During the winter, some people come down with the flu like clockwork every year and experience some type of chronic pain, but it does not have to be that way. When you’re sick, it just means your immune system is working overtime to keep you well and it has finally exhausted its reserves. To get healthy and stay that way, it takes an intentional approach to re-fueling your immune system. Here are some easy and affordable ways to boost your immune system so you can enjoy a happy and healthy 2018.
De-stress
Stress won’t just make you sick, it can kill you. A steroid hormone called cortisol is known as the stress hormone. Each time you stress out about something, your immune system interprets that as a health threat and sends out cortisol to deal with it. Eventually your blood carries as much cortisol as it can handle and if still you keep stressing your body will keeps sending out cortisol. This causes inflammation that leads to health issues as diverse as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and heart disease.
Meditation is a reliable way to lower your blood pressure and calm your mind, so is moderate physical activity. Spending time with friends is another great way. Even just reading a funny cartoon and laughing helps your body detoxify and fight off illness. Do something that makes you smile and breathe deeply and you’ll be on your way to a stronger immune system.
Feed your body with probiotics
Probiotics bolster the beneficial bacteria in your gut so your body can do a better job of absorbing all the nutrients from the food you eat. When you eat foods with probiotics like yogurt, kimchi and sauerkraut (or drink the fermented drink known as kombucha), your body is able to extract all the nutrition from your diet. In turn, this reinforces your immune system and helps you stay healthy. You can also take a probiotic supplement in smoothie or capsule form.
Drink water with fresh lemon juice
Sometimes the simplest germ fighting remedies are also the best ones. Fresh lemon in any form – whether juiced, eaten, squeezed on other foods, diluted in water from an essential oil or just added to plain water – is a powerful anti-septic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant.
Research studies have indicated fresh lemon can reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, cancer and asthma, assist with weight loss and give the immune system a boost. In addition to being able to fight off germs, bacteria, fungi and other toxins, lemon is also jam-packed with Vitamin C, which helps your immune system stay strong when your body is being attacked by toxins or germs.
Sleep more
One thing your body needs daily is sufficient sleep, and there is nothing that can substitute for it. The body needs sleep to heal, repair itself, replenish depleted reserves, improve memory and fight off minor and serious illness, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
When you get at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night, your body is able to do everything better, faster and more efficiently when you are awake. When you train your body and brain that it is time to sleep at a certain hour each night, you will reap the benefits in increased energy, focus and ability to excel in your life.
Make time to move
So much of life today is spent sitting down including driving, making phone calls, sending emails, studying and attending meetings. However, without movement, the body has no way to deep clean and detoxify. Research has shown there is a clear link between the lymphatic system and movement. Depriving the body of movement can limit the immune system’s ability to heal. This can also impair your ability to sleep, further derailing your body’s healing abilities.
These five of immune system boosting strategies don’t cost you anything but time. Shift your schedule to include healthy activities like exercise, meditation and rest and you can actually increase your productivity and potential during the hours you are awake. Get back the time that you would have spent lying on the couch recovering from the germs that your immune system couldn’t fight off.
