7 Tips to Keep Your Immune System Strong

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We all look for ways to stay healthy. As the weather gets colder and people spend more time indoors the likelihood of getting sick with a cold or the flu is often on the rise in the fall. Fortunately, there are steps anyone can take to boost their immune system.

Following these seven simple tips can make a difference in the health of entire families.

  • Eating like your health depends on it by having a daily smoothie and chowing down on deep greens like kale and spinach, deep reds like beets, berries and red peppers and oranges like carrots and oranges.
  • Regularly doing exercises you enjoy whether it be Zumba, dancing, swimming, walking or running. Doctors have found that exercise provides a boost to the cells in your body that attack bacteria.
  • Get a good night’s sleep. Studies show that not getting enough sleep greatly affects how well your immunity cells function. While you sleep, your body is able to rest and recharge itself. So, make a sleep routine and stick to it. Be sure to turn off all electronics at least one hour before bed to help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
  • Reducing your stress and avoiding chronic stress by reading a book with a light topic, having coffee with a friend, turning off the TV, putting down your smartphone, meditating or taking a bath with essential oils and and relaxing salts.
  • Practice good hygiene. Your first line of defense is to keep the germs away with good personal cleansing habits. Wash hands frequently with soap and water. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough. Thoroughly clean and cover all open cuts. These simple actions alone can help power away germs before they ever get a chance to reach your system.
  • Taking a good quality vitamin with a high rate of absorption.
  • How the health of your gut plays a crucial role in the optimization of your immune system function and how taking probiotics may help you.
Related:   Using Home Remedies to Stay Well

Dr. Nathalie, whose latest book is Hack Your Health Habits: Simple Action-Driven, Natural Health Solutions for People On the Go!, says chief among them is cutting back on sugar. “It is a fact that sugar can depress the immune system by reducing the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by up to 40%, from anywhere between 30 minutes to five hours after ingestion,” she says, adding that drinking alcohol has a similar effect on immunity.

Author
Nathalie Beauchamp, D.C., IFMCP

Nathalie Beauchamp, D.C., IFMCP, an Ottawa-based doctor of chiropractic and certified functional medicine practitioner with the Institute of Functional Medicine

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