Having a strong immune system allows someone to have a strong overall physical and mental well-being. With a healthier immune system on your side, you’re far less susceptible to common colds and other ailments that people with a weaker immune system often fall foul of.
It can be really deflating to constantly be coming down with something, so staying in tune with how immune health should be a big part of your life as it can benefit in your life in a whole host of way; not least just in day-to-day living.
Owning a body that has the ability to ward off germs and diseases sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Not feeling all tired and drained is something we’d all love to feel on a regular basis, and do to this there are some preventative steps you can use to help make this happen.
It’s not just a case of avoiding people, or covering your mouth with a mask, or wearing gloves to avoid touching door handles, etc; there are lots of tricks and tips that can assist you in strengthening your immune system.
Some of the things that will affect your immune system are:
- Diet
- Daily activity
- Sleep pattern
Let’s take a look over some of the best ways to boost your immune system and stay fit and healthy!
1. Clock up your sleep
Each evening, the average adult’s mind and body require you to get between seven and nine hours of sleep. If you are falling below this threshold of rest it may put your body out of sync and you’ll begin to experience issues such as inflammation and spreading of germs.
As part of effectively fighting off illness, sleep is a powerful asset to have on your side, and therefore, it’s vital that you take the time to ensure that you choose to make sleep a priority in your life to gain the true rewards.
2. Reassess alcohol and tobacco intake
If you are a little overly partial to alcohol or you are still smoking then it’s time put your lifestyle choices in check.
The main reasons for this are that excessive consumption of alcohol weakens your immune system and leaves you at greater risk of suffering a lung infection. Furthermore, smoking ups your vulnerability not only to lung infections, but also a higher risk of pneumonia and bronchitis.
3. Enjoy regular exercise
Having regular daily exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle can work wonders for your immune system. You don’t have to go exercising to your limit each time; it can be as much as a 30-minute brisk walk, but you will still reap the generous rewards.
In short, those who don’t workout are more vulnerable to falling ill as opposed to those who are active on a consistent basis.
4. Reach for the (green) tea
If you’ve never drunk green tea, you’re in for a healthy treat here! This type of tea offers a range of benefits for mind and body alike. For instance, the antioxidants that green tea is packed with are wonderfully beneficial for strengthening the immune system in general.
What’s more, green tea works well in the protection against damage from free radicals while also maintaining your body’s immune system function.
5. Fruit and veg consumption
The vast range of fruits and veg on offer are bursting with benefits for your health. The more variety you have, the better. Opt for you brightly coloured options and try as many different things as you can.
In terms of helping to defend your immune system, citrus fruits rank highest for this due to the fact that they typically come packed with lots of vitamin C. You can also get a generous dose of vitamin C from leafy green veggies, such as spinach and kale.
6. Venture outside and soak up the vitamin D
This can tie in nicely with getting regular exercise because if you go for walks or runs, or take part in other outdoor activities you’ll be exposed to sunlight (even if the sun’s not shining).
The sunlight will kickstart your skin’s production of vitamin D and this is a real treat for your immune system as low levels of vitamin D have been associated with a larger probability of experiencing issues with your respiratory system. As such, it’s of great importance that you try as best’s possible to get your daily dose of sunlight.
7. Cope with stress in your life
People deal with stress in different ways, and some are better at brushing it off than others. Regardless of how stress affects you, it remains to be a solid drain on your energy in both the physical and mental sense.
The strain that stress causes can lead to illness, and as soon as you get sick you’ll find yourself more tired and stress levels rise as a consequence.
With this in mind, managing stress is paramount and can be achieved merely by taking the time to slow down. Easier said than done, we hear you say, but even those with high-demand, fast-paced lives should (and must) allot some time to unwind and relax.
If you avoid this, it will come back and bite you doubly as hard in the long-run!
8. Maintain cleanliness
It’s pretty easy to let the housework slip when you’re really busy, and that’s understandable, but just bear in mind that making contact with contaminated objects is among the leading sources for contracting an illness.
If you think that, on average, you touch your face 2000 to 3000 times in a single day, just think about how many other objects you are touching throughout the day!
It’s this type of contact that makes your body at greater exposure to contagious and harmful viruses and bacteria. You can start the protection against this in your home by keeping surfaces clean with approved cleaning products. A natural antiseptic that you can use that isn’t as harsh as bleach-infused products are tea tree oil and will work just as effectively.
9. Cut out the processed foods
Slimming down on, or completely cutting out gluten, sugar and processed foods will be a positive move for your immune system as it prevents the greatly decreasing effect they all have on the function of your immune system.
This happens because a great deal of processed foods and sugar initially offer energy and a level of nutrition, but in the grand scheme, the only serve to leave you with negative implications.
10. Get on the garlic!
We’re finishing up on a fun tip that has some super health advantages. Raw garlic is well known to have boosting effects your immune system.
It’s best to keep your garlic raw when using it in order to achieve the highest amount of health benefits as heat used during cooking can reduce the number of vitamins can take on from the onion.
Garlic cloves contain manganese, vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, vitamin c, selenium, fibre, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus and iron.
Also, have a look at 10 amazing health benefits of garlic oil that will change your life!
