Boosting Immunity: Your Guide to Boosting Immunity
All the systems of the human body are very essential. However, in this article, we are discussing tips for improving the immune system. Immunity plays a vital role in the human body because the job of this system is to help your body fight and avoid pathogens and germs that can make you physically sick. The immune system also impacts how often you get ill. Here are 10 tips for boosting immunity.
1. Eat citrus fruits, berries, and greens
Foods that are citrus and greens are the primary source of a helpful increased production of white blood cells, the main factor that helps your immune system fight and prevent more infections. Meanwhile, berries can act as antioxidants from your immune system. Antioxidants are molecules that boost your immune system by protecting your white blood cells, the main source of fighting infections and inflammations.
Examples of citrus fruits include:
● Oranges
● Tangerines
● Lemons
● Limes
● Grapefruit
● Tomatoes
Examples of berries include:
● Blueberries
● Raspberries
● Strawberries
● Goji berries
Examples of greens include:
● Spinach
● Kale
● Broccoli
2. Increase garlic and ginger intake
Garlic and ginger are more sources of immunity-boosting foods. Garlic adds flavor to food, and studies provide evidence that consuming raw garlic can benefit individuals when feeling unwell. Garlic is known to benefit in many ways, considering it an antibiotic that fights many infections. These include the flu, colds, sinus problems, and sore throats.
Furthermore, raw ginger can decrease inflammation also when feeling unwell. This is because ginger contains antioxidants and properties that are beneficial for health. Curations with ginger are a fever, an upset stomach, nausea, and proper digestion.
Whether you are ill or not, garlic and ginger are some of the top foods that offer a range of health benefits, but most importantly, to boost immunity.
3. Increase vitamin C intake
Vitamin C is vital to your body’s healing process, and works as an antioxidant. However, vitamin C is not something your body can produce. Therefore, this can only be obtained through specific foods. Following the previous tip, the citrus fruits that were stated are full of vitamin C.
A list of additional food and sugar-free drinks consisting vitamin C and not mentioned in the previous tip are:
● Kiwis
● Papaya
● Red bell peppers
● Orange juice
● Grapefruit juice
● Green tea
● Lemonade
Lastly, unless recommended by your doctor, supplements such as chewy tablets— multivitamins, for example— may provide vitamin C. However, this is not as effective and is not recommended often by studies.
4. Mediterranean diets
The Mediterranean-style diet is most nutritious, in terms of all body systems, but mainly because of one reason given its high antioxidants and the reduction of body inflammation.
The Mediterranean diet consists the following for immunity:
● Fruits
● Vegetables
● Garlic
● Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
● Fish and seafood
● Poultry (particularly lean meat)
● Nuts
● Greek yogurt
Although the Mediterranean diet consists of more foods, these play a crucial role for boosting immunity. Considering the Mediterranean-style diet’s options, try following it once in a while or as much as possible to promote a stronger immune system.
5. Stay hydrated
Water is like a supportive cushion to your immune system, because our blood has immune cells that must be transported throughout the bloodstream. With the help of water, it makes it easier for blood to flow and carry these immune cells. Along with this, water serves multiple more benefits that are the backseat to boosting immunity, such as:
● Regulating your internal body temperature
● Forming saliva
● Cleaning up toxins
● Waste removal
● Transporting nutrients in the blood
Following the general rule of thumb of hydration— 15.5 cups of water for males, 11.5 cups of water for females— can help you maintain hydration, and boost immunity. It is also vital to continue drinking more fluids when you are sick and committed to a lot of exercise.
6. Get a good sleep
The lower your sleep quality is, the more this can affect your immune system. This fact weighs more if you are ill.
Cytokines, a protein that your immune system releases, help regulate your sleep. However, cytokines will increase once they have been triggered by infections, inflammations, or even stress. Additionally, the immune cells also grow the more you have adequate sleep. If you do not get enough sleep, these factors will not be able to occur.
For that reason, ensure you maintain proper sleeping habits and maintain a bedtime routine. You may develop a structured environment for yourself at night, while getting proper sleep that your body needs to recharge.
7. Physical activity
A well-known factor for muscle growth and heart health, committing to physical activity almost every day boosts immunity. As your immune system consists of different cells, they must move throughout your body in the bloodstream. The CDC also provides research that shows a decreased chance of obtaining the flu or pneumonia from moderate daily exercise.
Commitment to moderate aerobic exercises— walking, jogging, jump-roping—- any exercise considered “cardio” helps decrease blood pressure and keep the blood flow of immunity cells going smoothly.
8. Wash your hands
Proper hand-cleaning hygiene is the most effective way to stay healthy, including spreading germs to those around you. In fact, in most cases, this is where most sickness diffuses; when unclean hands touch a person or surface, then that gets touched, and the germs are with someone else.
Healthy habits on when to wash your hands are:
● Before and after eating
● Before and after preparing food
● Before and after treating a wound or cut
● After coming back from outside/public spaces
● After helping someone sick
● After using the restroom
● After touching garbage
● Touching areas of your face
A basic reminder for effective handwashing is always to use soap, because using water alone will not eliminate germs on your skin properly. Many diseases spread due to the lack of usage of soap. In addition, turn off the faucet after using the water to prevent more germs from spreading. If no restroom is available, the secondary option is to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer rather than foam sanitizer.
9. Reduce stress
A factor that is growing in awareness today, chronic stress has a significant effect on the immune system, causing inflammation and infections. Untreated stress leads to sleep disturbance, trouble focusing, unhealthy eating to none, and procrastination. These factors are the key to a healthy immune system. Mental health disorders, such as general anxiety and depression, and physical illness may also develop in the long run.
Stress is a natural response for everyone, but what matters most is how we manage it to prevent stress from becoming persistent. Calming activities such as deep breathing, meditation, and journaling can ease chronic stress. Additionally, it is essential to remember that along with physical health, mental health does matter, so boosting your mental health by focusing for a while is strongly recommended for both a solid immune system and a relaxed mind. Concentrating on eating healthy, doing physical activity, getting enough sleep, and starting your day on a positive note are some starters for working on your mental health.
10. Be up to date with vaccinations
Self-care methods on boosting immunity are discussed in the previous tips. Still, while these primary factors are essential, there are specific diseases that are difficult to combat. This is where vaccines come into play; vaccines build immunity against these certain diseases.
When you get a vaccine, it alerts your immune system to remember the same germ to prevent it next time. Although vaccinations cannot completely help prevent some infections, they benefit your immune system, such as your long-term health, prevent illnesses substantially, and lower the risk of most hospitalizations.
Always be up to date and know when your next vaccine is, especially if it is a flu shot. Flu shots are lifesavers preventing an increase in how often you get ill. This also contributes to the COVID-19 vaccines, as the benefits of obtaining a vaccine for your immune system align with the above mentioned reasons.
The Bottom Line
Taking care of yourself and refraining from becoming physically ill can lead to a healthy lifestyle and a supportive immune system. The previous tips from this article explain why they are essential and how they impact your body. It is also strongly noted that among all the tips provided, the tips with primary self-care—- eating healthily, drinking plenty of water, getting adequate sleep, exercising, washing hands, and managing stress— are essential because they require action to be taken by you. However, that does not eliminate the fact that getting an annual vaccine is not recommended because staying up to date with your vaccines strengthens immunity. Although it may appear challenging to carry out these healthy habits, these tips serve a beneficial purpose to you to live a longer life and be free of illness as much as possible.