6 Tips for Boosting your Immune System
Cold and flu season is just around the corner. Here are 6 of our favorite tips to help boost your immune system!
Wash Your Hands Properly
The recent pandemic made many realize just how important proper and frequent handwashing is to our health. This is your first line of defense against getting sick and can help keep your immune system from having to battle more infection than it needs to, so keep up with good hand washing hygiene.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Eat a diet that is high in antioxidants. This includes fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and legumes. Antioxidants help decrease inflammation. Inflammation can suppress your immune system. Plus, the fiber in plant foods keeps your gut healthy, which can also help improve your immune system. Research shows that healthy gut bacteria can help your immune cells differentiate between normal cells and invading organisms. Be sure to also include fruits and veggies that are rich in vitamin C, which may help reduce the duration of the common cold.
Also boost your intake of healthy fats, like those in olive oil, chia seeds and salmon. These healthy fats also have anti-inflammatory properties that may help your body fight off illness and even help with chronic illness such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Fermented foods can also help keep your gut healthy with their beneficial probiotics. These foods include yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and natto. If eating fermented foods isn’t your thing, then take probiotic supplements instead.
Limit added sugars which can lead to being overweight or obese. Obesity can negatively affect your immune system, not to mention that foods with added sugars don’t give your body the nutrients and energy it needs to get through the day or fight off an illness if you do get sick.
Hydrate!
Hydration is important to all of our bodily functions, including our immune system and the systems that support it. Dehydration can cause headaches and negatively affect your digestive, heart and kidney functions. Drink plenty of water and limit drinks with added sugar. A general rule is drink when you are thirsty and stop when you are no longer thirsty. You may need more fluids if you exercise intensely, work outside or live in a hot climate. For older adults, it is important to note that as we age, our bodies do not signal thirst adequately, so they will need to drink regularly, even if they do not feel thirsty.
Exercise Regularly
Moderate exercise can help boost your immune system. Regular, moderate exercise can help reduce inflammation and help immune cells regenerate regularly. Studies have also shown that moderate exercise can boost the effectiveness of vaccines in people with compromised immune systems. Examples of moderate exercise include brisk walking, steady bicycling, jogging, swimming and light hiking. Avoid prolonged, intense exercise during cold and flu season or if you are immunocompromised as this type of exercise can actually suppress your immune system.
Practice Self-Care
Stress can drag down your immune system so manage your stress levels by practicing self-care. Remember that everyone should have a unique self-care regimen. It should be whatever you find helpful, but some ideas to help you manage stress include meditation, yoga, journaling, practicing mindfulness, getting a massage or having fun with a hobby!
Get Adequate Sleep
Sleep is good for your body and your immune system. Several things happen during sleep that help your immune system and your body. During sleep, your levels of cortisol decrease. Cortisol is called the stress hormone. If you aren’t getting enough adequate sleep, it can leave you feeling stressed out, which can suppress your immune system.
Also while you sleep, your body releases a type of protein called cytokines. These small proteins help your body fight inflammation, infection and even trauma caused by injuries.
Boost Your Immune System with IV Infusion Therapy
Give your immune system a boost with IV Infusion Therapy. This treatment delivers nutrients and vitamins directly to your body through the bloodstream, which allows your body to take advantage of these nutrients in their most potent form. This is because IV infusion bypasses the digestive system, which reduces the potency of nutrients and vitamins as it metabolizes them. IV infusion therapy also helps keep your body hydrated.
At the US Wellness Collective, we offer several types of IV infusion therapy that can help boost your immune system including:
- Immunity IV: boosts your immune system with premium-quality compounds, improves your healing time and reduces the duration of an illness when you do get sick.
- Meyr’s Cocktail: contains premium-quality compounds that help improve immunity by reducing inflammation that can otherwise suppress your immune system.
- Jet Lag IV: contains premium-quality compounds that detoxes your system and boosts your immune system by reducing inflammation.
Call (720) 445-5228 to book your appointment today!