The immune system prevents diseases and defends the body against disease-causing microorganisms. But sometimes, the immune system fails or becomes weak, and germs attack strongly and make you sick. The germs become successful because you have a weak immune system that cannot defend the body.
There are so many infectious diseases flying around these days, and those who have weak immune systems are becoming the prey of it. Other viral diseases like flu may also make you sick with a weak immune system. Stress also plays a crucial role in strengthening or weakening the immune system. The current situation where people are experiencing, limited outdoor activities may also lower the immunity to fight off infections.
However, it becomes necessary to strengthen your immune system to keep yourself safe from these viral diseases during this viral exposure. The questions that come to your mind right now are: Is it possible to boost the immune system. Is there any natural way to strengthen the immune system? Is it possible to change your lifestyle to get a more robust immune system? The answer is YES.
You can strengthen your immunity by changing your lifestyle from unhealthy habits to healthy lifestyle habits. A healthy lifestyle will support your immune system to fight off against diseases. Here are natural ways to boost the immune system during stress and viral exposure. These ways will ensure the proper functioning of the immune system.
Exercise regularly
Physical activities are essential for building muscles, de-stressing, or losing weight; still, these are important for a healthy immune system and overall health. Exercise improves your immune system when blood circulates well in the body. Healthy blood circulation helps immune cells and other infection-fighting molecules travel more efficiently and smoothly.
The 30-minute daily exercise from moderate to vigorous boosts your immune system. It means that you need to adopt an exercise routine to stay active and boost your immune system. If you cannot go outside for exercise, you can do exercise at home. You can search for activities you can perform at your home.
Be a water baby
Water is vital for the body, supporting a robust immune system. A fluid called lymph (present in the circulatory system) is largely made of water. It carries essential infection-fighting molecules around your body. When you do not drink enough water, it slows down the movement of lymph and even sometimes causes an impaired immune system.
If you are not exercising or sweating, you are still losing water through urination and bowel movements. To make your immune system strong, you must drink more water than you lose. It usually is recommended to drink 6 to 8 glasses a day.
Get enough sleep
We may not count sleep as a physical activity for the immune system. But some critical activities happen in the body when you are sleeping. You don’t realize it, but many infection-fighting molecules are produced during sleep.
People who spend sleepless nights or have poor-quality sleep have higher chances of getting sick when exposed to viruses such as the flu. If you want proper functioning of the immune system to fight off diseases, get enough good quality sleep. The ways to improve sleep quality are:
- Reduce use of alcohol before sleep
- Avoid coffee consumption before going to bed
- Keep room temperature regular to get a comfortable sleep
- Avoid using electronic gadgets one hour before going to bed, etc.
Reduce stress levels
Whether you have sudden stress or it builds up slowly, over time, it may negatively affect your immune system. Stress affects your immune system and overall health. During stress, especially chronic stress that is long-lasting and frequent, the body initiates a stress response. This stress response restrains your immune system and increases the chances of illnesses, toxic burden and infections.
Stress affects differently on people, and it is also different how people take it and relieve it. So it is vital to identify the cause of stress and try to de-stress yourself. You can reduce stress levels with exercise or prayer, meditation, deep breathing, and others.
Maintain a healthy diet
A balanced diet is vital for a more robust immune system. This is why you should eat a healthy and balanced diet such as fruits, legumes and vegetables. In addition, you will need lean protein, whole grains, healthy fats and especially a good healthy gut diet. You should provide enough energy to your immune system by eating a healthy diet.
You must ensure that you take a sufficient amount of micronutrients to maintain your immune system. The micronutrients include:
Vitamin B6: You can eat salmon, banana, tuna, green vegetables, chicken, and potatoes (with skin) to get enough vitamin B6.
Vitamin C: You can eat citrus fruits, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, oranges, and strawberries to get this.
Vitamin E: Sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanut butter, and spinach, have vitamin E
It is also a fact that the body absorbs vitamins more efficiently from a well-balanced diet rather than supplements. So it is the best way to strengthen your immune system with a well-balanced diet.
Manage a healthy weight
Recent studies have shown that excessive weight or obesity may impair immune response and increase viral infections. Therefore you should maintain a healthy weight for overall health. In addition, you should avoid eating a diet with high sugar, consuming artificial trans fats, or eating too many calories. This type of diet increases blood sugar levels and causes oxidative damage.
Keep yourself busy in physical activities and eat a balanced diet to keep your weight in check and manage a sound immune system.
Many supplements boost the immune system, but not all work as promised. Natural ways are always better than these supplements. You can follow all the above-described ways to strengthen your immune system, and you can do these all by yourself. Consider and prioritize natural methods with a well-balanced, healthy diet rather than supplements. The FDA does not approve some. Change your lifestyle and enjoy a more robust immune system.