5 Tips to strengthen your immune system naturally

If you want to boost your immune health, you may wonder how to help your body fight off illnesses.

While bolstering your immunity is easier said than done, several dietary and lifestyle changes may strengthen your body’s natural defenses and help you fight harmful pathogens, or disease-causing organisms.

1. Keep active 

Although prolonged intense exercise can suppress your immune system, moderate exercise can give it a boost.

Working out is a powerful way to boost your immune system. It causes your body’s antibodies and white blood cells to circulate more rapidly, which means they may be able to detect and zero in on bugs more quickly. Examples of moderate exercise include walking, bicycling, jogging, swimming, and light hiking. Most people should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.

2. Limit added sugars 

Emerging research suggests that added sugars and refined carbs may contribute disproportionately to overweight and obesity. Obesity may likewise increase your risk of getting sick

Curbing your sugar intake can decrease inflammation and aid weight loss, thus reducing your risk of chronic health conditions.

Try opt for a healthier alternative such a Xylitol which is extracted from Birch wood, or Stevia which is derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) plant, a herbal shrub native to South America. 

3. Eat more fermented foods or take a probiotic supplement

Fermented foods are rich in beneficial bacteria called probiotics, which populate your digestive tract.

These foods include yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and natto.

If you don’t regularly eat fermented foods, probiotic supplements are another option you can go for. 

Gut health and immunity are deeply interconnected. Fermented foods and probiotics may bolster your immune system by helping it identify and target harmful pathogens.

 4. Eat more whole plant foods

Whole plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes are rich in nutrients and antioxidants that may give you an upper hand against harmful pathogens.

The antioxidants in these foods help decrease inflammation by combatting unstable compounds called free radicals, which can cause inflammation when they build up in your body in high levels

5. Garlic! 

Garlic is a great flavour addition to any dish but many people can be put off by the smell that comes from it.  

Crushing or chopping fresh garlic promotes the release of alliinase.  This enzyme helps convert alliin into allicin, a sulfur compound with potential health benefits. Garlic oil pills are made from crushed garlic, offering large doses of allicin which helps fight infection and bacteria, all aiding the immune system