It's Never too Late to Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle: aGuide on How to Build Strong Immunity (2020)

Most people do not know the best way to build strong immunity is with simple changes in your life. One of the simplest things you can do is to get proper sleep. We all know how social media has ruined our sleep cycles, and let’s not even talk about the extraordinary work-life balance these days.

Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night and avoid working late at night. For better and quick sleep, you should avoid using smartphones or other blue light devices an hour before your bedtime. Indulge in books, and you would surely notice a change in your sleeping patterns.

A healthy diet is composed of so many different elements, and you need to keep that balance in your life. You should opt for more plant-based food to strengthen your immune system. This includes fruits, herbs, spices, and vegetables, which are genuinely the essentials of an Indian kitchen.

Plant-based foods have antimicrobial and antiviral properties, which help in improving the power of your body to fight off infections.

Meanwhile your food should also have a good balance of required nutrients for your system like Selenium, Vitamin A, C, E, B12 and B6, Iron, Copper, Zinc, etc. You can rely on Broccoli, Kale, Cabbage, and Lentils for overall nutrients to your body, which also strengthens your health. For other nutrients and vitamins, you can rely on supplements.

There is no need to preach about the health risks caused by the higher consumption of alcohol in your everyday life. And apart from causing liver damage, bloated stomach, high chances of cancer, high levels of alcohol in your system can alter your immunity too.

As your body will be too busy trying to detoxifying itself, which can affect the normal functioning of your immune system. This weakens the body’s power to fight with infections and bad bacteria, and you get more susceptible to getting sick every now and then.

Some of the health issues you can face because of high intakes of alcohol are liver diseases, pneumonia, certain types of cancer, respiratory issues, etc. The same goes for too much smoking too. So, make sure that you either completely avoid drinking and smoking or keep their amount moderate.

There are a lot of supplements to boost the immune system available in the market. Still, you should first consult your doctor before taking them. What you should know about supplements is that they do not alter the natural response of your body. In fact, they are as crucial for your health and body as other nutrients.

Taking vitamin and mineral supplements can provide much-needed nutrients to your body, which are important to develop a strong immune system.

You can also rely on fermented foods, which are rich in probiotics that help in populating your digestive tract. Some of the fermented foods you can try are kimchi, kefir, yogurt, natto, etc. As we talked about earlier, how a healthy digestive tract can help in improving the performance of your immune system too.

We have talked about it earlier too that how stress can affect your immune system to quite some extent. This is why you should learn about managing your stress levels. Long term stress can also cause other health risks and can affect your mental health severely.

Stress releases hormone cortisol in the body, which alters the functioning of T-cells. This directly affects your immune system and weakens it. Cortisol further affects the gut and respiratory tract, whose weakening can make you more susceptible to infections.

There are a lot of activities you can try out to relieve stress like yoga, meditation, diary writing, exercise, music therapy, etc. You should also know that effective communication can also help in warding off anxiety and stress.

To know how to build strong immunity, you should start focusing on your intakes right away. One of the first things you should do to improve your immune system is to check on your sugar intake. As we all know, added sugars and refined carbs are the two most fundamental reasons for obesity. Obesity is the main cause of various health issues and sickness too. So, if you wish to remain fit and immune to common sickness, then you should limit the sugar intake in your body.

Curbing sugar from your diet not only improves your overall performance but also helps in losing weight and getting active in life. In fact, it also reduces the chances of having type-2 diabetes and heart issues. So many diseases can definitely weaken your immune system, and this is why you should start cutting off added sugar from your diet right away.

It is scientifically proven that working out regularly helps tremendously in boosting the functioning of your immune system. Working out helps in moving your T-cells, which protects the body from infections.

Stay away from prolonged and intense workout routines and start with simple exercises only. Regular and moderate exercise helps the immune cells to regenerate quickly and regularly. Some of the exercises you can try out are jogging, swimming, brisk walks, bicycle rides, hiking, etc.

If possible, then you should try exercising outdoors as it will help you in getting Vitamin D too. Make sure that you exercise in moderation as much as your body can take it. Tiring your body too much can weaken your immune system.

You can get to know about how to increase immunity home remedies on your own once you start making necessary changes in your lifestyle. If you are someone with an ongoing chronic health issue, then you should better keep these conditions on a check.

This includes diabetes, asthma, heart diseases, etc. This can definitely put your immune system on tremendous risk, and prevention is always better than the cure.

People with Type-2 Diabetes should keep a check on their blood sugars regularly while people with asthma should remain aware of not catching a cold or flu. People with chronic conditions are more prone to getting sick with common viruses and bacteria as compared to other people.

Dehydrating is the ultimate cause of various troubles in your body like headaches, digestive issues, dull skin, hair breakage, and a lot more. Drinking plenty of water doesn’t affect your immune system directly, but a lack of proper hydration can definitely harm your immunity.

Dehydration is the basis of some severe issues like slow physical performance, lousy mood, heart and kidney infections, and all of these health risks can cause your immune system to slow down.
You should have enough fluids on a daily basis, which can be other than water too. Make sure that your urine should be pale yellow in colour and not dark yellow.

Just like other supplements and nutrients, Vitamin D is equally important to improve your immune system. If you want to know how to build strong immunity, then you should not only focus on your diet but on your lifestyle too.

You should step out in the sun more often to make sure you get an adequate amount of Vitamin D in your body. Vitamin D helps in producing antibodies in the body, which strengthens your immune system.

In fact, low levels of vitamin D in your body can cause you to have respiratory troubles too. All you need to do is take a quick jog or walk in the morning sunlight for 10-15 minutes. Another activity you can try is going to a park with your family and enjoy some fun games and other activities out there. This can genuinely lift your mood as well as improves your immunity too.

There are a lot of immunity-boosting foods that you should know about. Apart from probiotics and supplements, there are other food items available in their natural state that can make your immune system stronger and better. You can include these foods in your daily life to ensure that you have a perfectly good immune system to ward off diseases. Here are some of these immunity-boosting food items for you.

You are often prescribed to consume citrus rich food when you catch a cold. This is because citrus content helps in building up your immune system and fastens the process of recovery. Vitamin C, in particular, helps in the production of white blood cells, which are an inseparable part of the immune system. Some of the typical citrus food you can consume are limes, oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits, and clementines.

Garlic is a crucial part of Indian cooking and often used in various recipes. But it is a fantastic immunity booster food too, which is equally good for your health as it is for your recipes. Garlic contains a Sulphur-containing compound called Allicin, which is quite helpful in improving your immune system. Moreover, garlic also keeps your blood pressure in check, which is great for your health.

Adults need 15 mg of Vitamin E on an everyday basis, and you would be shocked to know that only 46 almonds are enough to provide that amount. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that is crucial in improving the functioning of your immune system. Almonds are a great source of Vitamin E. Not only Vitamin E, but almonds also have healthy fats which fulfill the overall requirements of your body.

Turmeric is one of the most essential and highly used kitchen ingredients in India. If you want to know how to build strong immunity, then you can solely rely on turmeric for that. Turmeric has high levels of curcumin in it, which helps in decreasing exercise-caused muscle damage. Turmeric is rich in antioxidants and works as an immune booster. This is why turmeric latte is recommended when you catch a cold.