Natural Ways To Boost Your Body’s Ability To Fight Disease and Build Stronger Immunity.
While the human body has a truly remarkable defense against diseases, when you are run down and do not take care of yourself properly, this defense system can suffer. Luckily, there are natural and easily accessible ways to boost your immune system’s health.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. A healthy amount of sleep and allowing your body to rest can have a significant impact on fueling your body’s immune system.
Most modern sleep studies state that our bodies need an average of eight hours of quality sleep to keep our immune systems healthy. During sleep the body produces proteins called cytokines, which target infection and inflammation, creating an immune response.
Build better sleep habits with consistent bed and wake times. Manage your sleep environment to create a more restful sleep with a quiet, dark, and cool room. Limit your exposure to blue light at night, which comes from TVs, phones, and computer screens. Regular exercise also improves sleep quality.
Understanding the impact that your diet can have directly on your immune system can be a game-changer for fighting off infection. Whole food diets and reducing the intake of processed foods are key.
Enjoy immune-boosting foods such as, kale, grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, and sweet red peppers which are high in vitamin C. Cantaloupe, carrots, spinach, sweet potato, apricots, squash, and cantaloupe are excellent sources of beta-carotene. And, avocado, nuts, and seeds give you Vitamin E.
Getting natural sunlight is another low effort-high impact way to boost our immune systems daily. While a daily dose of sunlight won’t fend off or cure today’s infectious diseases, scientists have found that exposure to the sun has numerous benefits including strengthening the body’s defenses.
Chronic stress keeps high levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your body, which sup resses the immune system’s effectiveness in fighting off invaders.
Meditation, yoga, moderate-intensity exercise, managing workload, and finding time for relaxation are key methods of stress reduction. Test out different practices to see which one works best for you.
Taking care of your body is key to maintaining a healthy immune system. Self-care is a proactive decision you must make every day. Diet, exercise, good sleep, spending time outdoors, and effective stress management can go a long way to keeping you healthy in the long run.