What You Can Do to Help Your Immune System

Nobody enjoys getting sick but that’s especially true these days. To be honest, we’ve been talking about what you can do to help fortify your immune system since day 1 on this blog. Maybe you just haven’t realized it yet! But we’re here to create a simple checklist of what you should do to make sure that you’re on top of your health so that you can perform physically and mentally at your best every day and also lower your chances of getting sick as much as possible. 

Your immune system’s job is to protect your body from unwanted and intrusive microorganisms. Helping to support and strengthen your immune system is basically about staying in the healthiest shape possible. So if you already lead an active lifestyle, eat healthy, and take care of your mental, you’re pretty much already helping out your immune system as best you can. 

The requirements are this: Get enough quality sleep, drink tons of water, stay active and exercise, eat well, don’t smoke or vape, and manage your stress levels. 

If you’re asking what healthy eating looks like….The general rule of thumb is to eat whole foods. It’s the most effective way of absorbing good nutrients. I’d recommend eating more foods that are derived from plants, like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes. Try to keep sugar intake to a minimum, and eat fermented foods because they help with your gut microbiome. Healthy fats are great for you as well. 

When it comes to taking supplements, don’t rely on them for boosting your immunity if you’re already pretty healthy. There’s been a big increase of supplement ads out there that claim to improve your immune system, but be weary of them. First of all, supplements aren’t regulated like drugs are. Second, research has suggested that large doses of certain nutrients can also suppress some immune responses. So just keep it simple and eat well and take whatever supplements your doctor says you might be lacking. 

In terms of reducing your stress, it’s actually something that can affect your immune system, especially if you’re under constant stress. The good news is that reducing your stress is something that you can actively work on and improve. We’ve got tons of resources on this blog for that, if you want to do some reading/research and look into it. Mindfulness practices, yoga, speaking with counselors or therapists, those are all things that you can help to destress or improve with your mental health. 

The truth is, as we all get older, our immune systems will inevitably start to decline. So starting to create healthy habits and a healthy lifestyle now will end up benefiting you in the future. Don’t wait until you’re old to “get healthy”! Do it now!