How to Naturally Strengthen Your Immune System
By Sara Butler
With winter in full effect, cold and flu season have arrived. To stay healthy this winter you need to make sure you’re supporting a body that is functioning optimally. Supporting a healthy immune system isn’t as difficult as you might think. In fact, you will probably find a few of these tips to be things you’re already doing!
Eat Vitamins
You don’t have to buy vitamins in a pill to provide your body with what it needs. The food you eat has everything your body needs to work at its best, you just need to make sure you’re eating the right things! Try adding a few of these immune-supporting foods your day:
- Vitamin C-rich foods such as broccoli and citrus fruits
- Vitamin E-rich foods such as whole grains and nuts
- Garlic
- Bioflavonoids found in vegetables and fruits
- Zinc-rich food such as turkey, beef, oysters, beans, and crab
- Selenium-rich foods such as whole grains, chicken, brown rice, eggs, sunflower seeds, and tuna
- Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, nuts, tuna, flaxseeds, and mackerel
- Carotenoid-rich foods such as yams and carrots
Manage Your Stress
The National Institutes of Health reports that stress hormones such as cortisol can put you at risk for obesity, cancer, heart disease, and other serious illnesses. So, take time out of your day to find a way to relieve the stress of life. Journal, meditate, talk to a friend, exercise, or do something you find helps the stress to melt away.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise has been shown to reduce the number of days per year a person is sick. So, aim for moderate exercise four to five times a week for about 30 minutes in order to help your body stay healthy and working at its very best.
Stay Hydrated
Water helps your body to clean itself and remove toxins naturally, including germs that make you sick. So, keep your body system hydrated and working optimally by making sure to drink enough water throughout the day. The respiratory system is especially important to keep hydrated since your mucous membranes are your body’s first line of defense against germs that cause illness.
Get Enough Sleep
The average adult should get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. How much do you get? If it’s not enough, then it can have a negative impact on the immune system, causing you to get sick. Have a bedtime routine you stick to and make sure to get the right amount of sleep every single night.
Stay healthy this winter with these tips!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Columbus, Ohio.