10 Ways on How to Boost your Immune System

There are definitely many ways on how to boost your immune system. Strengthening your body requires eating healthy food, practicing good habits and having regular exercise.

And now that we are facing the threat of COVID-19, it is important to take note of how you can boost and maintain your body’s immunity. You might find some ways to be simple while others may seem complicated for you. But what’s important is to identify what you can do and to make sure that you do them on a regular basis in order to really strengthen your immunity.

How to boost the immune system

Consume food that will strengthen your body’s immunity.

What food are immunity boosters you ask? Let’s go over some of them one by one and see how they can help strengthen our bodies.

1. Eat a lot of fruits.

Citrus

Citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C which is essential to our bodies because it is thought to help the production of white blood cells (antibodies that fight infection).

Examples of citrus fruits are oranges, lemons, limes and more.

 

Papaya

Another fruit that’s packed with Vitamin C is Papaya. The recommended daily amount of Vitamin C intake for adults is 65 to 90 milligrams (mg) a day and just a single papaya contains 224 percent of this!

But aside from being loaded with Vitamin C, it also helps in good digestion and generally, it’s super beneficial as it contains B vitamins, potassium, and folate.

Strawberry

Strawberries also contain a lot of antioxidants and vitamin C.  Just a cup of unsweetened strawberries contains 140 percent of the reference daily intake of this essential vitamin.

Moreover, strawberries can also help reduce the risk of heart conditions and diabetes among others according to an article on Medical News Today.

2. Don’t forget to add these vegetables to your meal plan.

Broccoli

Broccoli may be considered as a superfood as it is filled with vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamins A, C, and E. Aside from that, it also comes with antioxidants and fiber which is good for digestion.

Did you even know that broccoli has a dense content of Vitamin C compared to that of oranges? And by the way, here’s a tip for you. If you want to keep its healthy contents intact, have it ready half-cook or better yet, eat it uncooked.

Moringa

Moringa, otherwise known as Malunggay, is also packed with antioxidants, and essential vitamins and minerals. Research shows that it is rich in amino acids like lysine and phenylalanine. Other than that, its vitamin C content is higher compared to that of oranges and it also has more potassium in it than bananas.

Spinach

If you were able to watch 1980’s cartoon characterer Popeye, you’d know every time he finishes a can of spinach, he suddenly becomes super strong. Although this might be a way to urge children to eat Spinach, it is indeed something very beneficial to our bodies.

Still, the question is, “What’s in it for you?” Spinach is just one of the several fruits and vegetables that have the highest content of antioxidants like beta carotene which helps strengthen our body’s ability to fight infections. Aside from that, this antioxidant improves one’s lungs, cognitive functions and promotes good skin health.

Red Bell Peppers

Did you know? Red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as Citrus fruits. But it doesn’t stop here because they’re also rich in beta carotene so get ready to have a strong immune system, good eyes and healthy skin all in one.

Practice good habits that help boost your immune system.

Eating healthy food alone is not enough to boost your immune system. You should know that having good habits is also important if you want your body to be strong enough to fight infections and other diseases.

So what habits must be learned and practiced for a strong immune system?

3. Laugh to beat the stress.

According to Mayo Clinic, laughing helps improve your organ functions and increases the release of endorphins from your brain. Having a giggle helps relieve stress which can suppress the immune system, causing you to fall ill.

4. Get enough rest.

Make sure your body recovers from the mental and physical stress that you go through during the day. So get enough sleep at night as much as you can because depriving yourself from enough rest can undo the effects of healthy food on your body.

5. Protect your body from the cold.

Listen to your mom when she tells you to protect your body from the cold because based on a study, our bodies’ antiviral responses are not that strong at low temperatures.

6. Avoid drinking too much alcohol.

Many people drink alcohol to help them sleep. However, the truth is that alcohol can ruin your sleep and affect your body’s circadian rhythms.

What are circadian rhythms?

These are 24-hour body rhythms that regulate nearly all of the body’s processes, including metabolism and immunity, our sleep, energy and others.

So if you’re asking how to boost your immune system and have a healthy sleeping lifestyle, try to avoid or at least properly manage your alcohol consumption.

7. Quit smoking.

If you’re a smoker, it’s time to kick this habit. Cigarettes contain chemicals that cause damage to your lungs and increase the risk of you having cancer. Aside from that, it can also lead to other respiratory diseases like bronchitis and pneumonia.

Make exercise a part of your lifestyle.

A strong immune system can be easier to achieve and maintain if you don’t only eat healthy food but also exercise regularly. So make sure to find time to be active and get your body moving.

8. Doing exercise the right way can help boost your immune system.

Yes, exercise is another great way on how to boost your immune system. However, it is also important that you know how to exercise properly because instead of making you stronger, it might affect your immunity when done the wrong way.

9. Avoid doing too much intense exercise.

A study suggests that too much exercise can lower your body’s immunity and cause you to get sick. According to the “Elite Performance Running: from Middle Distance to Marathon,” doing intense exercise for more than 90 minutes can make athletes prone to falling ill for up to 72 hours after the routine that they performed.

So if you’re looking for intense workout routines to follow, make sure not to strain your body too much. Instead, make adjustments to fit your body’s endurance capacity.

10. Listen to what your body tells you.

Your body will tell you if you’re doing it right or if it’s too much to bear. Choose whatever exercise you like but make sure that you do breathing exercises and are not exhausted all throughout the session.

Do what you can to boost your immune system

Now that we’ve talked about several ways on how to boost your immune system, it’s time to choose which one you can start with. Whichever you have chosen, make sure to only take steps forward to make sure that you can achieve and maintain a strong immune system.

Did we miss anything on the list? Feel free to share your healthy practices with us in the comment section below!