The human body is a fascinating structure comprising blood, tissues, and cells to make up the physical form of a human being. Apart from organs like the heart and lungs that help us live, it also has amazing built-in mechanisms that protect our body from external and internal damage.
The immune system is like an army that is sworn to protect our body from diseases, harmful pathogens and also contribute to the proper functioning of the body. However, it is important to take care of things that take care of us. For building our overall defense mechanism it is essential to find ways to keep our immune system healthy and strong. Here’s a list of things and ways in which you can improve your immunity naturally:-
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Eat Healthy
To begin with, the food that provides energy to the body to accomplish its functions, it is imperative to eat healthy food. Healthy eating mostly refers to plant-based diets that contain natural vitamins, minerals, fibres, and antibodies. These boost your immunity naturally. Look at some of the natural immunity-boosting foods that you must include in your diet:-
- Citrus fruits include lemons, grapefruits, tangerines, limes, etc. These are rich in Vitamin C that helps to build our immune system.
- Green leafy vegetables like Broccoli, Spinach, Kale, etc are not only rich in Vitamin C but also contain Vitamin A, Vitamin B, antioxidants, beta-carotene, and fibres. These leafy vegetables are one of the best foods you can bring to your table to improve your immunity and keep you healthy.
- Garlic is a must-have food item that boosts our immunity through huge concentrations of sulphur-containing compounds. These also help in fighting off infections and lower blood pressure.
- Ginger is one of those food items we turn to after falling sick. It has amazing properties that help cure inflammation and also decrease chronic pain.
- Yogurt is one of those food items that help us fight diseases and build our immune system. It is rich in Vitamin D which boosts our defences and regulates immunity.
- Fruits like papaya and kiwis are loaded with Vitamin-C, potassium, folate, vitamin-K, and other nutrients. These are excellent sources to help build immunity naturally.
- Turmeric evidently helps boost immunity and helps to naturally reduces muscle damage caused by exercise. Including turmeric in our diet can help in various ways for developing a healthy immune system.
- Green tea contains EGCG, an excellent and powerful antioxidant that helps to enhance the immune system. Green tea also contains amino acids that produce compounds that fight germs and harmful bacteria.
- Practise eating healthy fats like olive oil and those present in fishes like salmon. These boost the immune responses of the body against harmful pathogens and germs by decreasing inflammation. It also helps to decrease the risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
- Including fermented food in your diet can increase the number of beneficial bacteria that help in promoting a healthy digestive tract. Foods like yogurt, kimchi, natto, kefir, etc are rich in these healthy bacteria. A healthy gut can help differentiate between harmful and harmless cells.
- Reduce the intake of added sugar in your diet. Natural sugars present in fruits are the best sources of sugar that enhance your health. But added sugar can lead to obesity and contribute to unhealthy diets that can increase the risk of getting sick. Curbing additional sugar intake can decrease the risk of getting chronic diseases.
Get Enough Sleep
Lack of proper sleep can invite a lot of troubles in the form of sickness and diseases. A night of good sleep boosts your immunity and provides energy for the proper functioning of the body. Good sleep helps to relax our body after the vigorous working of the immune system to defend us day and night against potential threats. So, getting good sleep each day is essential to help improve our immunity naturally.
Exercise Moderately
Engaging in moderate exercise every day can help regenerate immune cells and give a boost to immunity. Engage in daily walks, moderate jogging, swimming, and bicycling every day to help you lead a healthy life. Exercise also helps to keep you active and carry out everyday tasks with ease.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is essential to keep your overall health in good shape. Dehydration can weaken your body and leave you with low energy levels. Although hydration has nothing to do with fighting germs and diseases directly, it is essential to take care of your overall health to create a healthy space for enhancing immunity.
Avoid Smoking Cigarettes
The chemicals released during smoking such as nicotine, nitrogen oxides, and carbon mono oxides can interfere and kill your immunity cells. Instead of helping grow and regenerate these cells, smoking harms the functioning of immunity by destroying it. It is therefore advised to avoid smoking cigarettes to build better immunity.
Manage stress effectively
Prolonged stress can harm your immunity and imbalance cells that build immunity. Psychological stress among the younger generation can have a deep impact on suppressing the immune system which in turn weakens it. Therefore, managing stress effectively can boost your immune response. Practise meditation, journaling, walking, yoga, and other activities to decrease your stress levels. Do things that make you happy and practise mindfulness exercises for the holistic development of mind and body. When the mind is free of diseases, the body can cope with them and create a space for healthy development. Being happy is the key. So make sure to smile and laugh often!
There are various ways in which you can enhance and improve your immune system. Just a little shift in lifestyle towards holistic development of mind and body can help you refine your immunity naturally. Practising healthy eating and moderate exercise can regenerate and replenish immune cells and build a healthy defense against external threats. Yoga, meditation, and practising your favourite hobbies can curb your stress levels and reduce mental strain. Being stress-free is imperative in order to lead a healthy life. A healthy body requires a healthy mind. Therefore, take care of your mind and body to better your immune system.
