Oh joy, winter is upon us. With daylight savings ending, the days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler, and noses are getting runnier. When I was younger, a key personality trait of mine was always having a cold. After years of sore throats and stuffy noses, I have tried adding a lot of vitamins and supplements to my routine. Keep reading for a little info on the ones I am currently taking to beef up my immune system for the coming months!
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A couple reminders:
- I’m neither a doctor nor a dietician and if you want to adjust your diet or vitamin/supplement intake, you should talk to one first.
- You can often get enough of these vitamins and minerals from your diet, but it depends on the person obviously.
- Every medicine and supplement interacts differently with other things you may be taking or your body in general.
What I’m currently taking:
Vitamin D
We get vitamin D from the sun as well as fatty fish and fortified dairy milk. I take this year-round because I have a deficiency, but I double the dosage during the winter when I’m exposed to the sun less. After Freshman year of college, my routine blood work showed that I needed more vitamin D. My dad asked how I could possibly be so deficient, And I said, “Hello?? I barely went outside that year.” Funny what depression can do to ya! It’s okay to laugh now, I promise.
Vitamin C
My girl, C, is pretty much the celebrity of the vitamin world what with products like AirborneAirborn and Emergen-C. She even comes in cute little orange-slice-shaped gummies (that’s what I take). Vitamin C is another immune system booster and comes from citrus fruits and bell peppers among other fruit and vegetables. Not to mention, if you’re a pirate, it staves off scurvy!
Zinc
Have you ever taken Zicam at the first hint of a nasty bug? A primary ingredient of it is Zinc. Since it’s inadvisable to take Zicam for more than a few days in a row, I looked into adding Zinc into my routine outright as supplements. It helps with a strong immune system and metabolism, and you can get it from some shellfish, legumes, and red meats. The combo of the vitamin C, D, and zinc is my holy trinity of immune system support.
Oil of Oregano
Here’s where I deviate from the basics in my immune system reinforcement. Oil of oregano is derived from… you guessed it; oregano, duh. There are studies showing that it’s pretty much anti-everything: antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, potentially antioxidant and more. I learned about taking oil of oregano from a Broadway podcast (Unfortunately, I can’t remember which one, which really tells you something about my podcast listening genre breakdown).
If you want to read info about Oil of Oregano from real scientists, check out this study from the National Institutes of Health.
Echinacea
Echinacea is an herb that is supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties along with immune support. I take it as both a capsule and a tea depending on my mood. I can remember my mom taking echinacea when I was little and I always thought it sounded like some magic ingredient. Although it’s not quite magic, I do find it helps when I take it during the course of a cold/flu or the week leading up to an important event or flight.
Probiotics
Probiotics are another supplement I take year-round. I’ve always had stomach issues, but I refuse to open myself up to the possibility of giving up cheese, so I haven’t done an elimination diet to test if I might have an intolerance. Probiotics are those good little bugs that are found in yogurt and other fermented foods. A lot of people believe gut health heavily affects your entire immune system. I’m not sure where I stand, but I know I definitely feel better when I’m consistently taking them. For more of the scientific info, check out this info page.
Bonus!!
I’m a huge fan of Liquid IV for recovery when I’m morbidly hungover. But I’ve been trying to treat myself as kindly as I do on a night out on regular nights as well. I’ve added Liquid IV into my routine more regularly. It can be harder to drink water for me when it’s colder outside, so an afternoon dose of this electrolyte packed powder is a definite help. Like most electrolyte drinks, the sodium comes with some sugar. I’m an avid water drinker to begin with but I love adding in a salty midday treat to boost my hydration!
What vitamins or supplements do you swear by? As I mentioned before, these are just what work for me and you should always be mindful about what you are adding into your routine!