5 THINGS YOU MUST DO TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

It’s no longer a secret that having healthy diets plus regular exercise will boost your immune system and help you live a healthy lifestyle, but what's the best way to go about it all? In this article, I will share 5 things you need to do on a regular basis that will help strengthen your immune system so it can fight off flu-like viruses and other diseases.

1. Eat plenty of whole foods: Just like every other system in the body, your immune system needs enough fuel to function properly. It requires certain nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids to be at its best every day and you can get all of that by eating a variety of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, milk, spices, dairy products, seafood, meat, poultry, legumes, and whole grains. Eating whole foods is a good way of providing your immune system with plenty of nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. 

2. Engage in moderate exercise regularly:Moderate exercise can help strengthen your immune system and improve blood circulation. Studies have found that people who exercise regularly are less likely to catch a cold or any flu-like viruses and it can also help boost the effectiveness of vaccines for those with compromised immune systems. What’s more, regular, moderate exercise will help your immune cells to regenerate fast. Examples of moderate exercises include jogging, brisk walking, steady bicycling, swimming, and light hiking. There are fitting accessories you can use in the gym or at home that will help you exercise your body properly. Try and aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day. 

3. Get enough sleep: Sleep and immunity are closely tied. In fact, inadequate or poor quality sleep is linked to a higher susceptibility to sickness. Adults should aim to get 7 or more hours of sleep each night, children need 8-10 hours of sleep and infants need up to 14 hours of sound sleep. A recent study found that just one night of poor sleep can weaken your immune system. If you’re having difficulty sleeping, try to avoid looking at your phone, TV, or computer for an hour before going to bed as the blue light emitted from those devices can disrupt your circadian rhythm or your body’s natural wake-sleep cycle. Other sleep hygiene tips include sleeping in a completely dark room or using a sleep mask. 

4. Manage your stress and anxiety levels:Stress is something that we all experience in life and it can be toxic to the immune system if it's not well managed. Long-term stress promotes inflammation and destabilizes the formation of immune cells, leaving the body vulnerable to infection. Relieving stress and anxiety is key to boosting your immune health and activities that may help you manage your stress level include yoga, meditation, gentle exercise, reading interesting books, diffusing some stress-relieving essential oils, spending quality time with your loved ones, engaging in a hobby you enjoy, massaging your body with stress-relieving massage oils, and doing other mindfulness practices. You can also take green tee on a regular basis as they are high in L-theanine, an amino acid that's helpful in improving stress levels, reducing fatigue, and promoting better sleep. 

5. Drink herbal teas regularly: It’s easy to turn to western drugs when it comes to strengthening your immune system. However, there are premium herbal teas that contain natural ingredients and antioxidants that can cure diseases, boost your immune system and help you live a healthy lifestyle. 

BOTTOM LINE

As the world is currently in pandemic and no vaccines have been officially announced yet, the best you can do to fight off any diseases or sickness is to strengthen your immune system. By doing the five things mentioned above on a regular basis, your body’s defense system will be strong against harmful viruses, bacteria, and other important factors that may cause problems to occur in your health and well-being.