The body’s immune system is a powerful system, much more powerful than you can even think of. It is a system made up of various biological structures and processes that work to protect an organism from any kind of disease or infection.
In this world of ours, we can’t dispute the fact that we are sometimes open to infectious areas; places that could get us diseased such as public toilets etc. Most times, we are able to escape all these complications successfully because of the effectiveness of the body’s immune system. The immune system defends the body from disease-causing microbes.
To make your immune system work more effectively in shielding against health complications, you need to take a step in boosting it. I’ll share with you, 4 ways by which you can boost your immune system.
1. Eat more fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are generally okay for the nourishment of the body but for a more effective purpose, you can opt for the fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin A, C and E, due to their amazing benefits to the body. Vitamin A stimulates the white blood cells in the body to fight off infections and also regulates the immune system. Vitamin C works on the improvement of iron absorption from foods and supports the immune system greatly to fight against various diseases. Vitamin E, on the other hand, fights flu and upper respiratory infections. You can get vitamin A from carrots, sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens; vitamin C from citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, and the likes and vitamin E from nuts, seeds, etc.
Taking a balanced diet of mixed fruits and vegetables will help to fight against diseases and infections. You can also take multivitamins, but not without the prescription of a physician, to avoid certain adverse effects.
2. Don’t always avoid the sun
Sunlight rays stimulate the skin to produce vitamin D, especially the early morning sun that is not too harsh on the body. The immune system needs vitamin D for proper actualization. However, it is much more advisable to expose yourself to the sun in the summer season. Low levels of vitamin D in the body can lead to respiratory infections and can also cause the bone to soften, which would lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia/osteoporosis in adults. Keep your vitamin D levels in place, by exposing yourself to sunlight, and eating foods that are rich in vitamin D (like white mushrooms, whole milk, cod liver oil, sushi, etc.).
3. Walk more & exercise often
Walking is sometimes underestimated because so many people do not know how much benefit there is to walk. Your body needs physical activity to boost your immune system, and walking seems to be one of the easiest of any physical activity you can think of. Try to go up to 20 to 30 minutes walk daily. It does not have to be all in one go, you can have a 10-minute walk few times a day. Exercise moves antibodies and white blood cells in the body faster, and this will help them to detect an illness faster before it becomes serious. It also wades off pathogens from intruding.
Keep your workout routine moderate and do more cardio exercises, like running, or an intense gym training. This would help the immune system to be more active.
4. Get enough sleep and reduce stress
Depriving your sleep and getting too much stress, increases the cortisol level in the body, and this could slow down the immune function, causing it not to work as it should. When you find out you are getting stressed too often, take a time out and do something to keep you well relaxed and alive again and keep your brain at rest. This will help greatly to reduce the risk of so many illnesses.
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