July 12, 2025 • 4 mins
Erin is a naturopath. She holds a bachelor of science (physiology) and a bachelor of natural medicine.
Boosting your immunity to ward off colds and flus:
- As temperatures drop, colds, flu, and other respiratory infections become more common.
- Why do we tend to get more colds and flus in the winter months?
- How does the immune system fight viruses?
- Tips to support your body's natural defence system
- Stay well this winter - what supplements and herbs can boost your immunity?
- If you are sick, what supplements and herbs are helpful to speed up recovery?
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News TALKS'DB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It just feels like everybody sick at the moment. Everyone's
got a cold or a flu, got or some horrible,
horrible flu or two going around. Joining us now is
Aaron O'Hara to talk wellness.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
So you've got some tips to help us boost our
immunity toward off these colds and flowing things.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yeah, it's that time of year. There's so many bugs
around winter, colds and flus, and this time of the
year there's actually a reason why we do get sick
more often, is there with the colder air, there is
actually a change within the nose that actually affects our
immune system and how that we are affected by bugs
as well as been inside moss. So we go, it's
(00:51):
a bit of both, a bit of both. So we
do have a change in the way our body's functioning
as well, which makes us more susceptible to getting upper
respiratory infections with those colder weather changes as well. But
it's also to do with your immune system, and that's
where some people will pack up lots of bugs. Other
people not so much. The average amount of colds and
(01:13):
flows for a child is eight to ten a year,
the average for an adult about one to two. But
it really comes down to your immune system and how
your immune system functions and functions and fights off infection
and how it picks it up in the first place.
Because you've got your innate immunity, which is more your
first signed defense, which packs up if you've got any
infections that are there that could potentially then brew into
(01:36):
a cold or a flu. And then you've got an
adaptive immunity which really has that antibody response and actually
helps you with once you do get an infection.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Because I was going to ask you our immunity, can
it prevent us picking up a virus? Or I mean,
if we come in contact with the virus and we
get it, so to speak, can it make the severity
of the cough or cold? Can it affect the severity
(02:05):
of it? Can if we've got good immunity, can it
mean that it's a gentler it is?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
It's definitely can prevent you from packing up infections. So
if you do have a strong immune system, you're less
likely to pick up the infection as well as if
you do have a strong immunity, you'll be quicker to
recover from it too, And that's where our natural defense
system is so important, and that's where your foundation's have health.
Which we talked about so much over all our weekly
times is making sure we've got the foundations there, which
(02:33):
is we are what we eat, so making sure we're
getting plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds in there, eating
the color of the rainbow, variety of antioxidants going into
our diet. Looking at your alcohol consumption, and there's really
interesting studies on this that even moderate drinkers have lower immunity,
So maybe thinking about how much alcohol you have across
the winter months. Sleep always the foundation of your overall
(02:57):
health and wellbeing. If you have less than six hours
a night, you have a much lower immunity, so you're
more likely to pick up infections and take longer to
recover from sickness as well. So if you do pack
up an infection, making sure you're really prioritizing your sleep
and stress and whether it's chronic stress or acute stress,
even teenagers worth exams coming up, you know your immunity
(03:20):
will drop when you do have that acute stress of
even an exam, and so making sure you're really looking
after yourself when you know your stress is higher, making
sure you're managing the stress so you can adapt to
the stress better, and how to boost your immune system
through those more stressful times. So that's really your foundations
as well as you exercise super important, but we can
(03:42):
do things that actually just boost our health over the
winter as well, and it's not taking one hundred supplements,
but keep it simple. Vitamin D super important for immune
system function, always drops naturally over the winter because it's
known as the sunshine vitamin. We absorb a lot through
our skin. As well as looking at whether you put
in medicinal mushrooms, which I'm not talking about magic mushrooms
(04:04):
of having.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
A high foraged mushrooms know none of that.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
We're looking at medicinal mushrooms like turkey tale, rashi and
quarter sets, which are amazing immune boosters, so they are
actually going to help you have a strong immune system
so you're less likely they get sick. And then if
you do get sick, that's when you really want to
