7 Lifestyle Hacks for a Boosting Immune System

Are you taking care of your immune system?

You read that right.

Your immune system is your body's line of defense, but in order for it to protect you, you need to take care of it, give it the right nutrients, and let it sleep.

If you're binging on sh#t food, drinking excessively, and burning the midnight oil every night, chances are your immune system is taking a beating, and once beat down far enough, it won't be able to protect you.

Signs of a weak immune system:

• You're tired, lethargic, and fatigued...all the time.
• Your digestive system can't keep up.
• You're constantly getting sick.
• Your wounds, big or small, just don't seem to heal in time.
• You always feel like sh#t.

If these scream your name, it's time to incorporate some lifestyle changes and boost your immune system so that it can do the heavy lifting for you.

In this article, we'll go over seven ways to take care of your immune system so that you can start feeling your best.

1. Hit The Gym
2. Reduce Added Sugars
3. Increase Plant-Based Nutrition
4. Fill the Gaps with Natural Supplements
5. Reduce Stress
6. Stay Hydrated
7. Get Adequate Sleep

Let’s get started.

HIT THE GYM FOR A HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM

Every week, you should do at least two and a half hours of exercise.

It’s recommended that in the 150 minutes, you strive to combine both aerobic and intense workouts. For instance, doing stretches along with lifting weights or going for a run.

Kettlebell Training For Athletes

Exercise is often the solution for people looking to cut down on their weight or build muscles to improve their physique. But there are more health benefits.

The accelerated heartbeat and muscle contractions boost blood flow to your body’s cells when you exercise.

This gives the white blood cells a chance to be distributed faster, therefore, enabling you to fight an infection before you can even show any symptoms.

Also, it helps to flush out bacteria and viral substances in your lungs and airways. As a result, your breathing system can prevent colds, flu, and other illnesses.

Regular exercise prevents heart disease, too. It facilitates lower blood pressure by getting rid of unhealthy fats around your heart. Therefore, your heart doesn’t have to work overtime to pump blood throughout your body.

Finally, hitting the gym twice a week allows your body to produce anti-inflammatory cytokines. They’re essential in regulating your immune response to stimuli, whether internal or external.

When hitting the gym isn’t possible, you can do the following exercises at home:

• Skipping rope
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Walking
• Boxing

Just make sure your body is getting the adrenaline rush it badly needs.

Exercise is often the solution for people looking to cut down on their weight or build muscles to improve their physique. But there are more health benefits.

The accelerated heartbeat and muscle contractions boost blood flow to your body’s cells when you exercise.

This gives the white blood cells a chance to be distributed faster, therefore, enabling you to fight infection before you can even show any symptoms.

Also, it helps to flush out bacteria and viral substances in your lungs and airways. As a result, your breathing system can prevent colds, flu, and other illnesses.

Regular exercise prevents heart disease, too. It facilitates lower blood pressure by getting rid of unhealthy fats around your heart. Therefore, your heart doesn’t have to work overtime to pump blood throughout your body.

Finally, hitting the gym twice a week allows your body to produce anti-inflammatory cytokines. They’re essential in regulating your immune response to stimuli, whether internal or external.

When hitting the gym isn’t possible, you can do the following exercises at home:

• Skipping rope
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Walking
• Boxing

Just make sure your body is getting the adrenaline rush it needs.

REDUCE ADDED SUGARS IN YOUR DIET TO PROTECT IMMUNE CELLS

Added sugars are known agents of suppressing the immune system. They put your immune cells in a coma-like state while slowing down your metabolism.

How exactly do added sugars achieve this?

They cause the liver to produce free fatty acids which cause inflammation.

Inflamed cells are unable to release lymphocytes to fight off pathogens and hence you’re at a higher risk of:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Chronic inflammation
• Cancer

That’s not everything either.

Added sugars are the largest contributors of free radicals into your body. This leads to an imbalance that accelerates cell damage and oxidative stress is induced.

Consequently, your body is rendered helpless against diseases such as asthma and Alzheimer’s.

To eliminate added sugars from your diet isn’t easy, but then again, it’s not impossible.

Processed sugar is hidden in almost every item on the food shelves including:

• Breakfast cereals
• Energy drinks
• Diet sodas
• Sauces

As an alternative to added sugars, opt to increase your intake of citrus fruits and other foods like cheese containing natural sugars.

INCREASE PLANT-BASED NUTRITION TO BOOST IMMUNE FUNCTION

You are what you eat. 

If you fail to nourish your body with healthy nutrients, it retaliates by weakening your immune system, and therefore, making you vulnerable to infections.

As it is, 80% of the body’s immune cells are found in your gut.

It’s from your digestive system that they’re strengthened with essential minerals and vitamins, and then distributed to the rest of your body organs.

To boost your immune system, a healthy diet of carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins is critical.

Green vegetables and whole fruits are rich in beta carotene and antioxidant compounds.

Antioxidation prevents oxidative stress by reducing the concentration of oxidative compounds in your body and inducing the healing of damaged cells. As a result, your body experiences anti-inflammatory effects due to a stronger immune response.

Moreover, substituting unhealthy fats from junk food with healthy plant-based fats like sunflower seeds and avocado lowers the likelihood of heart disease.

