6 ways to boost your immunity
With coughs, colds, and COVID-19 running amok through our communities, it’s important that you do what you can to boost the immunity of yourself and your family. We’ve rounded up 6 key tips to keep you healthy.
1. Eat a well-balanced diet
Maintaining a balanced diet is one of the best ways you can boost your immune system naturally. It might be tempting to turn to immune support supplements, but nothing compares to a whole food diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and other immune boosting foods.
To make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need to help fight off illness, the acronym G-BOMBS will help:
G - Greens like spinach, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.
B - Beans, peas and lentils.
O - Onions, garlic, leeks, chives and shallots.
M - Mushrooms
B - Berries - strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
S - Seeds - chia, pumpkin, sesame, and flax.
2. Keep stress levels low
Stress can be bad news for your overall health and immunity because the stress hormone cortisol actively suppresses and weakens the immune response, leaving you more susceptible to illness and infection.
When you’re stressed, it’s easier to fall back on unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking, and healthy habits like healthy eating, exercise, and sleep can fall by the wayside.
Take a short break from the source of stress (be it work, family, finances, or any number of other things) to do something you enjoy. Deep breathing can also have a great calming effect. Try the 4-7-8 method - breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven, and exhale for eight, and repeat up to four times.
3. Get enough sleep
One of the best ways to boost the immune system is to give it rest. Studies show that not getting enough hours of sleep not only makes it more likely for you to get sick after being exposed to an illness, but it can take longer to recover too.
That’s why getting a good night’s sleep is such an important part of the equation when it comes to building up immunity.
If sleeping well at night is a struggle for you, try to take two short naps during the day - one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and no more than 30 minutes each. Doing so has been proven to help offset the negative effects that a bad night’s sleep can have on the immune system, and reduce stress in the process.
4. Move your body
When it comes to boosting your immunity, exercise also plays an important role. Physical activity stimulates the immune system to help find and fight off viruses and unhealthy bacteria.
It doesn’t matter if it’s walking, cycling, or swimming, what’s important is that you get up and move your body. You should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise five days a week in order to start seeing these benefits.
5. Reduce your sugar intake
Eating large amounts of sugar can temporarily slow down your immune system from attacking bad bacteria. So it’s a good idea to reduce or remove sugar from your diet where possible.
Look out for added sugars on food labels, and be aware that sugar can also be described as sucrose, treacle, honey, glucose, fructose and agave nectar.
6. Remember the basics
Basic hygiene practices will continue to be the best line of defense, so it’s important that you keep up regular and thorough washing and drying of hands, as well as coughing and sneezing into a tissue or a bent elbow.
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