7 Things You Can Do To Boost Your Immune System

With everything going on in the world today, it’s a good idea to try these tricks to help keep your immunity strong!

Our immune systems are the first and last line of defense against all diseases. When our immune system is compromised, that’s when we are at risk of contracting the viral, bacterial, and fungal infections that make us sick.

But did you know that boosting your immune system is actually easier than you’d expect?

You don’t need a fistful of supplements or diet products to keep your body protected. A few simple changes to your daily life is all it will take to keep your immunity strong:

Limit Sugar

Surprise! Or maybe we should say, “no surprise!”

It’s a well-known fact that sugar suppresses your immune system for hours after you eat it. Sugar reduces the effectiveness of your white blood cells, impairing their ability to kill off or deactivate bacteria and viruses.

To keep your immune system strong, limit the amount of sugar you eat. Or, even better, eliminate extra sugar from your diet!

Stick with the natural, healthy, immune-boosting sugar found in fruits and veggies, but anything else, kick it out the door. Your body will thank you and be better able to protect itself from disease.

Move More

Exercise boosts your body’s immune response—this is a fact we all know.

What you might not know is that ALL exercise is capable of boosting your immunity. It’s not just the time you spend in the gym or on the running track, but every minute you spend moving around.

During this time, it’s in your best interest to keep moving as much as possible. That means getting up and walking around, doing short workouts every hour on the hour, or getting outside for fresh air.

The more you move around, the more you boost your body’s natural ability to fight off invading pathogens.

You’ll be better protected next time you come in contact with some harmful bacteria or virus!

Get More Oil

Or maybe we should say “healthy fat”!

Both saturated and unsaturated fats can be very good for your immune system.

Omega-3 fats—which are found in fatty fish—help to regulate your immune system and raise your internal defenses. The protein in all meats will also aid in your natural immunity to disease, but it’s the Omega-3s that really do the heavy lifting by suppressing inflammation and turning off your body’s attack cells once they’ve killed off the invading pathogens.

The unsaturated fats found in plant-based foods—like olives, coconuts, avocados, nuts, and seeds—are vital for the production of prostaglandins. These hormone-like compounds help to boost your white blood cell activity, increasing your body’s ability to fight off invaders.

Just steer clear of any unhealthy trans fats and hydrogenated oils, and your body will be better-defended against any threat!

Pound Vitamin C

Don’t worry about supplements or Vitamin C tablets—get it straight from the source!

Vitamin C from supplements isn’t always easily bioavailable, meaning your body has a harder time absorbing it and putting it to use in your body. The best, most bioavailable forms of Vitamin C come from the fruits and veggies you eat.

Citrus fruit obviously tops the list. Grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, lemons, and limes are all loaded with Vitamin C, making them the best fruits to add to your immune-boosting diet.

Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers all contain Vitamin C, as does spinach, broccoli, and pretty much every other dark, leafy green.

But did you know that it’s berries—strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries—that contain more Vitamin C pound for pound than any other food?

All of these are vital additions to your diet, and they’ll do wonders to help you stay healthy during this time!

Sleep More

A good night’s sleep is crucial for a healthy immune system!

It’s also sadly true in reverse: a poor night of rest will seriously dampen your body’s ability to fight off infections and disease.

Your body needs to recover from your daily exertions, as well as fight off any pathogens in your body and restore the immune cells that keep you safe. The best time to do that is at night, when most of your other functions are shut down. As long as you sleep enough—a solid 6 to 8 hours, depending on your unique needs—your body is able to make those repairs and replenish your immune cells.

Combat Stress

Stress is going to suppress your immune system, making it harder for your body to protect itself. Give your body a fighting chance by managing your stress levels!

When you’re stressed, your body is more susceptible to allergies, viral infections, and every other type of disease on the planet. Plus, chronic stress can cause low-grade inflammation in the body, which is a major contributor in disease.

It’s pretty clear, then, how important it is to keep your stress under control.

Meditate, relax, get into a hobby, manage your workload, exercise, do more things you enjoy, and do whatever you can to help combat stress.

Get Social

Studies have proven that social activity can make your body more effective at defending itself from disease.

You tend to laugh more with friends, and laughter is a known immune-booster.

Socializing also reduces stress and anxiety, preventing the suppression of your immune system caused both.

With everything going on in the world, you can’t get out and hang out with your friends like you used to, but you can still be more social. Pick up the phone and give them a call, or try a video conference. It’ll not only help to combat stress and raise your natural immunity, but you’ll feel a whole lot better and happier after it’s done, making this time spent indoors much easier to get through.

 

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