The immune system is incredibly intricate, and it has to be robust and balanced to fight infections and illnesses. However, the strength should not exceed the normal, to avoid unnecessary complications such as autoimmune disorders and allergies. Below are five healthy habits you can use to improve your body's immune system to fight viruses and disease-causing organisms.
At first glance, you might think that your immune system is only to protect yourself from getting sick but in fact, the opposite is really true. A strong immune system will keep you healthy and if everything is working correctly you might not even notice any change. However, when things go wrong, unfortunately, that can be bad news.
Ideally, everyone would follow these ways to boost your immune system on a daily basis because it’s the right thing to do. However, if you aren’t convinced, you should consider some weak immune system symptoms including: chronic fatigue but also frequent illness, a low-grade fever that just won’t go away, and it can lead to much more severe symptoms as well that might be diagnosed after hospitalization.
While sometimes a weak immune system is caused by an auto-immune disorder or complications from disease. However, for many people it is much more subtle than that. So, instead of letting it get to that point, let’s take a look at some easy ways that you can boost your body’s immune system today.
Juicing To Boost Your Immune System
You've probably seen "immunity booster" or similar supplements and "shots" offered at your local juice bar. These can supplement the existing immune-boosting power of the juice you are about to consume by adding herbs, vitamins, and minerals to help boost your immune system. Generally, this includes a strong amount of vitamin C, zinc, and echinacea. While many juices offered at juice bars claim to be able to offer immune system boosting properties the reality is you have to be careful.
Some people ask even, "does orange juice boost your immune system?" - the answer is yes. Adding a healthy amount of vitamin c, it will support your immune system against a variety of illnesses. However, there are many illnesses and different challenges to your immune system require different solutions so don't just assume that drinking lots of orange juice will be the immune system boost that you need. For instance, your body can only absorb so much Vitamin C and while this can help you fight off a cold or fatigue, it isn't going to cure everything.
Furthermore, while pure orange juice is generally healthy, it contains a high amount of natural sugar. Processed orange juices can contain added sugar on top of this and that sugar can actually act to suppress your immune system.
Eating a Healthy Diet Ensures Proper Nutrition
A healthy diet acts as the basis of a robust immune system. A healthy diet involves eating lean protein, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats. Eating health diets offers your body with micronutrients that play a significant role in improving your immune system.
The micronutrients include vitamin B6 found in tuna and bananas, vitamin c found in strawberries and citrus fruits, and vitamin E found in sunflower and almonds. A healthy diet also includes avoiding alcohol and avoiding smoking as it can weaken the system as it tries to fight the damage and inflammation caused by tobacco.
Getting Enough Sleep To Recharge Your Immune System
Failure to have adequate sleep triggers stress hormones such as cortisol that keep you alert and awake, reducing your immune system levels. According to experts, lack of enough sleep lowers the protein levels that fight infection and inflammation, making you vulnerable to diseases.
A nine-hour sleep helps regroup white blood cells, which acts as the basis of immunity, preparing them for the next day. Besides that, enough sleep provides a suitable platform for the body to repair and stimulate muscle tissue after exercise.
Minimizing Stress Helps Your Immune System Recover
Stress that either build up over time or are quick responses always have an adverse effect on your health, particularly your immune system. When going through a stress period, specifically chronic stress that's long-lasting and frequent, the body responds by triggering a stress response.
However, it is essential to identify the type of stress we have and its impact on our health. Therefore, to boost your immune system, you should know the activities you should do to reduce stress. This includes activities such as meditation, exercise, deep breathing, or prayers.
Making Sure To Keep Hydrated Helps Your Body Repair Itself
Hydrating your body plays a significant role in protecting your body from viruses and germs. Dehydration can lead to headaches and hinder your digestion, kidney and heart function and physical performance. Thus, exposing your body to such conditions can increase your vulnerability to illness.
Therefore, it is good to ensure that you drink a lot of fluids, precisely water, to prevent dehydration. Medical experts highly recommend hydrating your body with water as it is free of sugar, additives, and calories—however, its good to limit the intake of juice and tea as they have high sugar content.
Remember, lymph is made up of water and helps protect your body from infection by carrying vital infection-immune cells throughout your body. Hence, the lack of enough water will slow down its movement, resulting in an impaired immune system.
Exercising Helps Flush Toxins and Strengthens Your Natural Immunity
Physical activities not only build muscles and reduce stress but also help in boosting the immunity level. One fundamental way that exercise helps improve the immune system is by improving the circulation of immune cells; thus, making the transportation of the immune cells easy and quick.
However, it is good to note that intense exercise can weaken your body's immune system. For this reason, ensure that you keep the training moderate and hydrate during the exercise to boost your immune system.
Furthermore, moderate and regular exercise can promote the growth of immune cells and can also reduce inflammation. Examples of activities that can boost your immune system include jogging, light hiking, swimming, and brisk walking. For effective exercise, always aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise in one week.
