Boost Your Immune System and Live Longer Healthy
It’s always important to seek ways to boost your immune system. Not only will a strong immune system help you stave off colds, influenza and other disease. But a strong immunity will help you to recover more quickly from surgery and age related issues. All of which can help you to live longer and have a better quality of life in general.
If we are honest the last few years has shown that our health system is failing. And since we have a massively aging population, now more than ever must take responsibility and contribute to our overall care. Make changes and it will serve now and as we move through the ageing process.
Taking proactive and preventative interventions that will improve and support the immune system will not only help you live longer but healthier so you can enjoy a rich and full life as you age.
With this said lets look at the ways to boost your immune to live well and long.
Ways to Boost Your Immune System
In what follows, we discuss methods to help strengthen the immune system. This includes some supplements, foods, liquids, and physical activity. Plus we’ll cover a few unhealthy habits to the eliminate that decrease immunity. To help begin let’s first take a look at the immune system.
What is Your Immune System
The short answer to a complex system is a the immune system is a complex network. It comprises cells, organs, tissues, and substances that defend the human body against disease and infection.
There are two primary parts of the immune system. The innate and adaptive systems, the immune system works by both natural immunity, which is something that we have always had. And the acquired immunity, which is created when the body fights off disease or infection.
Ways to Strengthen the Immune System
As the body’s first line of defense, the immune system is incredibly powerful on its own. However, with a few lifestyle interventions, the immune system can be strengthened dramatically.
The following are several tips and lifestyle interventions that can help strengthen the immune system:
Get Some Daily Exercise
The fact that you need to get moving daily will never change. So pick an exercise you enjoy and make it part of your immune boosting system for life. Regular exercise is the backbone of living a healthy lifestyle. Not only does it increase lean muscle mass and bone density, but it improves cardiovascular health. In addition exercise improves the and mood and the bodies homeostasis, which correlates with a strong immune system.
How Much Exercise is Enough to Boost Your Immune System
After considering age, health status, and fitness experience, a general recommendation for the average individual involves a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
It doesn’t matter what you do for physical activity, the importance is to get moving. Whether it’s participating in a sport like golf, going for a walk, or lifting some weights, exercise continues to be shown through research to be paramount for solid immune system function.
Prioritize Restful Sleep
An often-overlooked aspect of health is sleep. Restful sleep is arguably one of the most important things to prioritize for physical performance, mood, and cognition, as well as boosting the immune system.
The general recommendation for a restful sleep is to achieve 7-9 hours of sleep each night. While prioritizing REM sleep, the stage at which accomplishes the most restful sleep.
To avoid insufficient sleep quality, consider avoiding screen time before bed, reducing or eliminating caffeine and alcohol consumption, setting the bedroom temperature to a comfortable level, and seeking to have the same bedtime and wake-up time each day.
Drink Plenty of Water
Water is an excellent source of hydration, and it also plays a major role in helping the body flush out toxins. This cleansing effect is directly related to strengthening the immune system.
The majority of individuals today, however, are under-hydrated, failing to drink a sufficient amount of water daily.
While the minimum daily recommendation for the average individual is 8 cups of water daily, a more suitable daily recommendation, especially for those physically active, is about 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women.
Boost Your Immune System by Following a Healthy, Immune-Friendly Diet
In combination with hydration, the immune system requires the proper nourishment in order to remain strong and healthy. Contrastingly, malnourishment is the ultimate enemy of the immune system.
While there isn’t any ONE diet that is the most optimal, and although the gut microbiome is quite complex as it pertains to diet and nutrition, following a generally healthy diet comprising real whole foods is the most effective method.
Important nutrients to help strengthen the immune system include:
- Vitamin C, D and B12
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Protein, Fats, and Carbohydrates (Macronutrients)
While most of these nutrients can be consumed sufficiently through whole foods, supplementation may be required where deficiencies are prevalent or nutrients are lacking from the diet.
Not only do these nutrients play a role in optimal human function, but many are correlated with fighting toxins, decreasing inflammation, maintaining cell integrity, and these processes help the immune system to function optimally.
Some of the most common and effective food choices for strengthening the immune system include citrus fruits, dark green vegetables like broccoli and spinach, nuts and seeds, ginger and garlic, turmeric, probiotic yogurt, and lean meats and fish.
To Vaccinate or Not (Talk to a Health Practitioner)
There are arguments for both sides of vaccination, and since we are unique when it comes to our health and health needs this is something to discuss with a health practitioner. we don’t live in a perfect world, and natural immunity is not quite adequate for certain diseases or infections.
Concluding Boosting Your Immune System
Although the immune system is robust on its own, it’s best to be proactive in helping to strengthen the immune system to prevent disease. Lifestyle interventions such as a nutritious diet, exercise, and the elimination of unhealthy habits are keys in this process.
By increasing nutrient uptake, decreasing sugar intake, reducing stress levels, and improving overall fitness, immunity can strengthen, and individuals can become healthier and more resilient.