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Can you believe that fall is here already! But with the colder weather, comes more indoor time and more close contact with people. There are 5 energy-boosting nutrients you need this fall. These nutrients will prepare you for the cold fall temperatures ahead and the increase of time indoors. 

In your midlife years you will find that it takes a lot more effort to fight off illness and continue to feel your best in the fall season.  This why you need to maintain what is called “immune tolerance”.  This means that you need to fight off foreign invaders when they enter your body tissues that can lead to an inflammatory response and fatigue.

I want you to feel armed with the right nutrients as a foundation to your overall feeling of wellbeing this time of year.

Also, supplements need a good functioning digestive system in order to be properly absorbed.  You can read more about this in my post called The Keys to Absorbing Your Nutrients.

Probiotics

Probiotics - these are the good bacteria that reside in your intestinal tract.  They are part of the 5 energy-boosting nutrients you needs this fall. By taking a supplement or eating probiotic rich foods that are fermented, you will be helping to regulate inflammation in your digestive tract and improve your overall health and wellbeing.  

Probiotics are only as good as long as you are taking them since they are just passing through your digestive tract.  However, they do give you the support you need while your residential gut bacteria has more time to multiply.

You can include probiotic-rich foods such as

cultured vegetables, 

kefir, 

kimchi, 

miso, 

sauerkraut, 

wine (red or white), 

yogurt, full-fat, or coconut

Vitamin C

Another one of the 5 energy-boosting nutrients you need this fall is vitamin C.  This nutrient is found in a variety of forms.  One is in supplement form that is easy on the stomach comes in an ester-C form or as buffered calcium ascorbate with bioflavanoids for absorption.  

Since stress affects your digestive health and energy, this nutrient will help to build up your adrenals and assists in the production of anti-viral glycoproteins called interferons.  

Interferons interfere with the ability of a virus to replicate. 

You can also include foods such as

citrus fruits, 

strawberries,

kiwi, 

mango,

broccoli,

cabbage, 

sweet peppers

B Complex Vitamins

This is another nutrient that is good for stress management and how you react to stressful situations.  B vitamins are also needed to metabolize protein, fats and carbohydrates, energy production, and hydrochloric acid production.  It is best to take a complex so you do not get an imbalance.

Also, whole foods are a good source such as

whole grains, 

nuts,

eggs,

greens,

beef,

liver and

poultry.

Zinc

Since it is close to flu season, this is a good time to add a zinc supplement to your multi-vitamin if you are taking one.  Zinc helps with the production of stomach acid which is where bacteria is destroyed when ingested.  

Stomach acid aids in the digestion of protein that is required to make antibodies and enzymes.  Zinc helps with the survival of good bacteria needed for good immune health, digestive health, and detoxification.  

As you age, your zinc levels decrease.  The only way to know your levels is from a blood test.  Frequent infections are a sign of low zinc.

Food sources of zinc you can eat include 

shellfish, 

Brazil nuts,

pecans,

pumpkin seeds and

whole grains

Vitamin D (in the form of D3)

In conjunction with B vitamins, vitamin D helps promote good gut bacteria which is where 70-80%% of your immune system resides.  

FUN FACT: Vitamin D is the vitamin with more scientific articles published since 2000 than any other vitamin

Some researchers think vitamin D, due to its effects on the immune system, may also help with serious food allergies.

Vitamin D comes in liquid and tablet form.  The best way to absorb vitamin D (which is really a hormone) is pairing it with a fat when eating such as egg yolks, butter or avocado.

Because vitamin D is fat-soluble, when you have more than enough, it gets stored in the liver, and isn’t flushed out in the urine like excesses of many other vitamins are.  But in climates where you lack sun half of the year, you will need to supplement.  It is always best to get your levels tested.

FUN FACT: Fish liver oil contains vitamin D, but not fish oil - it’s the liver that stores vitamin D.

Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, it’s absorbed along with fat in the diet. So, people who don’t eat or absorb enough fat are at risk of lower vitamin D levels. 

Also, a healthy vitamin D status seems to go hand-in-hand with a healthy gut. For example, there is a link between sub-optimal vitamin D, gut microbiome status, gut inflammation, and diseases of the gut like IBD and colon cancer. 

For more education on this topic, read my other post on  How to Get Enough Vitamin D to overcome fatigue and digestive issues.

Include these foods in your diet as sources of vitamin D:

Mushrooms: Reishi, Oyster, Cremini, Shitake,

Salmon

Tuna

Sardines

Cow’s Milk (100% grass fed) 

Eggs

I would advise you to consult with a nutritionist or naturopathic doctor before grabbing the first supplement you see on sale.  Many cheap ones include ingredients that are filled with substances which make it hard for you to break down the tablet and absorb.

So tell me in the comments, what foods do you plan on eating this fall to get your energy-boosting nutrients?

Tired woman, are you needing more support?