Having a strong immune system is crucial not only during the flu season and winter months, but especially with all the current state of this COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, I thought I would put together a list of a few things you can do to boost your immune system naturally to help prevent yourself from getting sick during this trying time.
This is why, it is especially important when we interact with different people every day, going to work, the grocery store, pharmacy and just regular day to day activities. You just don’t know what type of bacteria is in the air, on surface’s you are touching and the different people you are interacting with.
Boosting your immune system will help give you peace of mind, so that if you do encounter this virus, your body will be able to have a fighting chance. Just because you encounter someone with COVID-19, it does NOT mean that you will catch it. Therefore, it is crucial that you can do things now, to boost your immune system so your body can have the tools it needs to battle any virus or infection.
Either way, I have compiled a list of ways you can boost your immune system, and I might add, without breaking the bank.
1 – Get Adequate Sleep
Ensure your body gets a minimum of 6 hours of sleep per night, while 8 hours is ideal and recommended.
2 – Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day
Each glass is about 8 ounces or you can calculate how much water your body needs per day. Take your weight in pounds and divide that by 2.2. Multiple that by your age and divide by 28.3. This is how many oz of water you should be consuming per day. I usually then take ounces and convert to cups, which is a typical medium size glass of water.
3 – Practice Good Hygiene
Ensure you wash your hands often, especially after you have been in public places, such as grocery stores, workplaces and any other high traffic areas.
4 – Stop Stressing Out
High stress puts your body into fight or flight mode and has been proven to slow digestion, inhibit the ability to process nutrients properly, and can be extremely taxing on the nervous system. For tips on stress and dealing with toxic people, check out my other post.
5 – Increase your Intake of Fruits and Vegetables Rich in Colour
Vegetables rich in colour are usually higher in phyto-nutrients, vitamins, minerals, & anti-oxidants.
6 – Increase your Intake of Foods Rich in Anti-Oxidants
These foods include blueberries, cranberries, carrots, ginger, garlic, lemon, tomatoes, walnuts, broccoli, turmeric, onions, green tea, & bell peppers
7 – Vitamin C
Foods rich in vitamin C include oranges, bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, kale, pineapple, & kiwi
8 – Vitamin D
Get 10 minutes of sunlight per day, whether it be taking a walk around the block, going for a hike, or just parking a little bit further from the entrance.
9 – Take a Multi-Vitamin
There are many great brands out there but try to get ones without a ton of additives. I prefer Genuine Health as they are non-GMO, vegan, and just about as natural as they come. Plus, they are a Canadian company who I can support and trust. This isn’t totally required if you eat a balanced diet, but during times where my immune system needs an extra boost, I find the extra nutrients are helpful.
10 – Oregano Oil
This is more commonly known; however, most people don’t realize that you can take it every day just for the maintenance of good health. Take about 4 drops with food or beverage as the taste can be quite strong for any one not used to it.
11 – Ginger & Garlic
Most underrated foods when it comes to anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory & anti-oxidant
12 – Probiotics
These are my favourite. Probiotics are essential to not getting sick. Basically, in a nutshell, your body has live bacteria living in your gut. They help process food, break down nutrients, etc. When you take anti-biotics, you basically wipe out the bad bacteria and the good bacteria. So, taking probiotics helps to replenish your body with the good bacteria and helps your body’s immune system, digestion tract and overall, well being. Some examples are Activia Yogurt, Kombucha, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Kefir, Miso Soup, or you can take a supplement of probiotics in addition.
Overall, there’s lots of things you can do to boost your immune system, and with further research, you could probably come up with another 75 different ways. I tried to stick to the basics and things that most people already have in their house. Either way, don’t panic, just take the necessary precautions, eat healthy, rest and avoid unnecessary window shopping and trips out if you don’t have to.
Stay Healthy and of course, Simply Happy 😊
