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Sep 95 min read

How to Boost Your Immune System Naturally This Fall

by Harley Miller

For as long as I can remember, it has always been common for me and those around me to get sick whenever the weather began to change.

When our bodies get used to a certain climate, and when those conditions change suddenly, our bodies have to try to adapt. During this time, we can fall ill. However, for the most part, you won’t stay sick for an extended period—maybe a day or two—but it’s still such an inconvenience when you need to go to work, take care of the kids, or even want to enjoy some hobbies such as working out or going to the theater.


The body’s immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from harmful invaders such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and toxins. Its primary function is to detect those foreign substances (antigens) and launch a defense mechanism to eliminate them while also distinguishing between the body’s own cells and foreign entities to avoid attacking itself.


This is not to be confused with autoimmune diseases. In autoimmune conditions, this self-recognition system malfunctions, causing the immune system to mistakenly target and attack the body’s own cells, tissues, or organs. Some conditions that occur when this happens are alopecia areata, which causes hair loss when the immune system views the hair follicles as foreign and attacks them, stopping hair growth; lupus, which results in inflammation and damage to many organs and tissues, making lupus a particularly complex and sometimes life-threatening disease; and type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, which are some additional autoimmune diseases.


The first step to boosting your immune system is, of course, understanding it. The immune system has two main components: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system is the body’s first line of defense and responds quickly to invaders. It includes physical barriers like the skin, chemical barriers like stomach acid, and immune cells like macrophages and neutrophils that attack invaders immediately.


Second is the adaptive immune system, which develops more slowly and is highly specific. It involves immune cells like T cells and B cells that can remember specific pathogens, allowing for a more effective response if the same pathogen invades again in the future. This is how vaccines work—by training the adaptive immune system to recognize and fight diseases. But did you know there are more natural ways to boost your immune system?


Sure, there are a plethora of health gurus online who will tell you to get lots of exercise, sleep well, and eat a nutritional diet, but it’s far easier said than done. What are the things we should be eating? How many hours a night should we be sleeping? And what sort of exercise should you be doing? As someone who enjoys working out and goes to the gym often, I have always seen men and women on machines either overexerting themselves or not doing proper exercises and having bad form.


When this happens, there are usually little to no results, and then the advice is labeled as bad or ineffective. Different fruits and vegetables will give you different results. Incorporating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables provides essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support immune function. Specifically, spinach and kale are two greens that—if possible—should be added to each of your meals throughout the day.

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For example, in the morning, I try to have a spinach and egg wrap with light ketchup. I scramble the spinach and eggs together, and it’s always chef’s kiss. Next, for lunch, I try to have a nice salad mixed with spinach, tuna, tomatoes, cucumbers, and some croutons. For dinner, I have either cooked tofu or vegan sausages cooked with sweet peppers, spinach, and flaxseed, or I’ll opt for vegan ground beef, which is something I can also add my spinach and flaxseed to.


This is paired with either baked and/or roasted potatoes or, in some cases, a small amount of rice with broccoli. Kombucha also supports gut health and is an excellent substitute for wine—take it from me because I used to love my white wine. But having since switched my focus to eating more healthily, Kombucha is great. Next, of course, is exercise. If you’re a beginner in the gym, do yourself a favor and do not listen to others; listen to your body when it comes to cultivating a workout that is effective.


We all have different pain tolerance levels and can tear tissue if we do too much too soon. Some of these physical trainers are not good; they are only there for a paycheck, so watch out for them. What these trainers don’t tell you is that the more overworked your muscles are, the more your immune system has to put in extra work to repair and regenerate muscle tissue, leaving you susceptible to illnesses.


Consider getting a good hoodie and sweatshirt as well; places like LUEQ and Zara often have good sales on workout clothes. Right now, LUEQ has everything 75% off, and their ‘Ribbed Hooded Sweater’ for men is only $29.99 while supplies last. For women, their ‘Baseline Essentials Tennis Zip-Up’ is now only $49.99 but is already selling quickly. I just had to hurry up and grab a size small before they were all gone.


Next, of course, is sleep. Yes, I know this sounds cliché, but with the emergence of TikTok, I can with confidence say that there are a number of people whose sleep cycles have been disrupted. Do not allow this to happen to you; be sure to make some warm milk and cinnamon before bed, drink it, turn off your phone, and go to bed at an appropriate time. Your body and immune system will thank you. We know fall fashion is great, which is what I always see talked about, but taking care of your immune system takes precedence.

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