make sure supporting your body. Having the vitamin C, any herbs,
(04:28):
if you've got any congestion, maybe looking at nac zinc
in Quersortin as well.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Thank you so much, Erin appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks That b from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News TALKS'DB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It just feels like everybody sick at the moment. Everyone's
got a cold or a flu, got or some horrible,
horrible flu or two going around. Joining us now is
Aaron O'Hara to talk wellness.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
So you've got some tips to help us boost our
immunity toward off these colds and flowing things.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yeah, it's that time of year. There's so many bugs
around winter, colds and flus, and this time of the
year there's actually a reason why we do get sick
more often, is there with the colder air, there is
actually a change within the nose that actually affects our
immune system and how that we are affected by bugs
as well as been inside moss. So we go, it's
(00:51):
a bit of both, a bit of both. So we
do have a change in the way our body's functioning
as well, which makes us more susceptible to getting upper
respiratory infections with those colder weather changes as well. But
it's also to do with your immune system, and that's
where some people will pack up lots of bugs. Other
people not so much. The average amount of colds and
(01:13):
flows for a child is eight to ten a year,
the average for an adult about one to two. But
it really comes down to your immune system and how
your immune system functions and functions and fights off infection
and how it picks it up in the first place.
Because you've got your innate immunity, which is more your
first signed defense, which packs up if you've got any
infections that are there that could potentially then brew into
(01:36):
a cold or a flu. And then you've got an
adaptive immunity which really has that antibody response and actually
helps you with once you do get an infection.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Because I was going to ask you our immunity, can
it prevent us picking up a virus? Or I mean,
if we come in contact with the virus and we
get it, so to speak, can it make the severity
of the cough or cold? Can it affect the severity
(02:05):
of it? Can if we've got good immunity, can it
mean that it's a gentler it is?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
It's definitely can prevent you from packing up infections. So
if you do have a strong immune system, you're less
likely to pick up the infection as well as if
you do have a strong immunity, you'll be quicker to
recover from it too, And that's where our natural defense
system is so important, and that's where your foundation's have health.
Which we talked about so much over all our weekly
times is making sure we've got the foundations there, which
(02:33):
is we are what we eat, so making sure we're
getting plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds in there, eating
the color of the rainbow, variety of antioxidants going into
our diet. Looking at your alcohol consumption, and there's really
interesting studies on this that even moderate drinkers have lower immunity,
So maybe thinking about how much alcohol you have across
the winter months. Sleep always the foundation of your overall
(02:57):
health and wellbeing. If you have less than six hours
a night, you have a much lower immunity, so you're
more likely to pick up infections and take longer to
recover from sickness as well. So if you do pack
up an infection, making sure you're really prioritizing your sleep
and stress and whether it's chronic stress or acute stress,
even teenagers worth exams coming up, you know your immunity
(03:20):
will drop when you do have that acute stress of
even an exam, and so making sure you're really looking
after yourself when you know your stress is higher, making
sure you're managing the stress so you can adapt to
the stress better, and how to boost your immune system
through those more stressful times. So that's really your foundations
as well as you exercise super important, but we can
(03:42):
do things that actually just boost our health over the
winter as well, and it's not taking one hundred supplements,
but keep it simple. Vitamin D super important for immune
system function, always drops naturally over the winter because it's
known as the sunshine vitamin. We absorb a lot through
our skin. As well as looking at whether you put
in medicinal mushrooms, which I'm not talking about magic mushrooms
(04:04):
of having.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
A high foraged mushrooms know none of that.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
We're looking at medicinal mushrooms like turkey tale, rashi and
quarter sets, which are amazing immune boosters, so they are
actually going to help you have a strong immune system
so you're less likely they get sick. And then if
you do get sick, that's when you really want to
make sure supporting your body. Having the vitamin C, any herbs,
(04:28):
if you've got any congestion, maybe looking at nac zinc
in Quersortin as well.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Thank you so much, Erin appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks That b from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.