Corona Virus Top 5 Tips to Boost Your Immune System

Top 5 Tips to Boost Your Immune System

Five holistic principles I have lived by for 22+ years, shared during a global health crisis when most people were too panicked to talk clearly about prevention.

Back in early 2020 I was in Costa Rica when Covid 19 hit and the world went into full panic mode. Travel restrictions were flying in from every direction, fear was everywhere, and the media was pumping out an overwhelming stream of noise. Most health voices went quiet or just echoed the fear. I decided to do something different.

I made this video from Costa Rica sharing exactly what I had been doing for over 20 years to keep my immune system strong. At that point I had not had the flu or even a cold in two decades. Not luck. Consistent application of these same five principles. The Woodstock Fruit Festival crew reached out and asked me to share what I knew, and I figured if there was ever a time to put this out clearly, that was it.

The thing is, everything in this video is just as relevant today as it was then. You do not need a pandemic to make these worth applying. These are the foundations of a genuinely robust immune system, and these top 5 tips to boost your immune system are where to start.

Important note: Nothing here is meant to replace medical advice or CDC guidance on any specific illness. What I am sharing are holistic lifestyle foundations that support overall health and a strong immune system over the long term.

The Top 5 Tips to Boost Your Immune System

These are the same five principles I covered in the video, broken down in full below. Whether you are watching this in the middle of cold and flu season, feeling rundown, or just want to dial in your foundations, these apply year round.

Tip 1: Eat a Wide Array of Fresh Ripe Raw Fruits and Vegetables

This is the foundation. Flooding your body with nutrient dense, antioxidant rich, easy to digest whole foods is the single most powerful daily habit for keeping your immune system strong.

A few categories worth prioritizing:

Citrus and high vitamin C foods. Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, but also tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Vitamin C is one of the most researched nutrients for immune support and fresh raw sources are among the most bioavailable forms you can get.

Berries. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, all of them. Incredibly nutrient dense per calorie, loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols that support immune function and reduce oxidative stress.

Cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are rich in compounds that support detoxification pathways and immune regulation. I genuinely love cauliflower in particular and use it regularly in recipes like my Creamy Curry AKA Cocobutter Veggies 2.0, which layers cauliflower, tomatoes, mushrooms, and healthy omega 3 fats into something seriously satisfying.

Mushrooms. High in selenium and zinc, two minerals that are particularly important for immune cell production and function.

Fresh tender leafy greens and vegetables. Arugula, spinach, romaine, and young leafy greens daily. These contribute minerals, chlorophyll, and a whole range of compounds that support the body’s natural defenses.

Ginger, onion, and garlic. The science is clear on all three. Each has well documented antibacterial and antiviral compounds. If symptoms are present or immunity feels low, these are worth adding in.

The beauty of eating this way is that these foods are easy to digest, meaning more of your energy goes toward defending and rebuilding rather than processing heavy meals. That alone is a significant advantage.

Try the Creamy Curry AKA Cocobutter Veggies 2.0 for a seriously immune boosting meal

Tip 2: Move Your Body Every Single Day

You do not need a gym or a structured workout. You need a sweat. At least once a day, get your circulation going and your lymphatic system draining. The lymphatic system has no pump of its own and depends entirely on movement to circulate.

Calisthenics, rebounding, yoga, a long walk, a dance session in your living room, it all counts. Movement drives lymphatic drainage, supports white blood cell circulation, and improves the delivery of nutrients to every cell in the body. It is one of the most underrated ways to keep your immune system strong and it costs absolutely nothing.

Consistency over intensity is the key. Daily moderate movement beats occasional intense exercise every time when immune support is the goal.

Tip 3: Fresh Air and Breathwork

Get outside. Fresh air, natural environments, time away from recirculated indoor air. Even if getting fully outdoors is not possible, open a window at night so you are breathing fresh air while you sleep.

Pair this with intentional breathwork. Whether that is pranayama from a yoga practice, simple deep diaphragmatic breathing, or the Wim Hof method, all of it supports immune regulation in ways that are now backed by solid science. The Wim Hof method in particular has been studied for its effects on the immune response and the autonomic nervous system, and the results are genuinely impressive. The free Wim Hof app is a great starting point if you have not explored it yet.

Tip 4: Get Enough Sunshine and Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a central role in immune regulation. Low vitamin D is consistently associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory illness and weakened immune response. Getting enough is non-negotiable if you are serious about your health.

The simplest and most natural approach is sunshine. Fifteen to thirty minutes daily on exposed skin, adjusted for your skin tone and your latitude, is enough for most people during summer months. Morning or midday sun is ideal.

For those in darker climates or during winter months, a UVB lamp is worth the investment. I use a Sperti lamp during the darker months here in Sweden and it works really well for maintaining natural vitamin D production through the skin. You can check it out at therawadvantage.com/sperti and use code Givelight10 for 25% off plus an extra 10% off. For more on this topic check out Top 4 Sources of Vitamin D for Vegans.

Tip 5: Relax. This One Is the Most Important.

Chronic stress is one of the most reliable ways to suppress immune function. Elevated cortisol directly reduces the activity of immune cells, increases inflammation, and depletes the body of the very nutrients it needs to defend itself. No amount of vitamin C makes up for a nervous system running in fight or flight mode around the clock.

More sleep. More rest. Meditation, journaling, time with people you love, creative projects you have been putting off, a vulnerable conversation you have been avoiding. All of these regulate the nervous system and bring cortisol down. Your immune system responds almost immediately when the pressure is released.

During times of collective stress and uncertainty this becomes even more critical. The external noise can pull us into a constant state of low grade threat response. Being conscious of what is happening without being consumed by it is a real practice, and one worth developing. Inspiration, clarity, and purpose all flow most easily from a calm nervous system, not a panicked one.

During Covid 19 the Woodstock Fruit Festival community put out a beautiful message that these challenging moments are invitations to slow down, strengthen our foundations, and come out the other side healthier than before. That framing still holds today. Whether it is cold and flu season, heightened health concerns, or just wanting to feel more resilient day to day, these five principles are the answer.

It is also worth noting that as long as the trade and exploitation of animals continues, zoonotic disease will remain a reality in our world. Living a plant based or raw vegan lifestyle is not just a personal health choice. It is one of the most meaningful contributions one can make to reducing the conditions that create global health crises in the first place.

Putting It All Together

I have not had a cold or the flu in over 22 years. These five principles are what I attribute that to. Nutrient dense raw foods, daily movement, fresh air and breathwork, sunshine and vitamin D, and a genuinely relaxed nervous system. They are not complicated. They do not require a lot of money. They just require consistency and a real commitment to taking care of yourself.

These truly are my top 5 tips to boost your immune system and keep it strong year round, not just during cold and flu season or times of global concern. Apply them daily and the results speak for themselves.

If you want to go deeper and apply a truly holistic raw vegan lifestyle in a structured way, the Raw Vegan Lifestyle Success System covers all of this and much more across ten weeks. It is the most comprehensive program I have built and it is designed to get real, lasting results.

Explore the Raw Vegan Lifestyle Success System here

Also check out the upcoming events page to connect in person at a festival or retreat. There is nothing quite like being surrounded by a community of people genuinely living these principles.

As Always

Wishing You Much

PeaceLovenSeasonalFruit ck