‘Tis officially cold and Flu season, SO – real quick, just to make sure we’re all on the same page…immunity is your body’s way of fighting off infection. The immune system protects your body from germs and cell changes that could make you sick. Since we’re surrounded by germs every day, this is definitely an important function of the body. As long as you’re taking care of yourself and your immune system is running properly, you won’t even notice that it’s constantly fighting off potentially harmful things inside of you. Getting sick is inevitable though, it happens to everyone. But boosting your immune system will help you get sick less often.
How to Boost Immunity
- Get adequate sleep. In my mind, this is (my favorite) the first step towards boosting your immunity. When you sleep, the mind and body repair themselves, so when you don’t give your body enough time to do so, you can become more susceptible to getting sick. Even though everyone needs different amounts of sleep, immune system performance works best when you consistently sleep 6+ hours a night.
- Eat your fruits and veggies. I know I sound like your mom, but trust me on this. Fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants that fight off infection. Even if you do get sick, the vitamins and nutrients from fruits and veggies can shorten the amount of time you’re sick. Who wouldn’t love for their cold to last three days instead of a week?
- Stay hydrated. So drinking lots of water won’t protect you from getting sick, but preventing dehydration will. When your dehydrated, bodily functions are hindered, making you more susceptible to getting sick.
- Stay active. I’m not talking about a full-blown high-intensity workout. I’m talking about going on a nice walk or a light jog, whatever feels right to you. Aside from the fact that daily movement is good for overall health, staying active can reduce inflammation and help immune cells regenerate regularly.
- Use supplements wisely. I’m not going to go in-depth about supplements because there’s a never-ending list of them. I’m just going to talk about two that are easy to find and closely linked to immune system health. First, we have vitamin C. Vitamin C can be found in most citrus fruits. It’s important for immune system formation and constant development. Next, we have vitamin D. Vitamin D is not found is a ton of foods, but all you really need to do is walk outside. The sun is one of the best sources of vitamin D.
Boosting your immunity doesn’t have to be complicated or involve big lifestyle changes. Hopefully, you can incorporate some of these ideas!
Written by GUADS staff member Toni with contributions from www.healthline.com
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