15 Ways to Boost Your Immune System for Stronger Health
Your first line of defense against bacteria, viruses, or toxins, your immune system plays an essential role in keeping you healthy. When your immune system is strong, it’s easier to prevent or ward off certain colds, viruses, or diseases. If a pathogen enters your body but you have strong immunity, its negative effects may be more short-lived than if you had a weak immune system.
Your daily lifestyle choices and habits affect the strength of your immune system. These include factors on the physical, mental, and emotional level. While not all of them are easy to control, there are certain things you can do to boost well-being across these levels on a more consistent basis.
The strength of your body, mind, and spirit are all interrelated. When your body feels safe and protected, for example, it’s easier for your mind to relax. This reduces stress, which helps to further strengthen your immunity.
Here, we take a look at 15 ways to boost your immune system so you can feel healthy and full of energy each day.
Soak up some sunshine and get more Vitamin D
Vitamin D enhances the function of immune cells, including T cells and macrophages. These cells can help reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses in your body. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to respiratory and lung diseases.
One of the easiest ways to get more Vitamin D is to spend time outside in the sun. But you can also get it through foods such as cheese, salmon, tuna, sardines, eggs, or mushrooms.
2. Load up on Vitamin C
Vitamin C plays a key role in supporting the cellular functions of the immune system. It is also responsible for the growth and repair of skin, bone, and cartilage.
Your body does not naturally produce Vitamin C. This means you have to get it into your diet through the foods you eat. Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons are most well-known as a natural source of Vitamin C. In addition, you can also get it from foods like yellow peppers, chili peppers, broccoli, parsley, kale, papayas, or strawberries.
3. Increase your level of antioxidants
Including plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet helps you get more of the antioxidants your brain and body need to fight free radicals. Free radicals play a role in aging and preventing diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia.
So how do you get more antioxidants? Look for foods that are high in antioxidants such as berries, avocados, spinach, apricots, carrots, and asparagus. Many of these foods are also good for your brain to improve cognitive function.
4. Integrate more anti-inflammatory foods
In the short-term, inflammation is meant to help your body protect against diseases or injury by letting white blood cells flow in to help fight infection. But occurring on a chronic basis, inflammation can lead to problems such as depression, Alzheimer’s diseases, arthritis, or heart disease.
Certain foods are naturally anti-inflammatory which helps your body fight off harmful bacteria and viruses faster. These include: olive oil, nuts, green leafy vegetables, peppers, green tea, and deeply colored fruits like berries, cherries, or pineapple.
5. Get more of the right proteins
Proteins are the building blocks of life. They’re needed to create new tissues in your body as well as repair and heal existing ones. Not getting enough protein can weaken your immune system so make sure you get plenty of quality proteins in your diet.
Some healthy sources of protein include seafood, white-meat poultry like chicken and turkey, beans, soybeans, chickpeas, nuts, and legumes.
6. Start your morning strong with lemon water
Drinking warm or lukewarm water with freshly squeezed lemon juice early in the morning can boost immunity thanks to the treasure trove of nutrition that lemons provide. Lemons are loaded with nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and B-complex vitamins which are all key to helping the body’s systems function better.
Drinking lemon water can also aid in digestion, keep you hydrated, improve your skin, and may help in preventing kidney stones.
7. Drink plenty of water
About 60% of your body is made up of water and nearly every major organ in your body contains a large percentage of water. Dehydration makes it hard for your body to get nutrients into your cells, which can weaken the immune system as it’s not getting the vitamins and minerals it needs.
Water helps to flush toxins out of the body and oxygenates your blood. Staying hydrated throughout the day also helps you maintain a good balance of electrolytes to balance your body’s pH levels.
8. Allow yourself to enjoy occasional treats
As long as you eat a balanced and wholesome diet on a regular basis, it’s ok to occasionally splurge on foods that may not provide much nutritional value. By consistently choosing healthy foods, you have a stronger immune system which means it’s easier for your body to sort out “junk” foods and to process any potential toxins with more ease.
