5 Ways to Boost Your Immune System at Home

We’re currently living in unprecedented times—when the simplest hygienic practice like hand washing can save lives. However, despite the long conversations in vaccines and lockdowns, we need to keep  moving, keep bolstering the economy, and get to as “normal” as we can, to take care of our mental health. That said, boosting our immunity is our best defense. Many people still forget how powerful our immune system really is, and how it has served many generations well. 

Here are some helpful tips on how you can reinforce your body’s natural disease-fighting abilities:

 

1. Engage in physical activity

Research has proven that people with an active lifestyle are less likely to contract respiratory diseases compared to people with a sedentary lifestyle. Thus, engaging in moderate exercise can help reduce your chances of getting illnesses.

However — many may ask, how is it possible to stay active when we’re advised to stay at home? 

Fortunately, you don’t need plenty of space just to get fit. There are several exercises that you can do within a limited space, such as yoga, Pilates, or Zumba. Even simple activities like walking up and down the stairs can already keep your heart pumping!

Additionally, haws will launch a platform where you can access activities to help strengthen your immune system. The best part? You can do these wherever you are as long as you have your smartphone with you.

 

2. Eat a healthy diet

You need an adequate amount of energy and nutrients so your immune system can function well. Each micronutrient plays an important role, so it’s important to have a healthy and balanced diet.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that help fight infections in the body. Aim to have a serving of fruit and vegetable with your meal every day. Go for leafy greens as well as red, yellow, and orange produce—these are loaded with carotenoids that boost your immunity.

Keeping your gut healthy is also crucial in boosting your immune system. Eat high-fiber foods such as brown rice, whole-grain bread, beans, and potatoes. Probiotics can also help improve your gut health, like yogurt, cheese, and fermented food.

3. Manage your stress

If you want to strengthen your immune system, one of the things you have to do is to avoid stress. According to the American Psychological Association, our mental health can affect our immune system. Plus, the effect of the pandemic has left all of us feeling anxious, paranoid, and even depressed.

Although stress is unavoidable, you can change how you cope with it. Whenever you feel stressed, you can adopt healthy management strategies like meditation, journaling, or exercising. You can also divert your thoughts by doing your hobbies, like gardening, baking, reading, or crafting. At haws, soon, you can partner with psychologists to help or assist you in dealing with stress and other mental health concerns.

 

4. Develop healthy sleeping habits

Now more than ever, you need plenty of shut-eye to ensure that your immune system does its job properly. Getting enough sleep helps your body repair tissues and fight off inflammation. However, the lack of it makes your body produce cortisol, the stress hormone and could hinder the immune system from functioning well.

Adults need at least seven hours of sleep at night. To make sure that you’re getting enough sleep, figure out the time you need to wake up in the morning, then count backward by 7 hours. That’s the most ideal time that you should go to bed.

You can also develop a night routine. Doing this consistently will signal your body that it’s time to sleep and can help you fall asleep faster.

5. Practice good hygiene

One of the best and simplest ways to prevent viruses from entering our body is by practicing good hygiene. Did you know that we handle an average of 140 objects every day, all of which are teeming with bacteria and viruses? Thus, it’s important to keep ourselves clean to prevent infections. 

Wash your hands with soap and water frequently, especially after going to the bathroom and before eating. Disinfect the things that you touch regularly, such as your phone, computer, keys, and wallet. Your home should also be disinfected thoroughly, especially in high-traffic areas.

 

Why is it important to boost our immune system?

While there are several vaccines that are currently being developed around the globe for COVID-19, it may not be ready for the general public for at least a few years. Thus, we must strengthen our immune system so we’ll have a better chance of fighting off the virus.

The best way to immediately protect ourselves from COVID-19 is by preventing it from entering the body. This includes frequent handwashing with soap and water, disinfecting with alcohol, wearing personal protective equipment, and practicing physical distancing.

In addition to these actions, we don’t want you to forget that the most important action is to improve our body’s defense against viruses by fortifying our immune system. This includes lifestyle and dietary changes. Although these measures aren’t scientifically proven to prevent COVID-19, it will keep our bodies in its best shape to better fight off viruses.

Here at HAWS, Inc., we’re devoted to helping you get in the pink of health! 

Remember to visit haws facebook page to know more about our app that will be launching real soon.