Woman with a runny nose/ShutterStock, DimaBerlin
Extreme emotional situations like the ones we are experiencing in the last few months take away many resources from our physical functioning, thus directly harming general resilience and the immune system in particular.
The nervous system is divided into two systems: the sympathetic system and the parasympathetic system.
The sympathetic system is designed to save us when we are in life-threatening situations - 'running away from the tiger in the jungle', and when it is activated, all the body's resources are focused solely on survival, so only body systems that are necessary for such situations will be activated - the heart, brain, blood vessels, muscles and breathing.
The parasympathetic nervous system is activated when we are relaxed and at ease, and it allows the activity of the other body systems such as immunity, digestion, hair, skin - everything that is less critical to our immediate survival.
The sympathetic nervous system does not know how to distinguish between a truly life-threatening situation and a situation of extreme stress - without a tangible danger to our lives.
The modern and fast-paced lifestyle, and periods of increased stress and anxiety such as the current period, do not allow sufficient times of relaxation and comfort;
What does not allow the parasympathetic nervous system to function optimally and as a result of this, does not allow the optimal functioning of many body systems, including the immune system, and hence there is a decrease in our physical strength.
In addition, the cold winter season, challenges our immune system that loves heat (that's why we raise a fever in times of illness), and the existing and difficult reality of today together create a significant immune challenge.
So it is true that not everything is under our control, but there are many things we can do in order to support our resilience these days, and create a daily routine that includes ingredients that will help our bodies cope and get stronger.
Chamomile Tea/ShutterStock
1. We will incorporate into our daily routine adaptogenic herbs
, which improve the body's coping with stressful situations, by supporting the activity of the adrenal gland.
The adaptogenic plants have a wide-ranging effect on the body and they provide broad and comprehensive support and are therefore highly recommended in complex periods:
• Intoxicating vetinia -
has an effect on the nervous system and the immune system.
Whitania reduces nervous oscillations, reduces nervous arousal and allows the nervous system to function calmly.
The uniqueness of Whitania is in the combination between strengthening the body on the one hand and giving relaxation and a feeling of competence.
Whitania provides stable ground on both an emotional and a physiological level.
• The reishi mushroom that comes to us from Far Eastern medicine.
Contains the well-known and researched active substance beta-glucan, which is mainly associated with strengthening the activity of the immune system in various mechanisms of action, and a large number of substances from the group of polysaccharides that are known for their antioxidant properties.
The reishi mushroom brings with it the wisdom of the earth and raises the energy levels and thus supports a very large number of physiological and neurological functions.
2. We will allow relaxation times during the day.
We want to make sure that the course of our day contains significant relaxation times, moments when we can allow the parasympathetic system to take command and enable the activity of body systems such as the immune system.
The type of rest or activity that will be easy for him to implement in order to increase the parasympathetic activity varies with each and every one, it can be lying on the couch quietly and reading a book, up to practicing yoga and/or meditation or breathing - anything that will allow us to enter some kind of silence and reduce the nervous arousal.
The plants that can support this are the relaxing plants such as: valerian, chamomile, melissa - common plants that each in their own way bring relaxation.
They can be consumed as a tea infusion, or as an extract.
3. We will take care of quality sleep as much as possible:
during sleep everything is renewed, all the information we absorbed during the day is processed, what is needed is thrown in the trash and what is needed is stored, the blood filtration in the liver is increased, and there is a renewal of many levels.
This is a critical time for the wild sympathetic activity.
There are many plants that support sleep, but 3 of them have been studied a lot - each one separately and together plants: Humulus looplus which is the hop we all know from the beer industry.
Passionflower leaves - the same bush that is common in many yards in Israel, and the hollyrian which is one of the best known medicinal plants for calming and calming the nerves.
A combination of all three together has been studied and found to be effective for the quality of sleep, the time to fall asleep, the depth of sleep, dreams, etc.
In addition, an infusion of melissa or chamomile before bed will contribute to a more restful sleep, help relax muscle spasms and facilitate the relaxation process required to fall asleep and reduce muscle or stomach pains that can disturb sleep.
In addition to plants, it is recommended to pay attention to the consumption of sugar and caffeine in the evening, to avoid stimulating activities such as sports and unhelpful meetings or conversations, and to go to bed only when you want to go to sleep and at a reasonable time (until 22:00) in order to "calibrate" the brain to the fact that when you go to bed that is the time Enable relaxation and quality sleep.
4. Immune system support:
The two leading plants in this category are Echinacea and Astragalus.
Echinacea is the most researched and known plant for immune support.
It can be taken daily for prevention and it is recommended to start taking it or increase the dose as soon as you feel that you are starting to get sick, and for a few days after you recover.
The echinacea plant reduces the intensity of the disease and shortens its duration.
Astrogols is also considered an adaptogen, increases the body's energy levels, and affects many body systems.
This support, which reduces the body's struggle and allows it to function optimally, in addition to a direct effect on the function of the immune system, as proven by research, makes astragalus a very effective plant in situations of general weakness that affects the immune system.
5. Increase the load of infections that the immune system deals with:
antiseptic and anti-inflammatory plants provide indirect support to the immune system.
As soon as we disinfect and reduce the levels of general inflammation in the body, we support the natural activity of the immune system and help it to do its job in the most optimal way.
It is worthwhile to incorporate oregano oil, curcumin, grapefruit seed extract into our daily routine - which have been proven both by research and have been used traditionally for many years as disinfectants and anti-inflammatories.
Oregano oil will be suitable when there are various infections in the respiratory or digestive system, grapefruit seed extract will be suitable for the treatment and prevention of infections in the digestive system and curcumin is a multi-system anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, suitable for taking daily for support as well as in situations that require significant anti-inflammatory work.
Roni Cohen Schreiber is a naturopath and clinical herbalist
More on the same topic:
medical herbs
pressure
stress
winter
immune system