Your immune system does a great job of defending you against disease, but sometimes it fails. Occasionally, a germ will overcome your defenses, making you sick. You might wonder what to do to protect yourself.
How to Boost Your Immune System
Sometimes illness is unavoidable, but by replacing bad health habits with good ones can help keep your immune system healthy. Check this list to see where you could use some improvement.
1) Eat Well and Exercise
Feeding your body well may help keep your immune system strong. If you’re looking for ways to prevent winter colds and the flu, start with a healthy diet. Avoid processed food, opting for fruits and vegetables instead. Ginger, garlic, and tumeric are also shown to boost your immune system. Regular, moderate exercise can also help your immune system fight infection. People who don’t exercise regularly are more likely to get colds than someone who does. Exercise can also produce dopamine, which improves mood and helps you sleep better. Both of those are good for your immune system.
2) Quit Smoking
Smoking can cause serious health conditions, like lung cancer and emphysema. But it can also weaken your body’s immune system. This is because tobacco damages the cells in your body, including in the immune system. Smoking damages and destroys antibodies in the bloodstream. These antibodies normally help fight off infections and illness. Since smokers have fewer antibodies, they may get sick more often than non-smokers and stay sick longer.
3) Watch the Weight
Obesity has been shown to impair immunity and lead to serious disease. Heart disease, diabetes, and fatty liver disease are all caused by obesity. Eating too many calories also makes you more prone to infection. Too many unhealthy calories increase blood sugar and may damage cells. This leaves you vulnerable to disease.
4) Drink Alcohol in Moderation
When it comes to alcohol consumption, it’s important to adhere to the rule of “everything in moderation.” Damage to the immune system increases in proportion to the quantity of alcohol consumed. The more you drink, the more damage is done. Alcohol inhibits white blood cells, which fight infection. This increases your risk for disease.
5) Reduce or Manage Stress
Research has shown that high levels of stress can make the immune system vulnerable to infections. Decreases stress is the first step in getting your immune system back in balance. While none of us can eliminate all stress from our lives, there are lots of ways to minimize its impact on our mind and body. If you’re struggling with your stress, you may want to consider counseling.
Regular Check-Ups
Regular health exams and tests can help find problems early when your chances for treatment and cure are better. By getting the right health services, screenings, and treatments, you are taking steps that help your chances of living a healthier life. Your age, health and family history, lifestyle choices, and other important factors impact what and how often you need check-ups.
A Healthy Lifestyle for You
The importance of your immune system can never be overstated. It fights off invading germs every day, keeping your body healthy and strong. Get started boosting your immune system with the tips in this guide today!
Keep making healthy choices and Contact Us for a check-up.
