Support your Immune System Naturally | Manulife Blogs

Find ways to boost your immune system naturally

Nowadays, people are looking for ways to boost their immune system. A lot of research shows that one’s diet, lifestyle, and stress levels all play a significant role in our ability to ward off diseases and in building strong immunity.

Here are some practical tips for supporting a healthy immune system. However, keep in mind that these should not replace medical advice from health professionals nor is it meant to diagnose or treat any condition – things that you definitely should consult your doctors with. 

1.   Get yourself deep, quality sleep.

Research says that when you lack sleep, it can affect how fast you recover from being sick. Sleeping plays a restorative function to your body.  So when you get the right amount of deep and quality sleep, what you are doing is giving your body the opportunity to repair itself and restore its energy to fight off diseases that loom around.

2.   Maximize Your Vitamin D Intake

According to Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a Senior Research Scientist at MIT, although drinking vitamin D supplements help, these may not fully replace the benefits of getting yourself some sunshine. Thus, make sure to also dose up with “vitamin sunshine” within the day.

3.   Keep Hydrated

The benefits of staying hydrated cannot be over-emphasized enough.  Water is still the best choice for keeping your body hydrated but you can also supplement it by eating hydrating food such as cucumbers, celery, or watermelon.  Also, avoid overdoing beverages that can dehydrate you like coffee.

4.    Zero in on Nourishing Foods

One’s diet of nourishing types of food is one of the best ways to support immune resilience and overall health. That’s why you need to make sure that you are getting your dose of essential vitamins and nutrients through our daily diet. Load up on the right levels of vitamins A, B6, C, D, E, and K which can be found naturally in vegetables, milk and dairy, fruits, fish, animal fats, eggs, nuts, and seeds.

5.   Reduce Stress Level

Chronic stress, as we very well know, impairs your immune function.  There are a lot of resources available online on how you can reduce stress levels using natural ways like meditation, breathing exercises, aromatherapy, and yes, even the simple act of laughing will do!

6.   Exercise…but in moderation!

Aside from helping you stay fit, exercising also releases feel-good hormones that naturally help in keeping stress levels in check.  Note though that overdoing it has the opposite effect and can put stress on the body so make sure not to overdo your exercise routine.

You do not need to overthink or even overspend to be able to boost your body’s fighting chance in battling infections and diseases.  Catch the sunrise, sleep well, drink water, eat healthy food, move and laugh! Pretty simple yet lets you live a lot longer and healthier.

Source: Desinger, Heather (no date). “11 Ways to Support Your Immune System Naturally”.  mommypotamus.com

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