IMMUNITY BOOSTING TIPS
Immunity Boosting Tips Boosting your immunity is one of the best things you can do for yourself at the moment! While no one thing can completely prevent you from getting sick, introducing simple habits into your daily routine can be very effective in boosting your overall health and therefore your immune system. We hope these tips help.
Keep Active Exercise is a natural immune booster. We don’t know exactly if or how exercise increases immunity to certain illnesses, however there are a few theories: • Exercise promotes good circulation, allowing cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently. • The brief rise in body temperature during and right after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing. This temperature rise may help the body fight infection better. • Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. Some stress increases the chance of illness. Lower stress hormones may protect against illness. Please note that high intensity or prolonged exercise can spike your hormones and lead to your immunity being compromised, so listen to your body and don’t overdo it! Exercise at home with Aquamoves using our online workouts. Visit www.aquamoves.com.au/at-home-workouts
Stay Hydrated Water flushes out the toxins in your system and will help keep your body running at an optimal level. Aiming for a minimum of two litres of water a day is ideal and drinking filtered water is best to ensure you’re getting the cleanest water possible. Fruits and vegetables with a high water content can also boost your hydration. Try this formula to figure out your personal water requirement: Body weight (kilograms) x 33 = Water intake (in millilitres) Things that assist hydration: • Water • Herbal teas • Pure coconut water Things that don’t assist hydration: • Coffee • Caffeinated teas (including black, green and white teas) • Soft drink and energy drinks • Alcoholic beverages
Immune Boosting Foods We all know the saying “you are what you eat”, so be sure to incorporate nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables and fruit in your diet. The nutrients found in these foods have an incredible ability to assist your body’s ability to repair. Garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper are also known for their antioxidant, detoxification and antimicrobial features.
Look After Your Gut Our immune and digestive systems are linked. Over 70% of immune cells are found in our gut walls, so maintaining a healthy stomach is crucial to a healthy immune system. The digestive system is the body’s natural detoxifier so make sure you’re getting plenty of fibre, which will move toxins through your system quickly. Ways to support gut health: • Follow a real food diet • Eat the rainbow to get plenty of variety • Avoid processed foods • Remove inflammatory foods* • Consume plenty of dietary fibre • Include pre and probiotic foods *Inflammatory foods include processed deli meats, soft drink, vegetable oils, fried foods and refined sugars.
Keep It Clean We know it’s an obvious one, but we’ve included it because it really is so important. Keeping clean and washing your hands regularly is a must when it comes to germs. Viruses are passed from person to person, so focusing on good hand hygiene, especially after being in shared spaces and touching things everyone else does, is vital to protecting your immune system.
Prioritise Your Sleep We can’t overstate the importance of sleep. A healthy seven to nine hours of sleep a night is a great way to give your body the time it needs to recover and repair crucial functions, including your immunity. When you sleep, your body produces and releases cytokines, a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation. So if you’re sleep-deprived, your body is less equipped to battle an illness. Some research indicates one bad night’s sleep can reduce your immune cell function by up to 70%. It’s also said that the hours before midnight are when we get the best sleep, so aim to have an early night to make the most of this. Ways to optimise sleep: • Establish a regular sleeping routine • Sleep in a dark room • Minimise distractions and outside noises • Switch technology off an hour before bed
Moderate Your Alcohol Intake Not only will it dehydrate you, alcohol has been shown to comprise your body’s ability to heal itself. Alcohol can also disrupt the gut barrier, which is a key defence and may allow more bacteria to enter your system.
Limit Your Stress Stress is something we all experience at different times. While a little bit of stress isn’t always a bad thing, chronic stress suppresses the immune system when the brain releases the hormone cortisol. Cortisol also reduces the antibodies in our gut and respiratory tract, which are our first line of defence against pathogens. Tips for de-stressing! • Get regular exercise • Practice daily mindfulness • Take a break from Social Media • Nourish your body with healthy foods • Do things that you enjoy
Bring Nature Indoors Plants are nature’s detoxifiers and they can significantly improve the air quality of their environment by absorbing chemicals in the air. Studies have also found that being in an environment with plants can reduce stress and improve the body’s ability to recover and heal.
Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin D Getting daily sunshine may not prevent you from catching a virus, however it has been proven to be effective when fighting them off and can reduce the severity of your illness to help you bounce back easier. Don’t forget, knowledge is only power when it becomes action. Let’s use these tips to stay healthy together. Keep safe, be kind to one another and remember we are always here to help. The Aquamoves Team
Aquamoves is proudly provided by Greater Shepparton City Council.