Boost Your Immunity This Winter
With the arrival of winter comes cold and flu season, and it’s important to have a strong immune system during these cold months to help protect us from bacteria and viruses. This winter, cope with the changing weather and avoid flu season by boosting your immunity to help stay healthy.
5 Tips to strengthen your immunity
Nutritious diet
It is no secret that the foods you eat help deliver nutrients to your body and provide energy for your daily routine. A healthy immune system needs to be supported by high-quality nutrients. Some great foods to help boost your immune system include healthy fats such as salmon and olive oil as well as whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds (1).
Adequate rest
Sleep and immunity are directly linked. Inadequate sleep may increase your risk of getting sick. Additionally, enhancement of sleep while sick can help fight illness. It is recommended that most adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night (2).
Stress management
Stress can have a negative effect on the body and its ability to function properly. Long-term stress can promote inflammation and negatively impact the immune system (3). However, there are many ways to help relieve stress in your daily life. Activities that can help manage stress levels include meditation, yoga, exercising and journaling.
Movement
Moderate exercise has been shown to help improve the body's immune system. Exercises such as bicycling, jogging, walking and swimming have been shown to help reduce inflammation and build your immune cells to regenerate (4).
Hydration
Dehydration can have many negative effects on the body, including making you more susceptible to illness. To prevent dehydration, you should be drinking enough fluids daily (5).
Sources:
(1) Kaputk. “What to Eat to Boost Your Immune System.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 18 Nov. 2022, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/food-to-boost-your-immune-system/.
(2) Besedovsky, Luciana et al. “The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease.” Physiological reviews vol. 99,3 (2019): 1325-1380. doi:10.1152/physrev.00010.2018
(3) Dhabhar, Firdaus S. “Effects of stress on immune function: the good, the bad, and the beautiful.” Immunologic research vol. 58,2-3 (2014): 193-210. doi:10.1007/s12026-014-8517-0
(4) Simpson, Richard J et al. “Exercise and the Regulation of Immune Functions.” Progress in molecular biology and translational science vol. 135 (2015): 355-80. doi:10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.08.001
(5) Popkin, Barry M et al. “Water, hydration, and health.” Nutrition reviews vol. 68,8 (2010): 439-58. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.0030