How To BOOST your Immunity Naturally
When the world is suffering from waves of many diseases, especially COVID, and thereafter increasing prevalence of other diseases. As people recover from COVID, their immunity is impaired. And people are becoming susceptible to many other outbreaks including Monkey Pox, Mucormycosis, etc. Here it has become very important to stay strong and keep your immune system strong.
When the infections are much more contagious, following all the precautions to prevent yourself from those infections, by wearing a mask, staying at a distance of 1 meter, and minimizing social gathering is not enough. But also one needs to be able to fight against the infections when it enters the body.
Immunity and Age
As age increases body’s capability to fight against infections decreases. To keep your immunity supported even at old age and for better longer life of the elderly people, all the possible measures should be followed from the beginning.
Here are some easy lifestyle modifications to boost your immunity minimizing the risk of infections:
Healthy Diet
For better functioning of the body, giving nutrition in the correct proportions is the key to boosting the Immune system.
A balanced diet is a diet consisting of a variety of different types of food and providing adequate amounts of the nutrients necessary for good health, including Macronutrients like carbohydrates, fats and protiens, and Micronutrients including all the minerals and vitamins.
Eating seasonal vegetables and fruits daily will help maintain daily portions of essentials in your body. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats.
Fats, 15 to 30 percent of total calories should be composed of:
- Less than 7% of Saturated Fat
- 15 to 20 percent of total calories from monounsaturated fat (MUFA)
Milk Products & Red Meat
Corn
Cashew Nut
Whole Grain wheat
High-fat fruits such as Avocados & Olive
- 10 percent or less of total calories from polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) intake
Walnut
Avocado Oil
Peanut
Flaxseeds
Sunflower seed
- Types of PUFA are Omega 3&6, Ratio of omega 6: omega 3 fats is 5:1.
Major food sources of Omega-6 Fatty Acids are oils of palm, soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower.
Major Food sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA + DHA) are fish oils, krill oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.
Carbohydrates 50 to 80 per cent
When eating grains, choose mostly whole grains and not refined grains:
- Whole grains are foods like whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole cornmeal, and oatmeal. They offer lots of nutrients that your body needs, like vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
- Eat foods with lots of fiber.
- Try to avoid foods that have a lot of added sugar.
- Consume more of fermented food
Micronutrients: these are the Vitamins and Minerals. Micronutrients that play a role in maintaining your immune system, including:
- Vitamin B6, found in chicken, salmon, tuna, bananas, green vegetables and potatoes (with the skin)
- Vitamin C, found in citrus fruit, including oranges and strawberries, as well as tomatoes, broccoli and spinach
- Vitamin E, found in almonds, sunflower and safflower oil, sunflower seeds, peanut butter and spinach
For most people, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends a healthy plate or MyPlate approach. You should fill:
- Half your plate with fruits and vegetables.
- One-quarter of your plate with whole grains.
- One-quarter of your plate with protein (meat, fish, beans, eggs or dairy).
Maintaining an ideal weight and reducing fat in body by moderation of calorie intake and exaercise is equally important for Immune System
When should I eat?
Follow regular routine for each of your meals and try to divide your total calorie intake into 3 major meals and 3 minor meals. Three major meals should include carbs, proteins, fat and vegetables, three minor meals may include juices, milk, fruits. Each meal should be taken at fixed time.
Supplement wisely when certain vitamin & mineral levels are low.
Exercise Regularly
It not only help build good physique and posture, but al so helps de-stress and support a healthy immune system. It increases overall blood circulation in body and increases circulation of immune cells throughout the body and enhance body response to infections.
It is recommended for all age group and gender perform 30–40 min of moderate to vigorous exercise atleast 5 days a week to stimulate immune system.
Increasing age should not be the reason for limiting physical activities. Checkout Physical Activity Guidelines for…novathewriter2.medium.com
It’s gives the best results when done in early morning fresh air and includes laughing session at the end to stimulate circulations of good hormones in body.
Hydrate as much as possible
Water plays a very important role in excreting harmful waste metabolites, reducing free radicles, decreasing retention of water in the body by circulating lymphs and decreasing extra salt content. Hydration increases circulation of water through skin by sweating and keeps skin fresh, glowing and maintains low proinflammatory cytokines, keeping skin healthy.
Minimise intake of Alcohol, Caffeine and Carbonated drinks.
Regular Good Quality Sleep
During sleep body undergoes many important process which is necessary for immunity development. One should sleep atleast 6–8 hrs in a stretch in a day. Should maintain a regular sleep cycle to improve quality of sleep.
Minimize Stress
Stress and any mental illnesses affect body physically and also decrease immunity against infections. Exercise, regular meetings with friends, meditations decrease stress. Staying present, and start day in a positive note along with good sleep and healthy diet helps minimising stress.
Avoid Harmful Habits
As Cigarette smoking and alcohol causes harm to many system of your body, also including immune system, say no to Smoking and do moderation of alcohol intake.
Regular Medicine Intake
For those having any chronic diseases requiring regular medications should take medicines in time along with regular follow up in Health Care Centre and regular required tests and examinations. This maintains good health and let body work as normal as other Healthy people and keeps immunity high.
Hygiene and Sanitation
Following all the methods to increase your immunity is not enough. Keeping yourself away from infections by regular bath, hand wash, changing clothes, keeping surroundings clean and eating properly cleaned vegetables and fruits minimizes encounter to infections.
Vaccines
By administering vaccines to the body we train the immune system and help them learn how to recognize and fight certain diseases. It is much safer to train our Immune system this way than when the real infection hits. It is important to keep your body updated against the prevalent disease of that time and place.
Medical emergency situations can come anytime to anyone, basic management until reaching the health center should be…medium.com
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