Your immune system is your body’s natural shield against illnesses. A robust immune system puts you in a better position to fight off harmful pathogens seeking to invade your body. However, when it is weak, you are prone to even the littlest of diseases.
This is why you must take practical steps to boost your immune health and offer your body the best form of protection it deserves.
When you make the necessary efforts, you fortify your body’s natural defenses against several disease-causing organisms. Here are some helpful tips to help you boost your immune system naturally.
1. Create Enough Time To Rest
Inadequate or poor quality of sleep increases your stress levels and weakens your body’s immune system. As such, no matter how tight, busy or filled your daily schedule is, you must create enough time to sleep.
The recommended sleep duration for adults each night is seven or more hours, 8-10 for teens, and 14 hours for infants. However, if you are having a hard time getting quality sleep, these tips below may prove helpful.
- Limit screen time for an hour before bed
- Use a sleep mask
- Go to bed at the same time every night
- Try some simple exercises before sleeping
2. Spice Up Your Diet Unprocessed Plant Foods
Dietary change is vital to boosting your immune system. Consider consuming foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes as they are rich in nutrients and antioxidants.
Not only do these foods give you a better chance of fighting diseases, they also help lower body inflammation by preventing cell damage from unstable molecules.
3. Eat A Lot Of Healthy fats
Healthy high-fat foods like olive oil and salmon boost your immunity to harmful pathogens, aid hormones function and memory, and helps lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. They provide more energy, support cell growth, and keep your body warm. Their anti-inflammatory properties also come in handy as a natural help to combat illnesses.
4. Lower Your Intake Of Added Sugar
Apart from contributing to obesity and excessive weight, research has shown that refined carbs and added sugars provide few vitamins and lead to quick spikes in blood sugar, fatty liver disease, and higher blood pressure.
Obesity makes your chances of getting sick significantly higher. This is why cutting down on your sugar intake is essential immune-boosting advice.
5. Don’t Downplay The Power Of Exercises
A single session of moderate exercises can be helpful to your immune system. Exercises may seem strenuous and tiring, but they benefit your health greatly.
Some moderate exercises your should consider trying include steady jogging, cycling, swimming, and hiking. You don’t have to go at them for long durations. A duration of 150 minutes each week will help your immune cells regenerate rapidly.
6. Drink Lots Of Water
While regular water intake may not be a direct source of protection from diseases, replenishing your body fluids is essential to your general health. Dehydration makes it hard for your body system and organs to function correctly, making you vulnerable to illnesses.
Although tea and juice are also sources of hydration, as a general guideline, you should drink more water as it is free of sugar and additives.
7. Don’t Ignore Your Stress Levels
Unattended, long-term stress promotes imbalances in immune cell function. Therefore, you must see stress and anxiety relief as key to strengthening your immune system.
Meditation, journaling, breathing exercises are practical activities to help you manage stress. You should also consider taking some me time to rest and relax with loved ones.
Bottom Line
Your immune system is your body’s primary protection against numerous disease-causing organisms, so you must be deliberate about caring for it.
If you would like to visit an urgent care walk in clinic or talk to an internal medicine doctor about other valuable recommendations to help you live a better life, our experienced physicians are available. Simply book an appointment with us or call us at +17042919267.