Boosting your immune system
Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies.
Ensure the following in order to boost your immunity.
- Do not smoke
- Eat a healthy diet high in fruits, vegetables and herbs
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Avoid alcohol
- Get adequate sleep
- Take steps to avoid infection such as washing hands and cooking meat thoroughly.
- Stay hydrated
- Try to minimize stress
- Eat more fermented foods or take a probiotic supplement
- Do not smoke
Smoking damages and destroys antibodies in the blood stream. Antibodies normally help fight off infectious illnesses, but since smokers have fewer of these antibodies available, they may experience more severe infections and they may remain sick longer than non-smokers. Wounds and sports-related injuries also take longer to heal for smokers than for non-smokers.
Smoking destroys antioxidants in the body, such as vitamin C. Antioxidants help kill free radicals, or cells responsible for causing cancer.
- Eat a healthy diet high in fruits, vegetables and herbs
The nutrients you get from food, especially the plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices, are essential to keeping your immune system functioning properly.
Many plant-based foods also have antiviral and antimicrobial properties, which help us fight off infection.
The amino acids in protein help build and maintain immune cells.
- Exercise regularly
Regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and protects against a variety of diseases. Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system. It may contribute even more directly by promoting good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently.
- Maintain a healthy weight
Overweight people tend to suffer from more infections and illnesses. Excess fat around the abs can turn the body's defense system against you, leading to heart and other diseases.
It is recommended that people combine a reduction of processed foods high in saturated fats, sugar and salt and caloric content of the diet with an increase in physical activity. Self-monitoring of diet, exercise, and weight are beneficial strategies for weight loss.
- Avoid alcohol
Excessive alcohol weakens the immune system.
- Get adequate sleep
Your body heals and regenerates while you sleep. It is recommended that adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night to optimize health. To ensure you get quality sleep, prioritize good sleeping hygiene by turning off the electronics at least two to three hours before bed, and avoid violent or stressful books or conversations.
- Take steps to avoid infection such as washing hands and cooking meat thoroughly.
Washing hands with running water and soaps prevents the spread of viruses.
There are many disease-carrying pathogens found in raw meats, and they differ according to the source. It is important to cook all meat properly to kill the bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
- Stay Hydrated
Drinking enough water maintains the mucous membranes in your nose and lungs, which makes it harder for viruses or bacteria to latch on and make you sick.
- Try to minimize stress
When we’re stressed, the immune system’s ability to fight off antigens (foreign bodies) is reduced making us more susceptible to infections.
The stress hormone corticosteroid can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system (e.g. lowers the number of lymphocytes).
Stress can also have an indirect effect on the immune system as a person may use unhealthy behavioral coping strategies to reduce their stress, such as drinking and smoking.
- Eat more fermented foods or take a probiotic supplement
Fermented foods like yoghurt are rich in beneficial bacteria called probiotics, which populate your digestive tract. Fermented foods and probiotics may bolster your immune system by helping it identify and target harmful pathogens.
