There comes a time in every adult’s life when they begin to look after themselves in ways they never even considered. Some people decide to join a gym to pursue a more active lifestyle. Others go down the nutrition rabbit hole and completely reinvent their diet. Still, others choose something like elderberry gummies. In any of these cases, one thing is true – people want to feel better. Another way to say this is that people never want to feel sick. Indeed, this is a statement you can agree with. After all, you remember those days stuck in bed, your nose feeling like it had fallen off your face, and a persistent fever. But in no way do you want to repeat them. To aid you in this quest, we have put together five simple ways to support your immune system all year.
1. Sleep
Different seasons of weather call for a variety of clothing options. Weather also brings about a litany of different driving conditions. Simply put, there are more than a few changes to account for each year. But there is one item that should never change for you – the amount of sleep you get each night. You will quickly transition into a walking corpse without seven or more restful hours. But not before your immune system takes a massive hit. All this could lead you to spend weeks in bed sick, so do the easy thing and stay in bed when you are feeling good.
2. Physical activity
You could call someone who maintains a sedentary lifestyle an immune-deficient person, and you might not be that far off. But that would be extremely rude, so avoid this specific interaction. Instead, pick up a physical activity of your own regularly. In the long run, your immune system will become akin to a great defensive front. Even in the short term, you will notice a difference in how your body digests foods and handles allergens. The best part is the activity can be anything under the sun. Kayaking? Perfect! A quiet walk in the woods? Great! The gym? Excellent! The point here, while over the top in some ways, is to get yourself moving for the sake of your immune system.
3. Consider supplements
Some readers may want to push back and say, ‘Well, there is nothing simple about physical activity.’ That is all well and good. You are more than welcome to that opinion. But do not let said opinion keep you from the remainder of the beneficial information to follow. For example, supplements may be the simplest thing you read about here, and they can be just as effective in boosting your immune system. Elderberry gummies are such a supplement. So are Vitamin D and Zinc. But the list does not stop there, so be sure to research.
4. Shake up your diet
Supplements truly are a tremendous blessing made entirely possible by modern technology. However, some experts believe the vitamins and minerals provided within these are more effective when received via a more traditional method – food. Of course, to ensure your body gets all it needs nutritionally, you will have to stretch your current diet past where you might be comfortable. No one said maintaining a healthy immune system would be easy. But we are here to help you in this, so never fear. For starters, you will want to incorporate a wide variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet. These will be one of your larger sources of vitamins and minerals, so get comfortable with them. But do not forget about proteins, and fats, as well. Your immune system places a high demand on your body, and you need to keep up with this.
5. Cut out those unhealthy habits
No one wants to be crystal clear about their so-called vices. But the reality is that just about everyone has an unhealthy habit or two. Or three. Unfortunately, these habits might be the largest obstacle you will face on the road to fully supporting your immune system. Be it smoking, drinking, junk food, or something else altogether, there is undoubtedly at least one item you can remove from your lifestyle that will boost your immune system. Should you persist in these habits, you should know that you are actively harming your immune system more than you might realize.
Taking good care of your immune system is no small task. Hence the multiple bullet points above. But there is so much more you can do to take care of yourself. So to be blunt – do a little exploring, but make sure you do something practical.