How to improve the Immune System The age old motto about an apple a day to keep the doctor away is not as true as we once thought it was. Nowadays, especially with all the different people around us, infections, bacteria, and more you really need to figure out a way to keep your immune system healthy and keep it guarded. But, how exactly do we go about this? There's no magic pill to take, but there are things you can do and foods you can eat in order to keep your immune system healthy. Take a look below to find out more. Cold and Flu Fighting Foods There are foods, as mentioned above, that you should be eating to keep flu’s and colds away. Here are a few to consider: - Oily Fish: Oil fish including salmon, tuna and mackerel are all rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids which will help keep colds and flu’s away, but they will also fight them when you already have the infection in your body. - Oysters: Zinc has been said to fight the common cold. If you like oysters you can either eat these or you can take the safer, less slimier road, and suck on zinc lozenges or take zinc supplements. - Garlic: This is a great food to eat for all sorts of issues, not just colds and flu’s. If you have any infection in your body right now, drinking garlic juice, eating garlic (cooked or raw) is a great way to fight the infection. However, you should also be including this in your diet when you aren’t sick because it contains things like allicin – alicin produces a crazy amount of antioxidants. - Yogurt and kefir: Both of these are incredibly beneficial to your immune system and they both have probiotics in them which is essentially good bacteria that can help increase your health and prevent stomach problems. Exercise Daily According to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS), those that
exercised regularly, had less sick days than those who did not. In fact, in one study for women, those who exercised at least 35-45 minutes a day with brisk walking, five days a week, for 12 weeks had less sick days than the control group who was to remain sedentary! The great thing about exercise is it doesn’t have to be extremely strenuous. Get More Sleep! You’ve heard it a million times; how important sleep really is. But, even when it comes to your immune system and keeping it strong, sleep is important. When you sleep your body stimulates and energizes your immune system. But, this only happens when you are sleeping and when you are in a deep sleep. This is why its so important to get 7-8 hours a night and avoid stimulants that will keep you from sleeping well such as soda, coffee, cigarettes and even alcohol. Manage Your Stress Better If you’ve paid attention to your past you may have noticed that when you have more stress in your life; you tend to get more sick more often. Well, its not just a coincidence. This really does play a big part in your immune system. In order to manage your stress better, sometimes its important to think outside the box in a direct way; find a babysitter, carpool to work, work less hours, etc. But, its also helpful to think indirectly as well; consider getting a massage once a week, start thinking about meditation and yoga daily, or even take a nice relaxing bath after work! Regular Sex = Good Health A study done at Wilkes University and it found that those who had more sex regularly got sick less. That’s because when you have sex your body releases a sort of antibody called immunoglobulin which helps to ward off colds, flu’s and other bacteria. Even more of a reason to get frisky! These are just a few ways to boost your immune system, but hopefully these ones help you out today, whether you are feeling sick and want to get better or you are at your peek performance and you want to keep it that way!