24 Hours To A Better Immune System

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so they say. However, there are many ways to boost your immune system and stay healthy. What better time than now to start boosting your immune system and prioritizing your health!

Did you know that staying active can reduce your chance of catching a cold by nearly half. Exercise is a powerful stress reducer. Less stress = Less inflammation. It takes as little as 20 minutes of moderate exercise to kickstart immune boosting inflammatory effects.

Gut health is also extremely important when it comes to maintaining a strong immune system. The more healthy bacteria in your gut, the better! Bacteria from probiotics help strengthen cells in the immune system. Yogurt is a great probiotic option! Pickles and sauerkraut are also a good probiotic source.

Diet is key to a strong immune system! Another great source to strengthen the immune system is vitamin D. Vitamin D fuels your bodies t-cells, which fights bacteria and viruses. Research shows that nearly half of all people have a D deficiency by the end of winter. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600 IU. Foods, such as salmon (3 OZ = 479 IU), milk (1 Cup = 115-125 IU), eggs (1 large egg yolk = 41 IU), and orange juice (1 cup = 137 IU), are great sources of vitamin D.

Probiotics and vitamin D are also available in supplements, however, you can easily get your recommended intake through various food sources, which is the best route to go!

Fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants that keep these immune system humming along by neutralizing free radicals. Soluble fibers found is fruit, veggies, oats, and nuts help reduce inflammation, which in turn, helps strengthen the immune system!

While there is controversy around the use of colloidal silver, it’s another secret weapon that we keep on hand in our home. I wouldn’t recommend colloidal silver to anyone who hasn’t first researched it and formed their own opinion though.

Everyone knows singing is good for the soul, but did you know that singing is also good for your immune system? Belting it out helps to lower the stress hormone, cortisol, which can weaken your immune system!

Spending time unwinding in the presence of nature can also help protect you against a wide range of health issues. Once again, due to decrease in stress hormones. Stress causes the body to divert resources away from everything that is immediately nonessential, including the immune system. Take a walk, enjoy a cup of tea in the backyard, call a friend or family member, whatever makes you feel relaxed, do that!

Additionally, quality of sleep is intimately tied to the function of the immune system. The less sleep you get, the more weakened your immune system becomes. At least seven hours of sleep a day is ideal. A humidifier in your bedroom also does wonders to protect you from infection by preventing mucus membranes from drying out.

That's all the immune boosting tips that I have for now, but I hope you choose to make the most of them. Our bodies are a temple!