Posts Tagged ‘strong immune system’
Immune System Boosters – Diet, Exercise, Healthy Environment, and Supplements
Are you worried about cold or flu season coming up? This season can be “stay well” season for you if you know how to build a strong immune system. There are many immune system boosters that will help you stay healthy.
* Exercise is a powerful immune system booster! Moderate, regular exercise has been shown in studies to increase the number of white blood cells available to fight infections. It also increases the number of endorphins your body produces. These are natural hormones that help you feel good and help you sleep better – and that helps boost your immune system even more.
* Antioxidant-rich foods are immune system boosters: Fruits and vegetables of all kinds have compounds called antioxidants. These antioxidants clean up your system – it is like preventing rust from forming by stopping the free radicals in your body from binding to the oxygen molecules. This means you have more oxygen available to energy and fighting illnesses.
* For a strong immune system, get enough sleep. Most people in the U.S. today do not get enough sleep. For adults, 7 to 9 hours is optimal, and children need about 9 to 11 hours of sleep each night. The University of Chicago conducted a study where they only let students sleep four hours a night for six straight nights. Then they gave them a flu vaccine. By measuring the number of antibodies the students produced for the vaccine, the researchers could tell how strong the students’ immune responses were. Antibody levels were only half of what would be expected. Even though researchers aren’t sure how sleep helps the immune system, it is obvious that it does.
* Practice relaxation techniques – If chronic stress suppresses the immune system, then relaxing on a regular regularly should boost your bodys defenses by reducing stress lowers levels of cortisol. It also helps you sleep better, and healthy sleep is one of the most powerful immune system boosters.
* Healthy Hygiene Habits – These aren’t exactly immune system boosters, but if you are exposed to fewer viruses, then you are less likely to get sick. Habits like washing hands, asking people around you to sneeze into their elbow, and staying away from places where lots of people congregate can help your immune system by not making it work so hard.
* Immune system vitamins – It is always a good idea to take a multivitamin if your diet isn’t as full of fruits and vegetables as it should be. You may need more vitamin A and E, though, to really boost your immune system. Minerals like zinc are also important. Herbs like echinacea and bioflavonoids (beta-carotene) can also help.
* Mind/body tools can help – Self-hypnosis, meditation, and Emotional Freedom Technique can make a difference in the strength of your immune system. In an eight week study, meditators produced more antibodies to a flu vaccine than non-meditators. Even after eight weeks, the difference could still be seen. Meditation has other benefits, too, besides being a strong immune system booster
With so many different immune system boosters available, it can be like navigating a maze to know how to get started. All the information you need to get started strengthening your immune system at http://www.immunesystemboostersguide.com