Now is the time to put strategies into action that will boost your immune system. Your immune system is your body’s defense against viruses, infections, and diseases. It also detects, blocks, and removes foreign substances that may enter our bodies. The stronger your immune system, the better the opportunity to fight off illness and protect yourself from the winter flu season and COVID-19.
What Weakens the Immune System?
Many things can interrupt our immune system – genetics, age, bad habits, diet, exercise (or lack of movement), sleeping habits, infection history, previous and current illnesses, and the medicines we take. Regardless of the cause, having a weakened immune system can make you more susceptible to viruses and infections that may lead to more serious diseases. Your goal is likely to stay healthy and feel good so read on for 10 important strategies to achieve this goal.
How to Boost Your Immune System: Here Are Ten Ways
Our immune system is a “system,” not a single unit. It requires a collective effort from different aspects of our lives to function efficiently. Here are 10 strategies to help you boost your immune system.
1. Eat healthy food.
Fill your fridge and cupboards with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, peas, beans, and other nutrient-dense food to get as much fiber, vitamins, and minerals as you can on a daily basis. Try to avoid added sugar, processed food, harmful fats, and all sorts of junk food that may do more harm than good in the long run. While you may be busy, fast food is not the answer either, so stay away.
2. Manage and reduce your stress.
Stress hormones, like cortisol, suppress the immune system. Although you can’t avoid stress altogether, you can be strategic in managing stress and eventually reducing your triggers. Some effective ways to manage stress include exercising, meditation, breathing exercises, talking to friends, listening to relaxing music, getting out into nature, and deep sleep.
3. Get exercise and get outdoors.
Exercising promotes good blood circulation, allowing cells in the immune system to freely move across the body. Staying active also helps control body weight, helps improve your mood, helps improve heart and respiratory health, helps you stay on top of stress and so much more.
4. Wash your hands & carry hand sanitizer.
Microorganisms like germs, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites may enter our bodies and interfere with our immune system. These infection-causing microorganisms live on doorknobs, tables, remote controls, elevator buttons, computer keyboards, and the like which is why you have to wash or sanitize your hands regularly.
5. Drink more water.
First thing in the morning, hydrate your body with some freshwater. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day is the best way to stay hydrated and properly digest food and nutrients. It may also help you lose weight, improve brain function, prevent headaches, maximize physical performance, and relieve constipation.
6. Avoid drinking too much alcohol.
Chronic alcohol consumption can disrupt the immune system, affecting the body’s defense against infection and delaying recovery from injury. Depending on your drinking habits, it may be best to completely remove alcohol from your system; you can slowly limit your consumption if you don’t cut it entirely.
7. Don’t smoke (yes, it’s bad for you).
Smoking cigarettes can also disrupt the body’s capacity to fight infection. It promotes inflammatory responses and may cause respiratory disease, asthma, DNA damage, and various cancers.
8. Get more Deep Sleep.
The immune system needs deep sleep to avoid overworking. Sleep reboots the immune system; that’s why we need it. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body produces fewer cytokines, a type of protein that helps the immune system regulate infection and inflammation.
9. Take Immune Boosting Supplements
There are a host of supplements that can be helpful in keeping your immune system strong. You can learn more about which ones to take HERE.
10. Get Vaccinated.
Vaccines are created to stimulate our immune system to fight specific illnesses and infections such as flu, hepatitis, polio, measles, HIV, and more. If you’re interested in getting a specific vaccine, talk to your doctor first to find out if it’s safe for you at this point.
Conclusion
Boosting your immune system takes a collective effort of improving one’s lifestyle, habits, and physical and mental health. To learn more about this important topic, check out our FREE Masterclass below:
REGISTER FOR OUR FREE MASTERCLASS-How to Boost your Immunity System HERE
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