Did you know, of all the drugs, medicines, herbs and nutrients, nothing has a more effective and complex way of battling pathogens than our own in-built immune system… when it’s working the way it’s designed!

So as we focus on the best foods to eat when we are feeling sick, what we are really doing is giving the cells of our immune system army a quick polish of its armour, a few extra weapons and a convoy of expensive, heavy vehicles to get to the fight.

1) HERBS

My long standing reigning champion herbal combination has been narrowed down to 2 simple formulas. The **Liquid Lozenge Propolis Throat Spray** is my number one prevention strategy and all round sore throat cure.

After breathing in a virus it can sit in your throat to begin the replication process. Antiviral throat sprays are a good way to stop replication. Because it comes in a little pocket sized spray bottle, you can keep it in your bag and by your bedside for 3 hourly sprays. The second tonic I recommend is the Virus Vanisher which is at therapeutic levels to address immune and viral load systemically. Although I modify it depending on the symptoms, the base often includes Echinacea, Andrographis, Propolis, Lime Flowers and Holy Basil – a killer combo for viruses and works well to modulate your immune response.

2) AVOID SUGAR and ALCOHOL

Do you know why we feel so tired in that first few days of a viral infection? It’s because in order for a virus to create little destructive baby viruses, it demands all the sugar it can get from within our blood.

It knows that we healthy humans put up a very good fight, so in the first couple of days of an invasion, a virus has to work at breakneck speed to replicate as much as possible to attempt its attack. As the virus eats up all your blood sugar like a kid at a birthday party, it produces lactic acid as a ‘thank you’ for the sweet treats and makes us feel like we’ve just climbed Mount Barney 2 times in the heat. Thanks for that.

Avoiding sugar and alcohol is a great way to cancel the virus party. I’d even go as far as to get into ketosis. That’s dropping your carbs down to about 20g a day and just focusing on low GI vegetables, protein and good fats. But feel free to ask me more about this so you’re prepared.

3) MOVE

As ‘yuck’ as we may feel and as important as it is to rest, light movement also helps to reduce the availability of glucose (sugars) in our blood to starve out the virus.

I’m not talking about a hard workout here. You need to conserve your energy for healing. I’m talking about walking around the house, getting into your garden, stretching or doing a youtube yin yoga session. 10 minute blocks 4 times a day will do it.

4) FOCUS ON PROTEIN, GOOD FATS and COLOURFUL FRUIT AND VEG

In the theme of stopping those carbs and lowering your blood glucose, you can replace your bowl of pasta or ice cream with some good quality protein.

Proteins break down into amino acids in the body which repair damaged cells and build new ones. Look for lean meats, chicken, fish and eggs as your first option. If you don’t eat these things, I’d suggest some vegan or whey protein powders. Legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains also contain some protein along with their carbohydrate content.

Some good fats like fish and avocado contain powerful vitamins that work directly on your immunity. Vitamins A, D, E and K are all found in fatty foods. Deficiencies in vitamins A and D in particular increase the likelihood of infections, and infections deplete the stores of these vitamins. So increase them as part of your action plan!

Vitamin A – Cod liver oil, liver, organic egg yolks and grass fed organic butter are your best sources. If you don’t eat these foods, then carrots, kale, spinach and apricots are good too.

Vitamin D – Delicious sunshine! And from foods, you can look for organic eggs and fish, or mushrooms.

5) VITAMIN C

This vitamin is a solid. It’s required for tissue repair and prevents inflammation - especially if you don’t get to your action plan fast enough and the virus gets a head start.

There’s some great studies to show how powerful vitamin C is in reducing bronchial constriction - how it opens up the airways which is always a good thing! More oxygen in your cells improves the way all your cells work. So, there’s a few ways to get your vitamin C in, depending on how dedicated you are to the cause.

From foods, look for organic citrus, parsley, green leafy veg, capsicum (red and yellow), broccoli stalks (yep – don’t chuck them!), guavas, berries, lychees, paw paw and kiwi fruit.

There’s also some great food based supplements made from our very own Aussie Kakadu plums, acerola cherries and rosehips.

If you don’t do things by halves, then get yourself pure 1000mg of vitamin C powder or tablet (maybe with bioflavonoids, but not with zinc or other things that become toxic in high doses) and take one every 3 hours for the first full day. It might give you a runny tummy, but at whatever dose this occurs, this is your very own personal bowel tolerance level, so note it down and don’t exceed it the next day.

6) HYDRATE

If you don’t have access to a natural spring in your backyard, then I’m afraid you will have to stick with filtered water. That’s water from a clean filter that doesn’t need a filter replacement…

Start your day with at least 500ml – 1L before you even get out of bed. Truly. Try this for yourself – it’s free! (Apart from the filter…) Then continue to consume another 1.5 – 2L throughout the day and drown the little buggers out.

7) ZINC

This powerful mineral is essential for the repair of your cells. It also inhibits bacterial and viral infections and prevents chronic inflammation.

So take it while you’re sick, and don’t stop taking for at least a couple of weeks after you feel better.

Try beef, seeds like pepitas or sunflower, nuts, whole grains, ginger and oysters… maybe not all in one dish though.

8) QUERCETIN

This tricky little colourful flavonoid prevents the virus from attaching to our cell walls. WHAT NOW?! Yes, it sort of ‘cuts off the feet’ of the virus to stop it docking on our cell walls and getting inside them to cause havoc.

It is literally antiviral because of this. It also has been shown to prevent the complications associated with viral infections.

Look for onions, apples, grapes, berries, broccoli, citrus fruits, cherries, green tea and capers.

To ensure the therapeutic dose though, you may want to supplement for the duration of your infection and a week or two after.

9) MUSHROOMS

There’s more and more research coming out highlighting the benefits of a variety of mushrooms for our overall health and wellbeing, but also for our immune system.

Mostly they are known for their ability to help our bodies adapt to stress which really helps take the load off our immune systems. They provide us with antiviral, anti microbial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and longevity effects, to name a few. This is really a massive topic and one I will write more about in future blogs. So for now, if you love a mushie, try some different types fresh from your grocer or market, or get them as a powder in teas or capsules. Or grow your own! Eat some type of mushroom each day as a great boost to your immune defenses!

10) JUNGLE TEA

Hot drinks like this jungle tea is another great way to burn off viruses in your throat, as well as increase your hydration.

In summary, a diet for the acute phase of an infection might look like this:

On waking:

500ml – 1L filtered water on waking

Breakfast:

Option 1: A little fruit salad with oranges, berries, kiwi, grapes, apples, cherries etc. Top it with sunflower and pumpkin seeds and nuts. Natural yoghurt can be added too.

Option 2: scrambled eggs with capsicum, garlic, onion, mushrooms and greens. Avoid the toast to minimise those carbs.

Lunch:

Option 1: Chicken soup with proper chicken stock made from organic chicken bones and plenty of vegetables. Add a big green patch of chopped parsley on top.

Option 2: Avocado and sustainable tuna on wholegrain crackers topped with fresh sprouts (broccoli if possible!)

Dinner:

Option 1: Crunchy cold salad with some fish or red meat, topped with a dressing of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Add chillies too if you can! If you don’t eat meat, please replace meat with egg or legumes.

Option 2: Green leafy veggies steamed with salmon or chicken or a vegan protein. Asian dressing like tamari, garlic, ginger and turmeric are all therapeutic – anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing.

In between:

Water, Chicken broth, water, jungle tea, water, smoothies, coconut water, nuts, fruit, seeds and more water!

10 step HOME ACTION PLAN for the first stage of illness.