A few tips to boost your immune system

Updated on 2025-09-23

Summary: A few tips to boost your immune system

With autumn approaching and colds and allergies on the rise, Lynn Goneau, naturopath at La Boîte à Grains, reminds us of the importance of a healthy lifestyle to support the immune system: sufficient sleep, stress management and moderate physical activity.

She recommends key nutrients such as vitamin C (fruit, vegetables), vitamin D (sunlight, oily fish or supplements), zinc (pumpkin seeds, legumes), selenium (Brazil nuts), and plants such as echinacea and astragalus. A varied diet, rich in plants, fermented foods (kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso) and medicinal spices such as ginger, turmeric or oregano, is essential to support immunity, particularly via the intestinal microbiota.

Finally, it reminds us to avoid refined sugars and alcohol, and mentions Echinacea-based supplements from A.Vogel as effective allies in prevention and treatment.

1. Hygiene: the basics

• Sleep 7 to 9 h per night, essential for maintaining white blood cells (soldiers of the immune system).

• Stress management Limiting cortisol, which weakens immunity.

• Physical activity Regular, moderate exercise (walking, yoga, swimming, weight training), avoid excesses that weaken the body.

2. Essential nutrients

• Vitamin C Fruits (oranges, kiwis, mangoes) and vegetables (broccoli, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts).

• Vitamin D sunlight, oily fish, or supplements (2,000 to 4,000 IU/day).

• Zinc pumpkin seeds, legumes, oysters (short courses).

• Selenium 4 Brazil nuts a day are enough.

3. Herbs and immune tonics

• Echinacea Effective for prevention (4-5 months) and at the onset of a cold/flu.

• Astragalus Immune tonic, can be taken regularly all year round.

4. Protective power supply

• Plant variety Fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants.

• Fermented foods Kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso → support for intestinal microbiota.

• Spices and herbs ginger (key ally), turmeric, oregano (antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory).

5. Avoid

• Refined sugars and alcoholwhich weaken the immune system.

6. Recommended supplements

• A.Vogel (Echinaforce) Echinacea-based range, recognized for preventing and relieving the symptoms of colds, flu and respiratory infections.

About the author

Lynn Goneau, Certified Naturopath

Specialized in :

• Digestive health
• Hormonal health
• Stress and fatigue
• Memory and concentration
• Weight management

Frédéric Bisson, radio host at 104.7 FM

Host of the 104.7 FM radio station on the Cogeco network. Frédéric Bisson has hosted L'Outaouais Maintenant from 3 to 5 p.m. every weekday since February 27, 2023.

Transcription

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

We're in the middle of the change of season, and it smells like autumn. It's been cold some nights. It's a time that puts our immune systems to the test. And cold season is just around the corner. We're also in the midst of allergy season. And that can weaken our immune system. Let's talk about all this with Lynn Goneau, naturopath at La Boîte à Grains. And we ask the question: how can we optimize our immune system? Lynn, hello.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Hello Fred.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM: It's a very important question, and there are many components to the answer, obviously, lifestyle. It's very important.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

We always start with a healthy lifestyle, because no matter what you do with that, it won't help at all that a healthy lifestyle is really about sleep, starting with getting a good night's sleep every night. It's a must or we always try to get between seven and nine hours. That's it. Because when you don't get enough sleep, Fred, that's when your white blood cells start to decline. They're your soldiers. The ones that are going to prevent or that are going to help protective soldiers that are really going to help fight stress management. This is super important because when you're under stress, you let out your cortisol. And that weakens your immune system, so physical activity is important, whether it's walking, swimming, yoga or strength training, it doesn't matter, just don't go to extremes, because that's the problem. When you go to extremes, you weaken your body and you find yourself available to catch all the bacteria.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

You shouldn't be short of vitamins either.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

No. There are some vitamins that are just right this time of year. Everyone knows about vitamin C. Yes, that's great. Well, um, it's often found in fruit, oranges, kiwis or mangoes, and then certain vegetables too, like broccoli, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts. It's a great concentration of vitamin C. We're all familiar with vitamin D too. So it's good to take it every day, either through foods such as oily fish. And if you can't take it at the time, take a supplement of 2,000 to 4,000 international units a day.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Zinc?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Zinc, super important. Zinc is one I really like. You can take it as a preventive measure or during a flu to boost your immune system, but you mustn't take it for long periods of time. Because it can unbalance the other trace elements. So we're talking about pumpkin seeds. I don't eat oysters, but pumpkin seeds and legumes are a good source of zinc.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

And selenium too?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

I really like selenium because it's an antioxidant. Then we go and get four Brazil nuts a day. That's all the selenium you need for the day, which is excellent for strengthening your system.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

My parents and mother swear by echinacea.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Yes, echinacea is very good for the immune system and it's good to take it. You can take it continuously for about four to five months. It can be used for prevention. And if you can help the system regain physical strength, once you've got the flu going, my favorite is astragalus. It's excellent. It's an immune tonic. And I personally like this too. Okay, I take it year-round, just to keep my immune system in shape.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

It's basically the same as prevention. Uh, then with diet, it's the same thing there. From what I understand, you have to eat a variety of foods.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

Vary all plants, fruits and vegetables, as they are rich in antioxidants. You can also look for fermented foods. We're talking kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso. Obviously, these will support your microbiota. And we all agree that immunity is found at the intestinal level.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Miso broth. So good. I thought it was complicated, that you had to go to a Japanese restaurant, but no. Miso paste in hot water. Certain spices and herbs too?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

My favorite, Fred, is ginger for prevention or cure. Ginger is my ally. Turmeric. The little drops of oregano that you can put under your tongue. I'd rather put it in a little water and swallow it than put it directly in my mouth. Because it's antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. So it helps when you're a bit weak.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

And what do we avoid?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à GrainsSugars, all refined sugars, alcohol, will weaken all our defenses.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Well, if we need or want a supplement to help us?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à GrainsThe company I really like working with is A.Vogel, and they have a complete echinacea-based range. A.Vogel is a global company that's been around for over 100 years. It's really fantastic. Echinaforce is an echinacea extract that really helps relieve the symptoms of colds and upper respiratory tract infections. It helps prevent and cure the flu. You can take it for up to four months for prevention. You can also take it only at the onset of symptoms.

Frédéric Bisson - Host 104.7FM:

Lynn, if we want to see you, we'll check the La Boite à Grains.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath of La Boite à Grains:

The La Boite à Grains has all my contact details. You can make an appointment to see me for a private consultation.