How is it the end of the year already?! We’re all excited here in the office. Even though were in San Diego and we don’t get much rain, snow, or Winter at all for that matter, we still get in the Holiday spirit! It’s the most wonderful time of the year… Or is it? We see more stress and sickness during these colder (and crazier) Winter months. To help you stay healthy, read these 10 ways to improve your immune system during the end of the year.
Here is a quick reminder of what we all should be doing to reduce stress and to support our immune systems during these crazy busy months. We got this article from a website called “Healthy and Natural World” … take a peek …! Our immune system is essentially our own personal inner-military. A weak military can’t defend itself or attack its enemies very well, rendering it a doomed excuse for protection. When your immune system is weak, your body is left vulnerable to viruses, allergies, and all the other enemies lurking all around you. There are plenty of grueling ways you can slowly change your lifestyle to work on this – or you could try these 10 quick life hacks to improve your immunity almost immediately.
10 Ways To Improve Your Immune System
1. Get Enough Sleep. A sleep deprivation can have surprisingly devastating results on the production of antibodies (your body’s infantry). It turns out that a good majority of people in a tech-saturated culture are cutting sleep breaks too short. Organize your schedule and get into a routine that fits between seven to nine hours per day. If a hectic schedule doesn’t permit this, try finding time within the day for a few power naps. To get a better sleep, you can try herbs, foods or natural substance.
2. Proper Hygiene Habits. Sometimes the smallest lack of care concerning hygiene can make your body vulnerable from light to devastating health issues. Stick to the basics, such as:
- Wash your hands a few times a day, especially after the bathroom
- Take regular showers
- Don’t share drinks directly with others often
- Maintain food hygiene and prepare food safely
Think of the things that make you vulnerable to germs and disease and do your best to avoid them.
Eat Healthy and Exercise
3. Eat a Healthy Diet. Do sleep and diet sound obvious? Because these are essential aspects of living, but many people overlook importance for convenience. The abundance of sugars packed into sugary soft-drinks and processed sweets has a dulling effect on the way your immune system cells function. If you haven’t already, get your body used to vegetables and fruits of all shapes and colors. They provide vitamins that are essential to a smooth running immune system.
4. Exercise Regularly. A regular exercise routine does much more than shape your body, it fortifies the immune system with proper circulation and better sleep. It shouldn’t take long for your immunity to make clear improvements. While you’re exercising, remember to keep yourself hydrated before, during and after exercising. This will help flush out toxins and transport the minerals and vitamins from a healthy diet. Also remain wary of the germ loaded bars, grips and machines in public gyms.
5. Don’t Smoke. According to the Livestrong website, smoking presents a whole lot of harm to your body in several ways. It makes your immune system weaker and slows the defense of antibodies when you are exposed to outer threats. The clouds of carcinogens billowing down the esophagus rips up soft tissues, leaving you more vulnerable to an infection. It may be a difficult addiction to quit, but many former smokers will attest that they feel healthier than ever. In a few hours after smoking the nicotine levels fall significantly, oxygen balances itself out, and the body has already made immune improvements. Smoking is also one of the habits to stop right now if you want to be healthy as mentioned in my previous article about the 10 habits to stop right now if you want to be healthy.
Stay Positive and Manage Stress
6. Step Out of Isolation and Have a Positive Attitude. Social anxiety can lead some people to isolating themselves at every given chance from the world around them. Though the exact causes for it haven’t been pinpointed, webMD website mentions that there are several studies that can back the effectiveness of a healthy social life on the immune system. Get out and form friendships with new people, step out of isolation, and watch your immunity remain strong. WebMD website also mentions the positive effect of the sense of humor on the immune system.
7. Manage Stress Levels. Harvard Health Publication mentions that stress of any kind can have negative effects on your immune levels. Both social and physical stress that you experience delays the production of antibodies. The sad thing is that stress can be, and often is, an unavoidable factor in many people’s lives. The best you can do for your body is find ways to alleviate the stress, like with meditation, yoga, exercise, and new hobbies. It’s no coincidence that many people that live great past their prime are level headed.
8. Get Your Vitamin D. Studies show that without a healthy dose of vitamin D, the body is much more vulnerable to autoimmunity and infections. People fail to realize their vitamin intake and fall sick despite an otherwise healthy diet. You can find more information on how to increase your vitamin D levels in my previous article about the common diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency.
Additional Ways To Stay Healthy
9. Balance Your Alcohol. When somebody consumes an excessive amount of alcohol they often don’t consider the damage they are putting their body through. In large amounts it restricts the dispatch of immune defenses and leaves the body susceptible to harm. If you’re old enough to drink you shouldn’t completely avoid it in fear of your health, as according to NCBI website, a moderate amount actually can benefit the immune system. Know your body type and keep a low tolerance with moderate drinking sessions.
10. Consider Probiotics. Many people associate bacteria with a potential to degrade health. Probiotics are a healthy type of bacteria that help the digestive system, immune repair, and immune defense. They keep the bad bacteria from proliferating and ensure a healthier lifestyle. According to Livestrong website, foods like yogurt and miso have probiotics but some health professionals don’t believe it’s a sufficient amount. To make sure, you can purchase a supplement that will give your body an ample dose. You can find more benefits of taking probiotics in my previous article about why probiotics are so good for you. Building your internal army isn’t very difficult. Once you’ve picked up on the right habits, your body will settle into a groove that is difficult to lose.
Cited: http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/quick-life-hacks-to-improve-your-immunity-almost-immediately/
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