Immunity on a redouble. Well, that is what everyone is working on these days. Supplements off the shelf, healthier foods, lifestyle changes, anything that will help in boosting or building up those mighty soldiers within your body to help you fight off the silent invaders that can be quite a pain literally.
Immunity as you know is the body’s ability to defend from ‘foreign bodies’, rejecting any infections, cleansing any kind of foreign material in lungs, killing harmful viruses and bacteria, to keep you fit and going. Whilst the human body has an inbuilt immune system there are many factors like, lifestyle, diet, stress, medical conditions, which varies the immunity strength from individual to individual.
And whilst you also know the best ways to give your immunity the much needed support to help boost it up, a reminder now and then is what we all need to keep it going.
A balanced diet is the first key to a strong immune system. Apart from having well-balanced macronutrients (carbs, proteins & fats) in the diet, including the micronutrients (minerals & vitamins) plays a vital role in maintaining immunity to the optimum. The important micro-nutrients include:
Vitamin B6 found in chicken, salmon, tuna, bananas, green vegetables and potatoes (with the skin)
Vitamin C found in citrus fruits like Indian gooseberries, oranges and strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach.
Vitamin E found in almonds, sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, peanut butter and spinach, nuts etc.
Other food sources like, mushrooms, blue berries, watermelon, wheat germ, yogurt, green tea, ginger, garlic, pomegranate, spinach, broccoli, kale etc also provide a mix of trace vitamins like Vit K, Folate, Magnesium and Zinc
Our body absorbs vitamins more easily from food sources rather than supplements, so include these in the diet instead of oral supplements.
It is believed by most that exercise is only for slimming, building muscles and strength, whereas, regular physical activity and about 30 to 40 minutes of daily exercise plays an important role in maintaining good immunity.
The activity helps in improving the blood circulation which in turn makes it easier for immune cells or infection fighting cells to travel to all parts of body.
Keeping your body well hydrated helps the circulatory system too in transporting the immune cells within the body, and is also good for your skin. When dehydrated, circulation slows down and immunity levels drop.
The body’s growth hormone HGH and immune cells grow during sleep. The HGH produced by the pituitary gland slows down post the age of 30, but never really stops. Sleep time is repair time and people who are sleep deprived seem to age faster and are more prone to fall sick and catch infections such as common cold. A good sleep pattern and adequate rest is very essential to keep those tiny monsters at bay.
Stress always has an adverse effect on the body. Anxious times, especially long lasting pressure durations, gets the body to react in initiating a stress response which in turn suppresses the immune system, making the body easily prone to infections and diseases. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, physical activity help overcome the blues. Indulge in fun activities from time to time, spend time with loved ones, plant yourself in a positive environment as much as possible.
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