So, it’s winter again. From a health perspective, that means more infections and seasonal bugs to dodge and deal with – all the more reason then, to try to boost your immunity. However, before we start properly on the importance of immunity, it’s important to note that upping their immunity levels won’t prevent anyone from catching the Covid-19 coronavirus and developing symptoms and, just as significantly, passing it on to other people and helping to spread the virus.
That said, as we’ve now entered winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, when so many ‘ordinary’ colds, viruses and bugs tend to enjoy a free rein, it’s more than a good idea to try to boost your body’s natural immunity. Who wouldn’t want to protect their body from nasty, harmful pathogens and potential disease-causing organisms and help their bodies combat them and prevent their symptoms?
So, how might you best improve your immunity…?
Improve your sleep hygiene
There’s a close relationship between good sleep hygiene (sleeping well) and immunity – conversely, poor sleep is more likely to help lead to sickness, while people may naturally sleep longer when they’re unwell to aid their immune systems in their capacity to battle illnesses. On average, adults are advised to seek seven hours or more of sleep a night, teenagers between eight and 10 and young children/ infants up to 14 hours.
Add fruits, vegetables and healthy fats to your diet
There are few better ways to boost your immunity, in the long run, than to improve your nutrition. Seeking out foods packed full of excellent nutrients like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are key here, given their antioxidants, especially, are great at reducing inflammation throughout the body by ridding the gut microbiome of harmful free radicals (‘bad bacteria’) that actively strip the immune system of its natural efficacy.
Meanwhile, getting more olive oil and oily fish into your diet is good for all the healthy fats they contain; they’re great for reducing pathogen-caused chronic inflammation and boosting immunity. For this reason, it’s believed olive oil can help reduce the risk of developing heart disease and type-2 diabetes, as well as aid the body in combating viruses and disease-causing bacteria.
Reduce sugars and saturate fats
Consuming too many refined carbs and, therefore, added sugars and saturate fats can, of course, result in someone eventually becoming overweight and developing obesity. Evidence suggests that obese people may suffer from compromised immunity (a study found that its obese subjects were twice as likely to develop flu symptoms after receiving a flu vaccine than none-obese subjects who’d received the same flu jab), no doubt due to excessive sugar-intake increasing inflammation in the body and, thereby, increasing the risk of chronic conditions like type-2 diabetes.
Get some exercise
There’s no need to overdo it (indeed, prolonged exercise can actually suppress an immune system), but sensible, adequate exercise is great for increasing the body’s immunity, contributing to inflammation reduction and natural cell regeneration. What sort of moderate exercise are we talking here? The likes of which will get your heart rate up (but not set it racing uncontrollably) so, a brisk walk or a light hike, cycling, jogging, swimming – for, on average, about 20 minutes a day.
Go the supplement route
Finally, an excellent alternative to boost your immunity is to turn to naturally-derived, well-reviewed supplements. Thanks, in part, to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities, probiotics can prove a good supplement type to turn to (by all means take a look at our Probiotics section, here).
However, there are many immunity-improving supplements to be found if you do a bit of research. For instance, a terrific, brand-new-on-the-market example is Global Healing’s Plant-based Immune Boost, available from us, here, at The Finchley Clinic. Boasting a carefully blended mix of ingredients (organic herbs, trace minerals, plant essences, mushrooms and aromatics), it’s designed to help increase the immune system so it can maintain your health all-year-round – especially during the winter months. All that, and it tastes terrific, too!