Tips for Boosting Your Immune System
Your body is a complex marriage of systems, and the immune system is the soldier that works hard to fight off infection and disease. Keep your immune system operating at its best and your body in balance by adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Start with Expert Advice
A primary care provider should be on your list when considering ways to boost your immune system, especially when you have existing health issues. They are familiar with your health history and can discuss choices that are best for you.
Nutrition and Immune Boosting Foods
Eating a well-balanced diet that includes protein mixed with leafy greens, fresh fruits, and vegetables and is low in sugar provides the body with nutrients and vitamins essential to maintaining the immune system. Vegetables are a source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and best of all, they are low in calories and fat and may reduce some forms of cancer.
Protein is a vital part of the equation, found in fish, eggs, legumes, and certain animal meats such as chicken, beef, pork, and lamb. They provide high levels of iron, zinc, potassium, and B vitamins.
There are many products on the market today that claim to strengthen your immunity. These include multivitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements. Your medical practitioner and local pharmacist can answer any questions about their purpose, efficacy, and what will be safe to use with your current medications.
Exercise and Its Impact on the Immune System
A daily routine that includes exercise provides multiple benefits, including improved cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure. Exercise aids the immune system to fight off diseases like type 2 diabetes, depression, and heart disease and helps you maintain a healthy weight and better sleep. Chronic stress reduces our ability to fight off infection and is relieved by regular exercise. The resulting relaxation also benefits our immune system.
Cultivate Healthy Habits and Eliminate Bad Ones
Quitting smoking is difficult, but the reward is well worth the struggle. Smoking throws our immune system off balance and harms our overall health, leading to many known cancers and other related diseases. When you quit, you improve circulation, increase your oxygen levels, and reduce internal inflammation.
Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Drinking alcohol, even in moderation, has been proven to compromise the entire immune system and is linked to a variety of diseases and mental health disorders. A recent increase in alcohol consumption during the Covid pandemic has concerned the global medical community as it may complicate the adverse respiratory effects of Covid 19.
Wash Those Hands and Kill Those Germs!
One outcome of the coronavirus pandemic is the increased awareness of eliminating germs, as more people are washing their hands regularly. Good hygiene goes a long way to keeping germs at bay, especially when soap is involved.
Observing healthier daily habits is the natural solution to help keep your immune system functioning properly. It will also bolster other systems within your body and help to ward off infection and disease. Working with Maryland primary health care providers such as those at Sankofa Health can guide you to a more rewarding and healthier lifestyle.
Sankofa Health is located in the historic Maryland town of Laurel, a growing Washington, D.C. and Baltimore suburb and known as a hub of commercial and cultural diversity. We provide a wide range of inclusive, integrative, and diversified healthcare services. Google searching primary care near me using your Laurel location will connect you directly to our community health resources.