Boost your Immune System with these 7 steps
How to Boost Your Immune System article is adapted from and article by Harvard school of Health
At times it may seem like the whole world has gone crazy, and there is fear everywhere. If you watch the news at the moment you would be forgiven for thinking that the entire population of Australia will be struck down with a deadly virus.
But is that true?
The best answer we can give you is no. Most people affected will only experience mild symptoms, and of course there is only a certain percentage of any population that will be affected at all.
You can help yourself and your community by listening to reliable advice (not the panic on the news), being as healthy as your can be, and encouraging others to do the same.
Your best defence against this type of thing is to do everything you can to ensure that your body can defend itself. So in order to help you, we have put together 7 simple steps to boost your immune system.
Be sure to share this article with your friends and loved ones. The more people who are calm and informed in times of crisis the better. Wouldn’t you rather that the community was working together to strengthen everyone’s immune system, rather than hoarding toilet paper?
Here is your 7 simple steps:
Step 1 – Eat plenty of fresh produce
If you are ‘not a fan’ of vegetables then there are plenty of options for you these days that don’t involve broccoli or Brussel sprouts.
If you need some help with this check out our nutrition options and please get in touch and one of our nutrition consultants can take you through everything you need to know and do.
Step 2 – Drink a lot of water
There is no universal amount of water to drink for each and every person because your size and daily circumstances are unique to you.
Strive to stay hydrated with good, fresh, clean water (alkaline water if you can – like we have in the practice).
There are a lot of other great health benefits that come from staying hydrated and you can read all about that here, but the big one right now it that by keeping you water levels up, you can help organs like your kidneys, do their job more efficiently and hence keep your body functioning in tip top shape for you.
Step 3 – Limit your alcohol intake
Excessive alcohol intake can cause severe health problems, and one of those problems is an increased likelihood of contracting respiratory illnesses.
This means that in simple terms – The more alcohol you drink, the more likely you are to have a severe illness.
Moderation seems to be the key here, although what specific amount that means for each person seems to vary on many unknown factors. So, the simplest approach to help your immune system fight off the invading viruses, bacteria and other health problems, is to minimise your alcohol intake as much as you can – or even to zero…. It is possible.
Step 4 – Wash your hands!
You are hearing a lot about this right now. Wash your hands…. And sing ‘Happy Birthday’ while you do it… This is for a very good reason.
Many infections that we get as humans come from hand to face (usually mouth) contact. That means we touch something, then touch our face. The bacteria or virus can then be taken from whatever we have touched, directly into our body.
This is pretty simple, and super effective – wash your hands with soap and water (doesn’t have to be antibacterial wash, or hand sanitiser…) and be careful about touching your face.
If you take this simple step you can reduce the overall load on your immune system and let it look after the rest of you.
Step 5 – Reduce your stress level
Stress, worry, panic and anxiety all reduce our immune system function and can increase our susceptibility to contracting all sorts of diseases. Not to mention –
Being stressed sucks!
When you a stressed for whatever reason eg. A tiger is chasing you, or you have just had an argument, or the news is worrying you – a few things happen:
- Your heart rate and blood pressure go up
- Your digestive system slows down
- Your muscles tighten – shoulders first, then neck and jaw
- Your hormone levels change – and it’s this one that reduces your immunity…
How do you reduce stress? Well a massage can help! So can 30-mins in our Serenity Chair!
You can book either of those options HERE. (and if you haven’t tried our serenity chair you can get 15-min for FREE
*Please note – we are observing strict hygiene procedures in our locations that minimise the risk of community virus spread, while continuing to give you access to the services you need.
Step 6 – Get more quality sleep
Have you heard of ‘cytokines’ before? No?
Cytokines are important in your body because they target infection and inflammation. If you don’t get enough sleep you leave your body deprived of cytokines and also the ability fight off infections. Not good.
Generally estimates for ‘the right amount of sleep’ vary between 7-8 hours – and if you get more than 9-10 hours a night it can actually lead to poor quality of sleep and reduce the effectiveness of the cytokines your body does make.
Step 7 – Get your body moving
When you move you feel better but if you can’t move easily, or it hurts to move what do you do then?
Exercise can help boost your immune system function through a variety of means, but… what if you can’t exercise easily.
Chiropractic care could help you move better by getting your spine moving better. Think about it for a second – your nervous system starts and finishes in the brain, nerve impulses are carried via the spine and the spinal nerves to the body and back. If your spine is not moving as good as it can for you, then you are not moving a very important part of the body.
Our team of chiropractors may be able to help you get moving each day, to get outside for your dose of Vitamin D from the sun, and get your immune system firing on all cylinders.
The overriding message here is to stay calm, stay informed from reliable sources like the World Health Organisation, and do everything you can to help your immune system stay strong.
If you have any questions about this article, or on how to implement any of the steps please get in touch with us for a FREE chat. We are more than happy to help you.
