Choose Whole-Food Supplements over cheap synthetic supplements
– it’s better for you!
High quality, organic & pure whole-food supplements are a way of guaranteeing you get precisely the right ingredients in the correct form at the right time each day. I’ve spent over ten years formulating supplements for Rejuv and Welleco.
It is also possible to do this by eating the right food. It’s a significant investment of time, but you can do it if you have the time and patience! Once you get it right, you will enjoy elevated energy levels plus you’ll both look and feel amazing.
Choosing the Right Whole-Food Supplements
Thermogenic and spicy foods like garlic, ginger, chilli, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, green tea and apple cider vinegar are great at supporting metabolism and your immune system. Eating these foods, particularly garlic, has excellent effects because of its anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.
Drinking lots of water makes our cells plumper. It allows maximum nutrition into each cell, supporting energy production in your mitochondria, while flushing out toxins, leading to less acidic build-up, less water retention and fewer cravings for sugary, fatty foods.
Whole-Food Supplements I Recommend
High Quality, Organic & Pure
To fast track your health and get all you need from food, especially with social distancing in place, you can use some essential supplements to support your immune system.
The vitamin industry is a minefield, so I always suggest whole-food supplements from plants not synthetic from a lab. It’s easy to tell as the ingredients of a product will list the name of a plant or say magnesium or ascorbic acid (vitamin C etc.).
List of Specific Whole-Foods to Boost Your Immune System
Super Greens
I always use Welleco Super Elixir as my foundational and nutritional support to nourish all of my cells and support the function of all of my organs and systems. I formulated this whole-food supplement potion for Elle Macpherson after she came to see me as a patient.
Whole-Food Vitamin C
Organic, non-corn and non-synthetic so that it is truly effective. Our Rejuv Immune Support Capsules only use vitamin C from acerola cherry, parsley, blackcurrant, rose-hips and elderberry. Hippocrates, ‘the father of medicine’, described this berry as his ‘chest of medicine’ due to its many powerful effects. Elderberry is an excellent example of a natural anti-viral and immune-boosting food that is hard to get in your diet, so supplementation is best. Elderberries, AKA Sambucus, contain chemical compounds called anthocyanins, which are known to have immuno-stimulant and anti-viral effects.
Medicinal Mushrooms/Beta-Glucans
Maitake, Reishi, Shitake, Lions Mane and Chaga are my favourite synergistic blend of medicinal mushrooms and have been used successfully for over 2000 years to support immune and overall health. These mushrooms are high in beta-glucans which are hailed as ‘biological response modifiers’ that help white blood cells improve their immune coordination.
A published paper in PubMed in 2007 by Akramiere et al. supports beta gluons ability to inhibit cancer growth and protect against viruses. These mushrooms are some of the natures most powerful superfoods, and Reishi is often hailed to be ‘nature’s Xanax’, and I think we all need that at the moment!
Astragalus Root, Ginseng & Echinacea
You can find these immune-boosting plants as foods or in supplement form with ongoing supportive research of their benefit to strengthen the immune system. One such paper by Block & Mead published on NCBI on 2003 supports the wonderful effects of these plants on the immune system. You can source these ingredients from your local community, or by taking super greens from WelleCo. or Rejuv.
Antioxidants Such As Acai, Moringa, Grape-Seed Extract & Resveratrol
Nothing replaces lots of colourful fruits and vegetables in your diet, but with supplies limited in some countries you can fast track on top of your diet with these essential ingredients. Research suggests that antioxidants may play a role in easing cold or flu symptoms due to their ability to prevent damage to immune cells by neutralising free radicals (agents in the environment that may damage your cells and reduce your immune function). In addition to fruits and veggies, this A list of antioxidants are fantastic to add to your diet.
Our Rejuv Acai Anti-Oxidant Complex contains all of these ingredients, but you can also source these ingredients individually in your local community.
Curcumin
The active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin, and if married in with piperine (the active ingredient of black pepper), you have a powerful immune-boosting combination! Used for thousands of years in ayurvedic medicine curcumin gives generous immune support due to its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties.
Curcumin is linked to immune system modulation, altering the immune response to avoid hypersensitivity reaction. Bronchial problems result from the hypersensitive response of the immune system, and curcumin can help balance such reactions.
An informative published paper in NCBI in 2007, titled “Spicing up” of the immune system by curcumin” by Jagetia & Aggarwai supports such immune-boosting claims.
The key is to source organic curcumin and pipeline combined supplement to get the desired effect or use 4 tablespoons of turmeric and black pepper in your cooking each day. If this proves too tricky, take 2 of our Organic Turmeric Blend each day with the correct ratio of curcumin & piperine.
Pre- & Probiotics
Gut function and healthy microbiome are essential to have a good immune system. If your ratio of good to harmful bacteria is in order, your immune system can handle the onslaught of cold/ flu viruses. Pre bionics such as inulin is the preferred food source of your good bacteria.
This is a fantastic way to boost your good gut bacteria for there are millions of stands to be fed. Probiotics are the stands of good bacteria themselves, and you need at least 20 billion to reinoculate well. Adding sauerkraut, kimchi, organic kefir, kombucha & apple cider vinegar (with the slimy mother component) will all boost your good bacteria.
You should be able to source good pre- and probiotics in your local community and we at Rejuv have probiotics for adults (Probiotic Max & Gut Repair) or kids (Kids Gut Support Sachets). We also have pre-biotic inulin from whole food chicory to feed your existing colony of good bacteria and therefore boost your immune system.
All of these suggestions in this blog are safe to use as foods for both children and adults but for supplementation consult your local naturopath or email us and we are happy to help determine what is best for you and your loved ones. Of course, it’s not about eating lots of pills but doing what is needed to support each one of The 7 Pillars of Wellness and seeing how you can better support your health.
Most suggestions you can easily do which cost near to nothing. Others like sourcing organic food or whole food supplements take an investment but your best with what you have and extend grace and love to yourself for putting healthy habits into place that will support your mind, body and spirit long term.
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This blog is not intended to diagnose or treat an illness if you feel unwell and have a fever consult your local healthcare authorities.
