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5 Ways to boost your immunity

Exercise Regularly


Working out regularly not only refreshes your mind, and energizes your body, but also plays a role in boosting your immunity. Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This, in turn, reduces your chances of getting a cold or flu. Exercise causes a change in antibodies and white blood cells. WBCs are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before. The brief rise in body temperature during and right after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing. This temperature rise may help the body fight infection better. (This is similar to what happens when you have a fever.) Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. Some stress increases the chance of illness. Lower stress hormones may protect against illness.


As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. In case you are taking up a vigorous workout regime, try to spread it evenly throughout the week. Be mindful to nourish your body accordingly - heavy workouts should be accompanied by higher calorie and protein intake.


So go ahead, join that Pilates class or go for the trial of the new kickboxing place down the road, you never know what you might get passionate about!


Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate


The human body consists of 60% water It is recommended to have 8 ounces (237) glasses of water per day. Drinking water has innumerable benefits rather than just quenching our thirst!. Dehydration can have a noticeable effect. It alters or body temperature control, increases fatigue, and makes exercise more difficult. Our brain is impaired by even mild dehydration.


Let us see how staying hydrated can actually do us good. We lose water from our body either from perspiration, urine, bowel movements, or breath thus it's important to keep ourselves hydrated. Electrolytes like sodium and potassium leave us feeling depleted of energy and lower our endurance. Make a habit to drink 2 to 3 liters of water every day or even foods that have more water content, which will help to replenish the body at its best. Plan to drink at least one glass of water per hour or monitor your habit with human-friendly apps so as to reach your water goals. Water regulates our body temperature, moistens tissues in the eyes, nose, and mouth, protects body organs and tissues, lubricates joints, lessens the burden on kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products, helps dissolve minerals and nutrients to make them accessible to your body thereby contributing towards a stronger immunity.


Aging again weakens our immune system and can make our body susceptible to infections or diseases. A strong immune system is very much needed to fight off viruses. Don't doctors recommend having plenty of water when sick? It keeps everything flowing nicely within our bodies and overall health is improved. Though drinking water does not prevent contracting diseases, it helps the body fight against them and recovers faster. All this said it is you who have to take care of your health.


Maintaining a healthy diet


Opting for a balanced, adequate diet can protect the body against diseases. The immune system is a complex network that constantly works to protect the body from antigens with pathogens, including bacteria, parasites and viruses. We are constantly exposed to potential harmful microbes every day, so strengthening our immune system, is very crucial through a healthy diet. Exercising is good for health but accompanied with unhealthy diet pose variety of risks to health. Research shows that a person’s diet can impact immune health to a great extent. Studies also pointed out that energy intake should be in balance with energy expenditure. Who doesn’t want a healthy immune system? Did you know the role your diet plays in keeping your immune system in top shape? A truly healthy immune system depends on a balanced healthy diet over time.


We should consciously adopt a shift in fat consumption away from saturated fats and trans-fats to unsaturated fats and eliminate industrially-produced trans fats, reduce the intake of free sugars, salt intake should be less than 5 grams per day. Though the makeup of a diversified, balanced and healthy diet will vary according to individual characteristics like ­age, gender, lifestyle and degree of physical activity. The basic principles of a healthy diet remain the same.


Diets rich in whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and seafood and low processed foods reduce disease risk and promote healthy immune function. Additionally, a deficiency of nutrients essential to immune function including vitamin D, Zinc and Vitamin C can also affect the immune response.


Diets high in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish contain high levels of nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin D, B6, B12, copper, folate, iron and selenium. The immune system needs these nutrients to function optimally.



To support immune function, a person should concentrate on following a balanced dietary pattern rich in whole nutrient-dense foods, especially plant foods such as veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. People should avoid processed foods and added sugar


Take your supplements

Food has many different nutrients and fibre all of which work together supplements don’t have the same mix. If you can get enough fruits and vegetables in your diet you may want to consider taking multivitamins and minerals.


Due to industrialization and lack of nutrients in the soil as well as poor diet choices Research has found supplementing with certain minerals, vitamins, and herbs may be beneficial to support our immune system and promote longevity. Vitamins or nutritional supplements is to deliver nutrients that may not be consumed in sufficient quantities.

A} Green tea extract:

Green tea has been used in traditional medicines for many years. The main component in green tea is a catechin called Epigallo catechin-3- 0- gallate. Green tea can be enjoyed as a tea or taken as a dietary supplement for an extra health boost

B} Zinc:

It is required for bone growth wound healing, eyesight, and brain development and also for many other functions.

C} Elderberry :

They are powerful bioflavonoids naturally occurring components, packed with antioxidants and vitamins, they boost your immune system. Experts recommend elderberry to help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms.

D}Vitamin C:

One of the biggest immune system boosters. Lack of it can make you more prone to getting sick. Daily intake of vitamin C is essential for good health. Foods like oranges, strawberries, spinach, bell peppers, broccoli, kale have higher quantities of this vitamin.

Vitamin B6 supports biochemical reactions in the immune system and vitamin E a powerful antioxidant that helps the body to fight infections. Both these vitamins are found in dark green leafy veggies, nuts, and seeds.

The fact that supplements look like medicines is a mental block that stops us from looking at it as a nutritional necessity. In today's busy life supplements create a balance and eliminate nutritional deficiencies in our bodies.


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