How does this happen?

When you consume unhealthy fats from fries and greasy burgers, your cholesterol levels in the blood increase. Fats are deposited in your blood vessels causing clogs and clots.

Therefore, your heart needs to pump blood at an abnormally high pressure to ensure your organs are nourished with oxygen, essential nutrients, and antibodies.

Without intervention, you’ll develop health conditions such as hypertension and stroke.

Additionally, plant-based foods like whole grains are high in fiber that facilitates the elimination of waste and toxins from your body. This reduces inflammation and your immune health flourishes.

However, different cooking methods can affect the nutrition composition of plant-based foods. Deep frying vegetables add unnecessary fats into your body while steaming ensures you’re getting wholesome nutrients.

Therefore, while cooking, watch out for any artificial additives and the cooking methods you use.

FILL THE GAPS WITH NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS

Sometimes, despite a healthy plant-based diet, your body will be considerably lacking in certain vitamins and minerals.

In instances where you’re expectant, recently gave birth, suffered a massive injury, or working out intensely, your daily intake of particular nutrients should increase above average.

Dietary supplements serve the purpose of bridging the gap of minerals and vitamins missing in your diet.

They accelerate the healing of damaged cells and in doing so, boost your immune system and prevent disease.

Essential supplements for boosting your immune system include:

VITAMIN C 

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin not produced in the body that packs in antioxidants, supports optimal immune health, and helps to reduce inflammation.

Historically known to improve overall health, Vitamin C boosts immunity by supporting white blood cell function.

VITAMIN D3

Vitamin D3  is essential in promoting healthy bones and muscles, mood, energy, cardiovascular health, and supporting your immune system.

According to a recent study, as many as 75% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D -- a Vitamin essential in promoting healthy bones and muscles, mood, energy, cardiovascular health, and supporting your immune system.

In order to get enough Vitamin D through the synthesis of Vitamin D3 in your skin from sunlight, The Vitamin D Council recommends up to 2 hours a day for a person with dark skin. Yes, you read that correctly.

ZINC 

Zinc has been shown to promote a strong immune system, boost testosterone metabolism, play a key role in eye and reproductive health, and fight free radicals.

Although Zinc naturally occurs in a variety of both plant and animal foods, getting enough Zinc through your diet can be difficult. 

To reap the most benefits, look for a Zinc supplement that is chelated with 2mg of Copper to ensure maximum absorption into your body.

Copper acts by binding to the Zinc to create a water-soluble product that your body can easily absorb.

GUT HEALTH PROBIOTICS 

Probiotics - Suppresses the growth of harmful bacteria in your gut to support healthy gut flora, improve digestion & nutrient absorption, and support your immune system.

 

" Great probiotics. I couldn’t recommend this product more. For all my girls out there that have stomach issues or bloating, please give this a try. I’ve taken many probiotics in the past and this is the only one that actually made me feel amazing. I’m telling you when I forget to take this, my body feels it. Gut health impacts all parts of the human body. It is vital you take care of it. Store this product in the refrigerator to extend use. Thank you so much ATH.”

Alexa N. | Customer Review

REDUCE STRESS

High levels of stress cause your body to produce cortisol hormone.

Increased amounts of cortisol lower the production of lymphocytes, particularly T-cells.

The scarcity or lack thereof of T-cells affects your immune system negatively since it can’t determine effectively the type of immune response needed to fight infection.

In return, you’ll experience poor health conditions like gastrointestinal disorders, muscle tension, chronic stress, and headaches.

Managing stress is an underrated immune function booster.

Habits you can adopt to minimize stress include:

• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Yoga
• Counseling
• Journaling

STAY HYDRATED AND DRINK MORE WATER

For most adults, doctors recommend they drink at least eight glasses of water daily.

This is approximately two liters of water every day.

Unfortunately, the average person barely drinks a liter as water is substituted by other fluids such as tea, coffee, juices, and energy drinks.

Water makes up 60 percent of body fluids. It’s important because it:

• Helps to flush out toxins and waste from your body
• Enables the lymphatic system to drain efficiently

Dehydration, on the other hand, causes:

• A buildup of toxins and waste inside the body
• High chances of obesity
• Restricted blood flow
• Early aging
• Increased risk of an allergic reaction

Simply, dehydration equals a weak immune system.

Staying hydrated refuels your body’s fight against pathogens by acting as a solvent and increasing the distribution of white blood cells to where there’s an infection.

GET QUALITY SLEEP

Lack of adequate sleep results in a weak immune response due to the reduced production of cytokines and antibodies which are released during rest.

This affects the innate and adaptive immunity to stimuli such as an injury.

In this case, a wound takes longer to heal since pro-inflammatory cytokines responsible for your recovery are absent.

Sleep deprivation not only leads to poor immune health prone to infections such as the common cold, but it also causes:

• Insomnia
• Obesity
• Stress

The following table gives more details about healthy sleeping habits:

To improve your sleep:

• Avoid using electronic devices an hour before bedtime.
• Don’t take caffeinated drinks in the evening.
• Try to introduce a consistent sleeping schedule.
• Avoid sleeping during the day.

BOTTOM LINE

Take care of your body and it'll take care of you.

Eat well, exercise, get good sleep, and take care of your mental and physical health.