You might have been looking at all of the health conditions we should all be more on the lookout for. While some of them are chronic conditions primarily built by how we take care of our body, we can’t forget that we live in a big bad world where viruses and bacteria can get us mighty sick. Our immune system is the best defense against those, so what can we do to strengthen it?
Eat foods to boost it
One of the best ways to strengthen your immune system is to provide it with the vitamins and minerals that boost it. As such, you should look at the immune-boosting foods like citrus fruits, broccoli, garlic, and others and try to incorporate more of them into your diet. The wise use of supplements, such as vitamins C and D, can also help.
Get physical with it
The immune system works by having your body identify threats such as bacteria and viruses, sending the right response to deal with them. Some physical therapy providers, like a chiropractor, can aid your immune system by improving the function of the central nervous system. This can also help with overactive immune systems, as is the case with things like seasonal allergies, including hayfever. Taking the hands-on approach can sometimes a deeper impact than you might expect.
Take the probiotic approach
The foods mentioned above all help your immune system by providing the nutrition needed to support the cells that make up your immune system. However, your gut flora also plays a role. We all have bacteria in our stomach, not all of it harmful. By using probiotics to help foster the growth of this helpful gut flora, we can limit the ability of more harmful bacteria to grow. You’re effectively growing one kind of bacteria to make sure that others can’t take its place.
Know what to limit
Just as certain things can boost your immune system, there are other things that can undermine it, as well. Added sugars and refined carbs in food can lead to obesity, and obesity makes your more likely to get sick. Smoking can also decrease your immune system’s ability to respond to intruders, so you should aim to cut down.
Manage your stress levels
There is a significant link between our mental health and our physical health. In fact, ensuring relief for stress and anxiety is crucial when it comes to managing your immune health, as well. Inflammation can be caused by stress, which then leads to improper immune cell function. For that reason, if you’re feeling particularly stressed, look into methods to help relieve it, such as meditation, yoga, taking up a new hobby, or otherwise.
Your immune system is effectively the anti-virus software of your body. You need to invest in it and you need to keep updating it. This will not only decrease your chances of suffering a serious illness, but can make colds, the flu, and other regular bugs a less regular part of your life.
