support your body and provide the kind of nutrients it is looking for to protect and nurture itself. During winter months, include herbs and spices in your cooking to warm your body and blood against the cold, to aid digestion, and add antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, with garlic and turmeric, to make winter foods tasty and aromatic as well as medicinal. By eating what is seasonal and locally produced, perhaps from the local farmers markets, you are in tune with your environment and you’ll enjoy fresher produce that holds good nutrient density and you’ll be supporting a grower/small business person. Supplementing with nutrient rich, alkalising plant and algae based foods such as Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Spirulina is an easy way to access quality easily absorbed minerals, vitamins, enzymes and phytonutrients to maintain immunity in busy lives. Nothing can be quicker in the afternoon than an after school or gym smoothie with a tspn of Mayella Green Harmony or Nourish thrown in the blender along with a banana, tspn of honey, milk of choice. Simply blend, drink, play or aagh do your homework! A sensational morning tea or healthy dessert is 1 tspn of Mayella Acai Berry Beautiful in a cup of Coyo, stir in and devour! A quick Berry Milkshake with 1 tspn of Mayella Acai Berry Beautiful in a glass of Almond Milk, stir and enjoy in an instant. Morning Oats with Mayella Acai Berry Beautiful sprinkled over is an absolute favourite of everyone. An easy and delicious way to boost your winter antioxidant value.

An absolute winter menu favorite is putting on the slow cooker in the morning loaded with blood building and nourishing root crops such as pumpkin, beetroot, sweet potato and lentils, barley, split peas, herbs and spices such as bay leaves, garlic, turmeric, mustard seeds, black pepper and organic chicken pieces on the bone, organic osso bucco or shanks if you’re a meat eater. Making coming home from work and school and the evening meal so easy and pleasurable. With a home filled with the smell of a hearty delicious immune building meal waiting for you. Extra bonus there’s hardly any dishes to wash up!

Get Moving

Also known as exercise, is definitely a positive way to have more energy, self confidence and self connection, and build your immunity over winter. Shorter days in winter can be a deterrent but if you don’t want to run or walk in the dark, then googling your local studios for optimal times makes it easy to stop making excuses about getting some daily movement. It’s as good as sex, physiologically speaking, generating neurotransmitters that create a rush and gentle buzz or high you get when you’ve been moving it. Moving your body is fundamental to a healthy immune system, triggering a number of physiological processes that are powerful in managing our internal balance, with certain systems like the lymphatic system depending on it for optimal functionality. The lymphatic system is a key part of defending our immunity, eliminating toxins and waste, transporting white blood cells, infection fighting cells and system regulating cells. Movement of the lymphatic fluids occurs mainly by muscular contraction and gravity. Movement exercises every part of your body, your heart, lungs, blood vessels, brain, nervous and skeletal systems, kidneys, liver, it’s a true team effort and your body thanks you for it by being healthy, energetic and having a strong immune system. Make sure you maximise the benefits by remembering to rehydrate after exercise and replenishing essential micronutrients. 1 tspn of Mayella Nourish, Alkalise Green & Go or Green Harmony in 500 mls of water or Coconut water, or you may prefer Mayella Green Harmony or Wheatgrass capsules with water, as the magic formula to flood your body with an electrolyte drink filled with acid flushing, blood building, clean, lean plant based cell food.

Laugh lots
Laughter truly is medicine for the soul, mind and body. Laughter relaxes the jaw and those anger, tension muscles that tighten up and cause discomfort, even teeth grinding at night. It exercises facial muscles promoting circulation, facial muscle tone and upward smile curves enhanced not downward frown lines. Laughter brings a sparkle to the eyes and aura, you feel better so you are better! The Dalai Lama advises laughter therapy is an ingredient for longevity. We’re smiling about that idea.

We have created a selection of immune building support products that will assist you with keeping you at your best this winter:

• Mayella Immune Building Support Products
• Green Harmony Nutritonal Powder and Capsules
• Nourish Nutritional Blend
• Alkalise Green & Go
• Acai Berry Beautiful antioxidant blend
• Wheatgrass Capsules
• Ginger Kisses Herbal Tisane
• Rest Easy Herbal Tisane
• Beauty & Brains Herbal Tisane
• Skin Tonic Herbal Tisane