Your immune system is your body’s defense mechanism against harmful pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasitic worms, etc. The system is an interactive combination of various ways in which the body recognizes foreign cells, tissues and organisms and proceeds to fight them. The body system is your own, silent intelligence network and private army that identifies harmful organisms and destroys them throughout your life.
How can you improve your immune system? On the whole, your immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against disease-causing microorganisms. But sometimes it fails: A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. Is it possible to intervene in this process and boost your immune system? What if you improve your diet? Take certain vitamins or herbal preparations? Make other lifestyle changes in the hope of producing a near-perfect immune response?
Here are some natural ways to strengthen your immune system.
1. Drinking plenty of water
Drinking a lot of water increases the amount of water in your blood. This water can dilute the electrolytes in your blood, especially sodium. Drinking half a liter (17 ounces) of water was shown to increase metabolism by 24-30% for up to 1.5 hours. Water helps to carry oxygen to your body cells, which results in properly functioning systems. It also works in removing toxins from the body, so drinking more of it could help prevent toxins from building up and having a negative impact on your immune system.
2. Don’t smoke and limit alcohol
Smoking and alcohol consumption is bad news for the body but they can be particularly harmful to your immune system as well. What’s more, the dangerous pathogens present in them can actually weaken a strong immune system.
So, try and quit smoking and drink only socially if you want to fortify your body with a strong immune system. Trying to quit smoking may seem difficult, but if you consider how much more potent you can make your immunity, it’s well worth trying.
3. Good Diet
All things related to the body start with healthy nutrition consisting of a well-balanced diet. Your immune system is also directly affected by the food you eat. Making some foods part of your staple diet can work wonders for your immune system. Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, tangerines, grapefruits); berries, particularly strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries; papaya and kiwi are very potent immunity boosters.
Certain vegetables have ingredients, which can considerably enhance the potency of your resistant system. These are carrots, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, and onions. Even ordinary spices like turmeric, garlic, and ginger have medicinal properties that can toughen weak immune systems. Yogurt, almonds, flaxseeds, and mushrooms are some other foodstuffs, which can boost your immunity considerably.
4. Good Sleep
Proper rest and sound sleep can perform miracles on your mind and body. It is common knowledge that fatigue, stress, and anxiety have a negative impact on health. Intense stress and fatigue trigger a hormonal imbalance that can wreak havoc on your body with far-reaching consequences for your body’s immunity and the diseases you may be exposing yourself to.
5. Exercise regularly
Exercise and physical activities are good stress busters. They are significant contributors to building better immunity. Physical exertion lowers the level of stress hormones in the body, thus enhancing your immune system. Another stress-preventer is meditation. Apart from keeping you mentally healthy, it also increases the body’s resistance to various bacteria, viral illnesses, and infections.
