Say Pow To Germs

Not feeling at the top of your game? Maybe it’s time to look at your immune system and give it a boost with some TLC. Sara Whatley discovers how

The best thing we can do to maintain a strong immune system is to be healthy in mind and body. That may not be the news you wanted to hear – I’m afraid there is no magic immunity boosting pill – but the great news is there are plenty of things we can do to help protect our immune cells.

Let’s start by understanding what our immune system does. Our immune system is our body’s defence system; when germs invade our bodies our immune system leaps into action to protect us from getting ill. It also helps to protect us from disease-causing changes to cells within our bodies, such as cancer cells.

As the immune system is made up of various organs, cells and proteins, the best thing we can do to naturally keep it in strong working order is leading an all-round healthy lifestyle. This includes:  Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables  Regular exercise  Maintaining a healthy weight for your height and build  Not smoking  Drinking alcohol in moderation  Sleeping well  Reducing stress

A key element in looking after our immune system is having a healthy gut. 80% of immune cells can be found in the gut, so feeding your gut well will naturally power up your immunity.

A healthy balance of bacteria in the gut is what we are aiming for; help achieve this by eating a rainbow of vegetables and fruit, healthy fibres, and foods low in sugar and processed foods. Fermented foods which are high in probiotics such as yoghurt, sauerkraut, miso and kimchi are

brilliant for our guts, providing it with living bacteria to add to the good bacteria already present. Also eating prebiotics, such as bananas, garlic, oats, berries and turmeric all provide our guts with food for the good bacteria.

When eating it’s beneficial to sit down and savour food; eating slowly and mindfully and chewing well will all help to aid good gut health and digestion which in turn benefits the optimum functioning of the immune system.

Keeping your mind healthy and happy is also a big contributor to maintaining a strong immune system. The presence of stress in our lives can have a huge impact

Eating when stressed can affect the digestive system, which in turn is bad news for immune health. Reduce your stress by identifying the cause, sharing the situation and taking control of it. Exercise can help to reduce stressed feelings and taking time to relax and just be.

Calm, happy, healthy and with a tummy full of greens, you are now ready to go and face the world with a strong immune system to back you up, whatever you may encounter. l

on reducing the efficiency of the immune system, and particularly the stress hormone corticosteroid can suppress its effectiveness.

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