At the moment, we’re all concerned about COVID-19, a respiratory infection caused by the coronavirus. However, your immune system is important all the time. The tips you will see in this post, are just as relevant for when you are fighting off a normal cold or flu.

When it comes to fighting off infections, your body relies on its immune system to protect it. So, let’s have a look at 7 different ways you can boost your immune system. 

Eat A Healthy Diet 

You probably hear it over and over again when researching ways to stay healthy, but that’s because your food plays a vital part in the way your body runs. Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet is one of the most important ways you can look after your body.

Try to concentrate on whole foods, and eat from all the key groups. You should avoid fatty, salty, sugary, and processed foods if you can. There are also some foods that are thought to be better at boosting your immunity. The most important thing to do is to make sure you eat plenty of variety and healthily. 

Get The Nutrients Your System Needs

Some nutrients are essentials to keeping your immune system running properly. These are found in the fresh produce that you consume. You shouldn’t really rely on supplements to get them, however, at times it’s needed. You can find them in places like a cbd store or health shop. 

An important antioxidant that helps to fight free radicals in the body is Vitamin C. This can be found in many foods and not just citrus fruits. You will also find it in leafy green vegetables, strawberries, carrots and many more fruits and vegetables.

Another powerful antioxidant is vitamin E. It helps your body to fight infections. You will find this in almonds, broccoli, peanuts, hazelnuts, and spinach. 

A necessity for your immune system is vitamin B6. Tune, chickpeas, lean poultry, and bananas are all high in the nutrient. 

Vitamin D is something that is essential for everyone, you can get it from being outside in the sun for 20mins a day, and get it from eating fatty fish or fortified spreads and cereals. It helps to regulate your immune responses. At times you may need a supplement for this. 

If you want to top up on your Vitamin A. which is a powerful antioxidant, eat colourful foods like sweet potato, pumpkin, squash, and carrots. 

Exercise More Often 

A great way to strengthen your immune system is to exercise on a regular basis. It will also help you to reduce stress levels and sleep better. These both have an impact on your immune system. 

Even in people with weakened immune systems, regular exercise has been shown to improve the immune response. 

Control Your stress 

Anxiety and stress can have a physical impact on our bodies, including a negative one on our natural defense. This is even more true if you are stressed over a prolonged period of time. 

Everyone gets stressed once in a while, so it’s a good idea to try and find some stress-busting techniques that you get along with. You could try yoga, breathing exercises or meditation. 

Get Enough Sleep

Your immune system produces cytokines, proteins that target infection, and inflammation. This also happens when you sleep, meaning losing out on a decent night’s rest could seriously impact your defenses. 

It’s recommended that you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. If you often feel tired during the day then you may not be getting enough shut-eye. Sleep is a necessity, not a luxury so make sure you make the effort to get enough quality rest. It could really help to boost our immune system. 

Have A Happy Healthy Gut 

The health of your digestive system has a massive impact on the health of your whole body. Your immune system is no different. Ensuring you have a healthy gut microbiome encourages you to have healthy defenses.

Have Good Personal Hygiene

As well as doing all of the above you also need to take the correct measures to ensure that you are preventing germs from entering your body, to begin with. One of the simplest ways you can do this is to wash your hands on a regular basis. To wash your hands thoroughly you should use warm water and soap for 20 seconds. Do this before and after eating, after coughing or sneezing and after you have used or touched public spaces like the bathroom. 

This short guide should help you to boost your body’s defense against diseases and infection. Is there anything that you do to help boost yours? 

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