
Health and Wellness
Tips for Enhancing Your Immunity from Ayurveda Vancouver
Words by Preeti Syal

Inayurveda, digestion (having a strongagni) is given a lot of importance—especially for achieving strong immunity. Here are 10 tips forboosting your immunity through ayurvedic practices.
- Do not tax your digestion by eating heavy, rich, difficult-to-digest meals. Instead, eat easy-to-digest meals likekitchari: the staple ayurvedicmeal. Think lentil soups, vegetable soups, and cooked vegetables.
- Include spices such asturmeric, ginger, black pepper,cumin,coriander,fennel, and cinnamon in your diet.
- Chyavanprash is an herbal jam made up of herbs and spices to boost the immune system and improve strength and vitality. Take one or two teaspoons every morning.
- Eat immunity-boosting foods: fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A, C, and E, zinc, selenium, healthy fats (omega-3s), and proteins.
- Use bitter herbs such as dandelion tea, which is good for reducing toxins. Ayurveda offers manyimmunity-boosting herbs such as amla, tulsi, and turmeric.
- Avoid cold, heavy, oily foods. They reduceagni and in turn weaken the immune system. Avoid ice water with meals, and avoid cheese, ice cream, yogurt, fried foods, and packaged foods.
- Follow all the rules ofdinacharya (ayurvedic daily routines) and live in sync with nature. For example: use atongue scraper and aneti pot, and do an oilself-massage to cleanse toxins.
- Learn and followritucharya (ayurvedic seasonal routines) by eating timely foods and following a lifestyle routine appropriate for the season.
- Stress also has a direct effect on the immune system. It impairsagni which can lead toama (toxins), which then taxes the immune system as well as overloads the liver.
- Follow a good sleep schedule, ideally not going to bed later than 10 p.m.
And lastly, be positive!