Allowing yourself to enjoy a treat can be a great boost for your mental and emotional health. When you do have that yummy piece of pie or dessert, really take the time to savor every bite. This is a great opportunity to practice mindful eating so you can feel a heightened experience of every sensation with all your senses.
9. Get outside into nature
Did you know that spending just 10 minutes outside in nature can lower your stress levels? Getting fresh air can give your immune system a reset and reducing stress makes it easier for your body to heal. So make it part of your daily routine to take a short walk or spend some time outside – even if it’s just for a few minutes and even if it’s just in your backyard.
Make being outside a quick mindfulness practice as you focus on using all five of your senses. Feel the fresh air and sun on your skin. Listen to the sounds around you. Notice the different shades of green amongst the trees. Take deep breaths, filling up your lungs with fresh air and exhaling stale air. Soak in the beauty of simply being alive on this planet.
10. Take a few deep breaths
Elevated levels of stress can suppress your immune system. Deep breathing has a beneficial effect on the body by balancing out the nervous system, promoting better lymph drainage, and lowering blood pressure. Breathing exercises can alter the pH of the blood and even the expression of your genes.
When you’re under pressure or simply need a quick pick-me up, take a few deep breaths. This helps move the stale air out of your lungs, helping to get fresh oxygenated blood to your muscles and brain.
11. Exercise to reduce inflammation and boost your mood
Exercise has many benefits on ensuring the immune system stays strong, including improving lymphocyte circulation, releasing anti-inflammatory cytokines, and promoting the presence of immune cells in the body for longer.
The CDC recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week and do muscle-strengthening activities at least twice per week. So whether you go for a brisk walk, hit up the gym, or find a fun Youtube video to workout along with, make exercise a part of your daily schedule by picking several exercise activities that you enjoy.
12. Spend time with people who uplift you
Being around others can be great not just for your social and emotional health, but also for your body. Research has found that socializing can strengthen the immune system by activating interferon-gamma signals in your white blood cells. Simply being around others can uplift us as we gain new perspectives, inspiration, and the knowledge that we’re not in it alone - whatever we’re going through.
So find more ways to interact with others in a way that brings you joy. You may even consider doing some healthy activities together such as going for a run, a hike or a bike ride.
13. Laugh more and have fun
Watching your favorite comedy shows on Netflix or cracking up at the latest funny animal videos is not a waste of time. It’s actually good for your health, along with other fun things that bring you relief. Laughter has been found to help reduce blood pressure, reduce the production of stress hormones, and boost the immune system.
When you laugh, your brain releases endorphins and produces more anti-infection antibodies and T-cells in the blood. So keep your health strong by allowing yourself to play, have fun, and be silly!
14. Get creative
Doing activities that bring you joy and allow you to fully express yourself can elevate your mood. Being creative can help you move energy from built-up emotions. Without the pressure of having to produce any specific results, creative activities are a fun way to release many feel-good endorphins.
When you’re in a happy state of mind and experiencing joy or gratitude, your heart and brain are better able to communicate. This can help optimize the function of your other organs and contribute to your overall health.
15. Meditate and practice mindfulness
You knew we couldn’t skip this one! Meditation and mindfulness have been shown to have many physical and mental health benefits, including reducing stress, boosting brain function, and improving emotional regulation.
When it comes to boosting your immunity, mindfulness is helpful because it calms your nervous system and thus can reduce the inflammation that stress tends to cause. Since stress can depress the immune system, by decreasing stress, meditation effectively helps improve immunity and helps people feel a greater sense of harmony and balance.
Make meditation, mindfulness, or yoga practices a part of your daily routine. You’ll not only feel great but your body will thank you by improving your immune response at the same time.
“If you restore balance in your own self, you will be contributing immensely to the healing of the world.” - Deepak Chopra
Improving your well-being can be much easier when you have a healthy self-care routine in place. Not sure where to start with self-care or curious about how to best integrate mindfulness into your days? You can learn all about it in this blog, 6 Self-Care Ideas to Feel More Energized and Productive
