As your body’s first line of defence, your immune system plays a crucial role in protecting your health by fighting against foreign viruses and bacteria. When attacked, your immune system triggers a response and releases antibodies to attach to foreign substances and remove them.
While you can reduce your risk of against foreign diseases (like the flu) by getting vaccinated, there are also other ways to boost your immunity. In this blog, we’ve outlined five ways you can strengthen your immune response today, and reduce your risk of catching anything in the next cold & flu season.
Your diet has a direct effect on your health, the majority of your minerals, vitamins, fibres and antioxidants comes from your diet and lifestyle — all things needed for a healthy immune system.
A proper diet includes:
Physical activity has been found to help boost immunity too. In fact, regular and moderate exercise helps to improve all areas of your health.
Taking 45 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 to 4 times a week would be sufficient to help your immune system. But be careful as you should not overdo it. Prolonged heavy physical training can cause stress and weaken your immune system, as well as cause harm to your health. If you are feeling unwell, listen to your body. Exercising while ill can be harmful, the lethargy you experience during illness actually helps the body to divert resources to combat the sickness.
Supplements can be taken to increase your deficiency in specific vitamins and minerals, but you should never consider them as a substitute for a healthy diet. Several supplements have been shown to improve immunity:
All these supplements mentioned are readily available at Mannings, Watsons and other health shops. Doses are written on the packaging, but if in doubt, consult your GP or a nutritionist.
One of the most effective ways to prevent illness is to maintain good personal hygiene. By following the precautions recommended by the HK government, you can stop the infection before it enters your body and avoid spreading it to others. Here’s what you should do:
Viruses and bacteria can easily enter the body through your eyes, mouth and nose. Especially after touching public installations or equipment (public transport, handrails, elevator buttons, door knobs), which can quickly gather germs from many people using it. So remember to wash your hands before touching your eyes, mouth and nose. If you’re feeling unwell, you should seek assistance from a medical professional.
It should be no surprise that stress can be bad for your health. Recent research has shown that psychological stress can unbalance the immune system, making it less efficient at dealing with viral illnesses.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to avoid stress these days with so many competing demands for your time and attention (most of which we have little control over). But try to set aside some time each day to relax deeply, this can be listening to your favourite music or playing your favourite board game. Switch off your mobile phone, don’t read the paper, don’t talk about current affairs or listen to the news during this time. It’s also recommended to take plenty of sleep.
Although we don’t understand all of the factors that decide how any individual responds to a particular infection, the efficiency of an individuals’ immune system is one, if not the most crucial factor. Taking the above measures may help to improve your immune response and decrease the severity of any viral illness.
If you’re unsure about what to do next, you can talk to our practitioners at OT&P who can help set up a nutrition plan for you.
Click here to learn more about the latest updates surrounding COVID-19