Month: October 2020

There’s a distinct chill in the air, Halloween is just around the corner and pumpkin spiced lattes are back in coffee shops – there’s no doubt that fall has arrived.

And while there’s plenty to love about the change of weather, one thing none of us is looking forward to is the impending arrival of cold and flu season.

However hard we try to avoid it, during the winter months it almost seems inevitable that we’ll end up feeling tired, rundown and generally just lousy all round.

Which is why Gabriela Peacock believes now is the right time to start thinking about our immune health. 

The A-list nutritionist, who helps her clients – including the likes of TV star Piers Morgan and British royalty Princess Beatrice – boost their health and wellness, says this is especially important at a time that many of us are feeling stressed and anxious. 

She says: ‘Anything that increases stress will have a negative effect on our immunity, and stress is something that’s very hard to control at the moment.’

Gabriela explains that the capacity of our immune systems is impacted by multiple lifestyle factors, including emotional state, stress, smoking, physical activity and exercise levels, dietary habits and nutritional status.  

‘By supporting healthy habits in these areas, you can sustain a healthy immune system,’ she adds.

So what can we do to create healthy habits? And how does nutrition and diet play into this? Below, Gabriela has answered some of our key questions about how we can help support our immune systems this fall and winter.

Why should we focus on nutrition? 

Although at the moment it can feel hard to control what’s going on around us and to manage our stress levels, one thing we can control is our diet.

Gabriela points out that although good nutrition cannot prevent the pathogens that get you sick from entering your body, it can help you stay strong and healthy so when you are exposed to them you have the best chance to fight them off.  

She says: ‘Deficiency or insufficiency of any number of important nutrients that are key components of the immune response can lead to an impaired immune response.

‘For example, Vitamin D is known to modulate the immune response and historically deficiencies in Vitamin D have been linked to seasonal illness.’

The nutritionist has built up a range of high-quality supplements, GP Nutrition. Supplements are there for when we need that bit of extra nutritional support, but Gabriela points out that sometimes the first thing we can do is simply make a few changes to what we eat.  

What does good nutrition look like? 

Gabriela says the best way to promote good nutrition is to consume a balanced and healthy diet that supports balanced blood sugar levels.

The simplest way to do this is by creating protein-focused meals with a minimum of five vegetables per day and by trying to make your plate as colorful as possible. 

The nutritionist points out that you don’t need to radically overhaul your eating habits to better support your immune system, as even a few small tweaks can make a big difference.

She says: ‘If you push yourself too hard you increase your stress levels and it becomes a vicious cycle. You need to make realistic changes.’  

The following vitamins and nutrients are some of the most important for a healthy diet, so you can start by adding a few of the foods mentioned onto your plate each mealtime.   

Vitamin D: We can often get all the Vitamin D our bodies need from sunlight, but in the colder darker months we may need some help from food sources. These include oily fish (such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel), red meat, egg yolks and fortified foods. 

Essential fatty acids: This includes omega-3s which are found in oily fish like mackerel, salmon or sardines. Or you can get them straight from their source, which means seaweed or algae. Nuts and seeds are also rich in omega-3s. 

Carotenoids: Found in red, yellow and orange plant foods, such as carrots, squash, sweet potato, turmeric, orange and tomatoes.

Flavonoids: Found in green, blue and purple plant foods, leafy greens, berries, artichoke, red onions, apples and peppermint.  

Zinc: Found in in red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, wholegrains, avocados, and berries.  

Vitamin C: Found in citrus fruits, broccoli, greens and peppers. 

Vitamin E: Found in nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables (broccoli and spinach), avocados and wild salmon. 

Vitamin A: Found in eggs, oily fish and dairy.

B-carotene: Found in bright orange/red/yellow plants like carrots, yellow peppers, yellow fruits like mango and apricot, and green leafy vegetables. 

Although a good diet is the first step, if you’re struggling to provide your body with all the nutrients and vitamins it needs, Gabriela says it’s worth considering a supplement.

She points out that we can struggle to get enough Vitamin D through food alone, so she recommends that adults supplement their diet with at least 10 micrograms of Vitamin D during the fall and winter in temperate climes like the UK.  

During the wintry months, it might also be worth considering an all-round kit, such as the newly released GP Immunity, which contains a range of nutritional support designed to help you look after yourself from the inside out.  

Can supplements help?

Although Gabriela points out that there’s no need to take supplements all year round, she says they can be beneficial when we need a little help.

She says: ‘A lot of people ask me why supplements and why not just food? The reason is there are just so many stressors in our lives at the moment. 

‘If we were super happy and relaxed on the beach in the summer we wouldn’t need a supplement, but we are all so challenged at the moment.’ 

During the colder months, the nutritionist says her clients often come to her feeling tired and run down, which is when she may suggest supplements from her GP Nutrition range.

‘You don’t have to take them all the time,’ she says. ‘But over the winter when your immune system might be a little compromised, I recommend that all my patients take probiotics and a good quality multinutrient. 

‘I’m a great believer that you don’t need one supplement all year round. You need a supplement to support your lifestyle, which is why at this time of the year it’s a good idea to think about your immune system.’ 

Not only do long dark evenings leave many of us prone to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but the holiday season can lead to stress and anxiety, which in turn can result in sleeplessness and low mood.

This is why Gabriela created GP Immunity, a handy grab-and-go kit that features essential vitamins and minerals to support you from the inside out. 

‘It has all the nutrients your body needs to re-balance,’ the nutritionist explains. ‘It will address everything from feeling a bit down to having low energy levels and sleeplessness.’

GP Immunity contains GP Nutrition’s bestselling GP Gold superfood drink, which is full of antioxidants and nutritious berries like aronia, as well as its Clean Me capsules packed with essential vitamins and minerals like Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Selenium.  

Gabriela adds: ‘It’s not just your classic antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It also has other ingredients that you find in superfoods that support the normal function of your immune system.’ 

There’s also a daily live cultures capsule to support a healthy gut, which Gabriela explains is great for digestion and will help you break down and absorb the nutrients in your diet. 

What else can I do to support my immune system?

Aside from nutrition, Gabriela says there are several simple steps we can all take to help boost our immune health.

1. Sleep: Do your best to get seven or more hours of good quality sleep each night. 

This will benefit your emotional state and stress levels, as well as appetite and energy levels, all of which have an impact on immune health.

2. Reduce stress: Keep work in a separate room if you are working from home. Embrace hobbies that reduce stress like walking, dancing, or cooking. 

Also be kind to yourself – this is a challenging time and all you can do is your best.

3. Stop smoking: This one may sound like a no-brainer, but stopping smoking or cutting down can help promote a strong immune system.

4. Stay active: Exercise is one of the best things you can do to keep yourself physically and mentally healthy. 

Aim for at least a 30-minute walk every day.

5. Support gut health: Take a daily probiotic (or live cultures capsule) to support a healthy gut microbiome.