Six Ways to Up Your Immune Support

As we head into the winter, and coughs and colds start to fly around schools, offices and homes. So what should you do to keep your engine ‘revving’ as it should? Our in-house nutritional expert has some ideas…

Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep

We’ve all read how important it is to get a good night's rest, and that as adults we require seven hours of good sleep every night. One of the reasons for this is that sleep can really impact immunity - and making sure we get enough rest every night can help our immune system to work more effectively, preventing us from getting sick¹.

Good tips for improving your nightly sleep quality include: 

• Limit screen time at bedtime - blue light from screens can negatively affect your ability to sleep well.

• Have a set bedtime routine, which is calming and relaxing to you. Go through this routine at the same time every night - this will help program your body to be ready for sleep. 

• Exercise regularly. 

• Try using a sleep mask.

Look After Your Diet

Making sure your diet contains plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, greens, wholefoods, nuts and seeds, will help to make sure that you are taking in the antioxidants your body and immune system need. (Antioxidants help to protect our body's cells against damage and help to reduce inflammation.)

Eating a diet rich in these foods will also ensure you are getting enough fibre, which in turn will support your gut bacteria. Research has shown that having a healthy microbiome (the place where your gut bacteria live) will help to support your immune system².

Exercise...Within Reason

Moderate exercise has been shown to be supportive of your immune system - helping your immune cells to regenerate more regularly³.

This doesn’t mean you need to hit the gym everyday or take up running marathons - as with many things in life, moderation is the key. Too much exercise, performed at too high an intensity, will not have the same benefits for your immune health.

Examples of moderate exercise include a bike ride, a swim, hiking and even brisk walking. 

Try to Manage Stress

We know - this is more easily said than done…but it IS important! Experts have found that being under constant stress will have a negative impact on your immune system - and therefore on your ability to fight off infections. 

Top Up on Vitamin D

The vital role of Vitamin D in supporting a healthy immune system is now well known (thanks to a LOT) of very good publicity during the pandemic). As is the fact that most of us (particularly in the UK) are possibly quite low in this essential vitamin. Many health experts suggest topping up on Vitamin D every day (especially through the winter months) to help keep the immune system functioning at its best. 

Our Like Sun supplement has been specially formulated by our experts to provide an optimum daily dose of Vitamin D3. 

• Vitamin D is an oil soluble nutrient. This means it needs oil to be effectively absorbed. Like Sun has combined our vegan sourced vitamin D with extra virgin olive oil to help ensure optimal absorption.  

• Vitamin D is available as Vitamin D3 or Vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 is the form used most effective by the body to increase blood levels of vitamin D⁵. This is why Like Sun is made using pure, natural vitamin D3.

• Vitamin D does not just support the immune system, it is also important to ensure healthy calcium absorption and to support healthy bones. It is not alone in this. Vitamin K2 may be the most important vitamin you’ve never heard of when it comes to supporting bone health. That’s why we have included vitamin K2 in our Like Sun formulation. 

...And Vitamin C

Like Vitamin D, Vitamin C also received a great deal of publicity during the pandemic - although many people were already aware of its role in supporting immune health, which is why vitamin C supplements have always been a popular choice for people over the winter season. Efficient C has been specially developed for Beauty Pie to provide our members with the ULTIMATE Vitamin C supplement: 

• DID YOU KNOW: Vitamin C is generally made with water soluble ascorbic acid? This is a cheap, and widely available source of vitamin C. However, as our cells are surrounded by a lipid barrier, it is not always easy for normal, water soluble vitamin C to be absorbed into your cells (we all know oil and water do not mix well!). Enter Liposomal Vitamin C!

• Liposomal Vitamin C (like Efficient C) has been surrounded by a lipid blanket - the same as your cells! Meaning the cells of the body recognise it, and happily absorb it. Making Liposomal Vitamin C significantly more bioavailable and effective for your body! Liposomal Vitamin C is generally much more expensive - unless of course you are a Beauty Pie member!

• Another benefit of a Liposomal Vitamin C V a standard vitamin C tablet, is that it STAYS IN YOUR BODY LONGER! Because it is not water soluble, and therefore cannot be easily washed out of your body, Liposomal vitamin C (read Efficient C) will stay in your body longer, and work harder for you!