9 Easy Ways To Boost Your Immunity!

Introduction

We first make our habits, then our habits make us! – John Dryden

This quote is so accurate and holds so much relevance in our everyday life. By just adopting the right set of practices, we can improve our overall health and well-being in massive proportions.

So, for the ones who are still contemplating where to get started, here are a few habits that you can quickly implement in your everyday life!

Ways to Boost Immunity

1. Gift Yourself Sleep

Our harsh lifestyles can take an immense toll on our health. Thus, it is vital to give the body adequate rest at regular intervals. While doctors recommend 7-8 hours of sleep, it is also extremely essential to regularise your sleep timetable¹. Thus, ensure that you sleep on a set time and wake up at a set time, every day, regardless of weekends. This will not only regulate your sleeping pattern but also help to regularise your body clock.

2. Exercise Regularly

Come rain, come storm, make it a point to exercise regularly. If you can’t step outdoor, perform some light exercises indoors. You can also try to accommodate a sport in your daily lifestyle. This will not only do wonders for your health but also help build a network with like-minded people².

3. Consume Immunity-Boosting Foods

While eating healthy is a give-in, try to incorporate, a few immunity-boosting foods in your everyday diet. Below are a few that you can easily befriend³:

• Garlic
• Ginger
• Barley and oats
• Tomatoes
• Yogurt

4. Up Your Water Intake

We all are aware of the innumerable benefits of water. Along with water, also up your fluid intake by including water-enriched foods in your daily diet. Watermelons, oranges, lettuce, and strawberries are all high on water content and taste yummy too⁴.

5. Laugh Aloud

While stress is an unavoidable part of our life, we can always find effective ways to deal with it. So try to surround yourself with people who are confident and motivating, watch and read comedy, don’t take things too seriously. After all, Life is meant to be lived and lived well!

6. Adopt a Pet

Adopting a pet makes you happy. Having pets at home not only relieves stress but also acts as great comfort for people living alone.

7. Travel

Put on your wandering shoes and travel. Travel helps you to unwind and relax. A change in routine and a break from the monotony help you to think freely and openly. So, go out and explore the world. You will surely come back refreshed and enlightened.

8. Things To Avoid

Avoid smoking, as it has been shown to increase the chances of contracting an infection⁵. Smoking is thought to change the balance of your immune system which can also lead to an autoimmune disease. If you drink alcohol, ensure that you reduce your intake as heavy alcohol usage is not only linked to poor health but also many other serious health issues.

9. Protect Your Health

Answering how to boost your immune system also means we need to think about proactive health protection. Prevention is better than cure and nothing can make you healthier than avoiding sickness in the first place. Whenever possible, take vaccines for any local or regional diseases, use the best hygiene practices (like hand washing and safe food preparation) and lastly reduce your stress levels. The best armour for your immune system is to protect it from attack rather.

Also Read: 13 Immunity-Boosting Foods To Build A Healthy Life

References

1. Besedovsky L, Lange T, Born J. Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Arch. 2012 Jan;463(1):121-37. doi: 10.1007/s00424-011-1044-0. Epub 2011 Nov 10. PMID: 22071480; PMCID: PMC3256323. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3256323/
2. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research. Military Strategies for Sustainment of Nutrition and Immune Function in the Field. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1999. 17, Exercise, Infection, and Immunity: Practical Applications. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK230961/ 
3. Singh DN, Bohra JS, Dubey TP, Shivahre PR, Singh RK, Singh T, Jaiswal DK. Common foods for boosting human immunity: A review. Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Aug 18;11(11):6761-6774. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3628. PMID: 37970422; PMCID: PMC10630845. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10630845/
4. Sato K, Hara-Chikuma M, Yasui M, Inoue J, Kim YG. Sufficient water intake maintains the gut microbiota and immune homeostasis and promotes pathogen elimination. iScience. 2024 May 3;27(6):109903. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109903. PMID: 38799550; PMCID: PMC11126815. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11126815/
5. Jiang C, Chen Q, Xie M. Smoking increases the risk of infectious diseases: A narrative review. Tob Induc Dis. 2020 Jul 14;18:60. doi: 10.18332/tid/123845. PMID: 32765200; PMCID: PMC7398598. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7398598/

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