7 Tips to Boost your Immune System Holistically
In times of pandemic, it’s more important than ever to strengthen your immune system and protect yourself from disease. According to Ayurveda, the immune system is intrinsically connected to a mysterious substance called ojas. The Sanskrit word ojas literally means “vigor.”
It is the life-sustaining essence that enhances your body's immunity. It’s the foundational key that protects you from disease and helps you maintain inner homeostasis, or balance. When ojas is healthy, the immune system functions properly and the mind is stable and content.
In Ayurvedic medicine, a healthy amount of ojas is considered critical to every aspect of your health and wellbeing.
How to strengthen your Ojas (immune system)?
1 | Eat immunity-boosting foods
1) Include Ghee (clarified butter) in your everyday diet. For the optimal benefit, sauté some spices in ghee first before you consume the ghee. The spices help to digest it by supporting digestive fire (called agni). When ghee is properly digested, it converts to ojas. Take 1 -3 tsp. per day to boost your immunity.
2) Other immune-boosting foods include organic whole milk and yogurt, highly pigmented fruits, nuts & seeds, green leafy vegetables and whole grains.
2 | Strengthen your agni (digestive fire)
Weak digestive power is the root of many conditions. Here are few tips to keep your agni strong.
1) Avoid drinking ice cold or refrigerated water because it is cold and antidotes the heat needed to sustain agni
2) Avoid Overeating. Too much of any food, even a healthy food, will causes weak digestion. Too much food suppresses the fire.
3) Chew your food well. Digestion begins in the mouth.
4) Avoid excessive consumption of heavy foods like cheese, meats, flour, oils, and sugar
5) Eat at regular times throughout the day. It supports body’s cyclic rhythm.
6) Allow at least 3-4 hours between meals
7) Sipping hot water, or ginger tea throughout the day will also boost your Agni
8) Avoid sleeping during the day. It can negatively affect both your body rhythms, your digestion and ultimately compromise your immune system.
3 | Cook with immune-boosting spices
Spices not only give wonderful flavors to a meal, but also provide certain therapeutic values, such as anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and make the nutrients easily available to the body. Different spices also have specific immune-boosting properties.
1) Turmeric has an immune-modulating effect, because it is detoxifying and enhances the intelligence of the immune cells.
2) Spices, such as ginger, black pepper, cumin, cloves and cinnamon burns the toxins in your body and helps the nutrients reach the deeper tissues. These spices will also help you keep your Agni strong.
4 | Get good sleep
Adequate sleep allows your body to fully rejuvenate and heal in a way that it cannot do during the waking hours. Aim for seven to nine hours per night, depending on your constitution.
5 | Get out and be more active
A daily brisk walk in the fresh air is an excellent routine. Proper exercise helps to release accumulated tension, move stagnant mental and emotional energy, and improve circulation. It also kindles your Agni and improves digestion.
6 | Connect with your higher self
Daily meditation and pranayama (breathing techniques), combined with spending time in nature, allow your body to reset its rhythms to a more peaceful pace. It positively affects the immunity response in the body by lowering stress.
7 | Ojas-increasing herbs
Herbs can be an amazing complement to these other ojas-increasing practices. Here are some of the most powerful ojas-enhancing herbs in the Ayurvedic medicine: Ashwagandha, Tulsi, Brahmi, Licorice, Amalaki, Shatavari, Jatamamsi, Gaduchi, Shanka Pushpi. Do consult an Ayurvedic Doctor before you start taking any herbs.
To Wrap Up:
Ayurveda teaches us that strong immunity are the natural outcomes of good health, which depends on balanced Agni, a healthy diet and a balanced daily routine. The above suggestions will undoubtedly support you on your path toward robust immune system and a vibrant health for a very long time.