How to Naturally Improve Immune Health
Strong immunity prevents you from acquiring colds, other minor illnesses, and being severely affected by serious infections such as the flu or COVID-19. It stands to reason that when your body has good immunity, you’ll spend less time feeling sick in bed or at hospitals. There are plenty of inexpensive and easy ways to build a robust immune system.
Five Ways to Naturally Improve Your Immune Health
PureHealth Research values your well-being, and our desire is for everyone to have good health. This article presents five chemical-free ways to improve your immunity naturally.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise is critical for your general well-being as well as boosting your immune system. Keep yourself healthy and prevent illness by moving your body every day. Exercise can also speed up your recovery and reduce symptoms when feeling sick.
The moment you start feeling a bit under the weather, start exercising! Try going for a brisk walk or stretching when you suspect you might be catching a bug. Not only will you feel better immediately, but you will also be getting in some much-needed exercise, and you know how important that is!
Get Enough Sleep
Experts recommend that adults get about seven to eight hours of sleep every night. Insufficient sleep prevents your body from recovering from the day’s events. The result can be a weakened immune system and increased susceptibility to illnesses. Aside from keeping you organized, a regular bedtime can help you to sleep better. Be sure to create a relaxing bedtime routine and avoid watching TV or working on the computer before retiring.
Take a hot bath before bed with Epsom salts or lavender oil. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages too close to bedtime because they can interfere with sleep. Establish a pre-bedtime routine that includes calming activities such as yoga, meditation, reading, deep breathing exercises, or prayer. The simple act of reading about a chapter before falling asleep will stimulate melatonin production. Performing some light stretching before bed may also relieve any bouts of insomnia.
Be sure to turn off screens an hour before going to sleep, as they may negatively affect your circadian rhythm and keep you awake longer than necessary. You must get enough rest at night so that the body can work efficiently throughout the day without being weighed down by fatigue. When we are fully rested, our chances of falling sick reduce dramatically.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Eating well is one of the fundamental ways to boost your immune system. Always pay attention to your diet and ensure it has adequate fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Reduce sugars and highly processed foods. Also, avoid excessive alcohol intake, which can impair your immune system by reducing T-cell production.
Sufficient proteins are essential in maintaining a healthy body and boosting immunity. It is helpful to remember that eggs, chicken, fish, legumes, and tofu are all excellent protein sources. It is safer to limit red meat consumption since it has lots of saturated fats that may increase inflammation.
Adding garlic and ginger to your diet will help reduce infections. Ginger does that by inhibiting the growth of pro-inflammatory cytokines. If you have a mild cold or other minor illness, adding some raw or cooked garlic into your diet may be helpful. This bulb is particularly protective against the flu and the common cold. Crushing, chewing, or slicing your garlic will help it produce allicin, which is what aids our immunity.
Drink Enough Water
Did you know that drinking enough water is one of the best and simplest ways to improve your immune health? Water keeps your organs functioning properly and flushes out toxins. 60% of our human body consists of water. Therefore, it is very important to take adequate water to replace what we lose through sweat, urine, and even breaths.
Drink eight glasses of water daily; increase this number when feeling unwell or engaging in physical exercise. Iced tea, fruit juice, and other non-alcoholic beverages also count toward your total. That’s right – even coffee!
Take a Probiotic
The good bacteria living in our intestines help fight harmful bacteria and viruses. Doctors often prescribe probiotics to treat stomach ailments. You can easily add probiotics to your diet by consuming yogurt. Studies show that they help protect against certain forms of cancer, too.
Avoid Stress
Immune health is negatively affected by stress. When undergoing stress, the body produces cortisol, suppressing the immune system. Create time for yourself by doing things you enjoy. Meditation and exercise can help reduce stress in a big way.
During the day, try taking a walk or napping for a few minutes. Doing so allows your body to reset itself and release tension. It’s also important not to overwork yourself. Take on only what you know you can handle at any given time to avoid overwhelming yourself with too much work and unnecessary pressure. Lastly, get enough rest.
Consume Vitamin C and Zinc Supplements
The two most essential nutrients for immune health are vitamin C and zinc. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage, while zinc is necessary for proper immune function. Taking supplements containing these nutrients can help improve your immune health and reduce your risk of infection.
If you don’t want to take supplements, foods rich in vitamin C include fruits and vegetables like lemon, orange, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, and tomato. Zinc-rich foods include oysters, beef liver, crab meat, and beans. Eating more protein-rich foods, such as eggs, fish, or chicken breast, also will provide an adequate amount of zinc.
Final Word
Prioritize the above tips; they will go a long way in keeping you fit, making illness a thing of the past. At the very least, they will reduce your trips to the doctor. Plus, they’re so easy to implement and don’t cost a ton of money.
Health is of great essence, and it all begins with good practices. A healthy body will come when you take care of it. Prevention is better than cure – isn’t that how the saying goes?
