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It seems as though everyone is getting sick right now. Did you know those long runs we’re doing week in and week out actually suppress out immune systems? It’s true, endurance athletes are chronically taxing their immune systems with the training routines they keep.
Did you know that 70-80% of your immune system is located in your gut? It is interesting how many long distance athletes also deal with gut issues when training and competing.
Supporting your immune system can actually make your gut more resilient to running those long distances saving you from the pain of what goes wrong in the poop department.
Whether the latest cold/flu has gotten you or not, the following pointers can help you recover faster and avoid getting sick altogether.
The Don’ts:
The Do’s:
Don’t get overwhelmed by the food restrictions if you consume a lot of these. Instead, focus on adding in more of the Do’s. You’ll find that, eventually, you won’t be consuming or be drawn to the Don’ts as much. Try to buy organic of these when you can as well. The cleaner the source, the better. Here’s a list of the produce you should absolutely be buying organic.
When purchasing your nutrition, I highly recommend getting it from a medical professional: chiropractor, acupuncturist, naturopath, etc. as they generally will have nutrition that is safer, cleaner, more effective and pharmaceutical/professional in it’s grade. If this isn’t an option, then please get your nutrition from your local health food store. Ask the person in charge of that section to help you out. Please DO NOT purchase your nutrition from places like Costco, Sams, Walmart, etc. One of my favorite quotes – “The most expensive supplement is the one your body cannot use.” If you have any other questions about nutrition or want a source that is professional, pharmaceutical, meets and exceeds all GMP, NSF, NSF Sport and TGA standards, here’s the line I use in my office with my patients and consume myself: PureShock Nutrition.
One other important variable that impacts the immune system is sleep and rest. Try to shoot for 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. If that’s not doable, opt for as much uninterrupted sleep as you can. Make sure the sleep you’re getting is quality sleep. For more tips and pointers for optimizing sleep, check out Top 5 Sleep Hacks. Also, no over-training please! Pay attention to how you’re feeling. If you’re constantly sore and tired, maybe it’s more important for you to rest than train that day. Over-training not only increases your risk of injury, but it also negatively impacts your immune system.
You can watch the Periscope interview with Dr. Kelly here where we go a little more in-depth on this topic.
Here is Lauren’s (Ultra Mama contributor) typical daily nutrition:
Pre-breakfast:
Pro-biotics with 1/2tbs ginger and 1tbs lemon juice
Breakfast:
Sweet potato scramble- 1/2 sweet potato, 1 cup arugula, 1/2 avacado sea salt and pepper + my “anti-inflammatory” smoothie
Snack:
Pumpkin seeds and a Kind bar (gluten free version), coconut milk latte.
Lunch:
Buffalo burger and salad or some kind of rice pasta dish with sauteed zucchini and squash
Snack:
Banana or apple. Sometimes on a day I am working out a ton I make some homemade salsa and have chips and salsa.
Dinner:
Salmon, rice and veggies or a Udi’s gluten free pepperoni pizza with berries for dessert.
Lauren’s anti-inflammatory smoothie recipe:
Happy training and here’s to stronger immune systems and becoming more ultra!