Maintaining a healthy immune system should always be a priority, but it’s more important than ever in the face of the current Coronavirus pandemic. Your immune system is made up of cells in your skin, blood, bone marrow, tissues, and organs that protect your body against potentially harmful pathogens - such as viruses.
Our 5 favourite ways to boost your immunity include:
1. Head Outside for a Walk
Regular low impact exercises help protect against head colds and boost your immune system and are known to lower your risk of developing chronic diseases (such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease).
Exercise also releases endorphins, which is great for managing and reducing stress levels.
2. Eat a Balanced Diet
Ensuring your diet comprises of plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein-rich foods is essential for keeping your immune system functioning properly. Research suggests that adding Vitamin C to your diet - a vitamin that our bodies do not naturally produce - is effective in decreasing the likelihood of illnesses.
To fully support your immune health, focus on a diet rich in plants and plant-based foods. Examples are soups, stews, smoothies and salads.
3. Effectively Manage Stress Levels
High levels of stress increase your body’s cortisol levels which have a negative effect on your immune system. In everyday life, small doses of cortisol have a beneficial effect on your body by preventing your immune system from responding before the stressful event is over (for example, exercise), which allows your body to respond to the immediate stressor.
However, when cortisol is elevated for long periods of time, it essentially blocks the immune system from kicking into gear to protect the body against germs. Bacteria and viruses.
4. Set a Regular Sleep Schedule
New studies suggest that 7-9 hours of restful sleep allows the immune system to restore itself. When you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system isn’t able to produce essential immune cells, such as cytokines (a protein that can fight or promote inflammation). This leads to your body being less able to defend itself from germs, bacteria and viruses, and increases your likelihood of illness.
Sleep deprivation also increases your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) which as we’ve learnt, is not good for your immune system.
5. Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking enough water is incredibly important, as it aids digestion and prevents pathogens from entering the body. Keeping hydrated helps your body naturally eliminate toxins and bacteria that cause illness, and help to keeps immunity high. It’s recommended that you drink 2.1 - 2.6 litres of water per day.