What can you do personally to help improve your immune system?
I think that is one question we should all be asking ourselves as we are going through
these months wondering whether we or our parents or grandparents might be the next to
test positive for the Coronavirus. One of the best things we can do right now is try to be as healthy as possible especially if we are a little older. I am 55, so I am in the range where being healthy is even a little more important.
Being a CHEK Holistic Health Coach, I can give some easy recommendations to help you
improve your immune system. There are plenty of other options but these 5 are pretty easy for
everyone to do.
No. 1 Make sure you are getting enough sleep.
With all the business closings and school closings, there were a lot of people that ended up
having a reduced work schedule. This was a factor in the option to stay up later and watch
special shows or binge on Netflix options or hang out on social media. Just adding an extra hour or two to your day and reducing the amount of sleep you are getting greatly affects your ability to recover. Recovery for our brain, gut, and all our cells happens at night. So if we are staying up late past 10:30 you are missing out on some of the optimal hours to recover.
No. 2 Get Outside and be in the sunshine.
If you can get outside first thing in the morning that is the best time to be in the sun, but if your
schedule doesn’t allow that, find time during the day that works. Optimally, you want to be out
there for 15 -20 minutes with no sunscreen to receive the most benefit from the sun.
No. 3 Drink plenty of high quality filtered water
1/2 your body weight in ounces is a pretty good rule of thumb.
If you drink caffeinated drinks you need more water and if you exercise regularly add more too.
If you don’t have filtered water as on option on your refrigerator, a Zero water pitcher that you
can buy at Bed Bath and Beyond or on Amazon works great.
No 4. Reduce your sugar intake.
Sugar has no nutrients and is inflammatory to our cells. Sugar in the form of white or brown
sugar, syrup, soft drinks, candy, pastries is harmful to us. Sugar challenges your pancreas to
release enough insulin to get those high levels out of your bloodstream and transport to store
as glycogen in your muscles or as fat and can make inflammation in the body worse.
A lot of tubers, complex carbs, and fruits break down to sugar as well but are not dangerous to
your health like simple sugar (unless you are already dealing with insulin issues.) Switch out
your cookies and pastries with a piece of fruit or maybe some protein options. You can always
track your food on an app like Chronometer to see where your sugars are now and how
dropping certain food items out of your diet will lower those numbers.
No. 5 Stress Relief
Exercise is a great option for stress relief but you may be someone who is already exercising
regularly. For you, some great options might be meditating, journaling, or just finding some quiet
time in your day. If you aren’t moving much just getting out and walking is an improvement.
Walk after dinner or after any meal to improve digestion. It doesn’t have to be lots of miles but
getting out and moving improves our blood flow and can help clear our mind. Find something
creative to do; being creative and enjoying doing something fun is a great stress relief.
I have been excited to see so many more families all spending time at the park.
So, here are 5 simple and inexpensive things we can all do to help improve your immune
system. If you would like more help with your health we would be happy to set up a
consultation to see how we can help you be healthier.