As we continue to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us are wondering how we can boost our immune systems. You most likely already know that you should take vitamin C, but here are some other ways you can give your immunity a powerful boost:
Tackle That Stress
When we’re stressed, our bodies produce stress hormones like cortisol, which weaken our immune system. This means that when we are under chronic stress, our immune system is under constant attack.
That’s why it’s important to find healthy ways to tackle stress. Try exercise, meditation, and psychotherapy to help relieve the burden.
Eat Right
When you eat a typical Standard American Diet (SAD), full of refined grains and sugars and unhealthy fats, you change your gut’s microbiome (the beneficial bacteria). And guess where 80% of your immune system is? In your gut!
Eat a healthy diet of grass-fed meats, dairy, and organic produce to give your body the nutrients it needs for increased immunity and to keep your gut microbiome nice and strong.
Exercise
Exercise is important to keep our hearts, muscles, and bones strong. Furthermore, exercise helps us burn through those stress hormones I talked about a little while ago. And, research has found that even a little bit of exercise can have improved microbiome diversity, which leads to a stronger immune system.
Get More Sleep
You most likely know that when you don’t get enough sleep, you feel cranky and in a fog the next day. What you may not realize is that too little sleep night after night decreases our immune function. Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Do your best to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends. Also, put those electronic devices away at night. The blue light those devices emit interferes with our body’s natural sleep cycle.
These 4 things may seem like common sense, but are you actually doing them? Making some lifestyle changes to ensure you are tackling stress, eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep will keep your immune system strong so it can keep you healthy.
