The immune system is our body’s defence system. It is made to fight off harmful bacteria, germs and outside invaders such as toxins. The immune system consists of two components. One is in-born and the other is an adaptive system that develops in interaction with the outside particles. Both these systems work together to keep your body healthy.
During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to take care of ourselves has become a priority so how can we increase our immunity to fight off against the virus? Learn more on how you can keep yourself safe and healthy during the pandemic.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle includes maintaining a healthy weight, eating clean and healthily and exercising regularly. It also involves decreasing the activities that might harm your immune system such as alcohol consumption and smoking which is particularly unhealthy for the lungs. Smoking is the last action you should think of during the coronavirus pandemic as the virus is extremely dangerous for the lungs, so you need to take care of your lungs and try to keep them healthy.
- Eat immunity boosting foods
A strong immune system owes it to a healthy diet. Some foods are especially good for the immune system. Vitamins and nutrients such as vitamin C are known for immunity-boosting properties. Eat foods such as oranges, cantaloupes, broccoli and kiwi to improve your immunity. Indian health experts recommend eating one-half of a raw garlic clove daily to boost immunity. Include foods such as berries, spinach and carrots rich in antioxidants also enhance immunity.
- Try natural immunity boosters such as essential oils
Essentials oils are packed with benefits especially for your immune system. Eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil are good for antiviral and antibacterial properties so use them in your daily routine to fight infections. To benefit most from these oils, add few drops to an oil diffuser and inhale them or you can add them to a warm bath. You can also make your hand sanitiser with these oils.
- Improved sleep and meditation can boost immunity
Sleep is very important for your body to recover and fight off germs and bacteria. Getting a good quality sleep of 6-7 hours can help boost your immune system. If you are having trouble sleeping, consider doing meditation or yoga to help with this. Meditation helps relax the mind and then the body so you get a good session of sleep. You don’t need to spend a lot of time in meditation; even just five minutes can be helpful.
- Maintain good hygiene habits
Even though clean hands are not directly responsible for boosting immunity but the germs that can enter your body through dirty hands can be effective on your immune system. So maintain good personal hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds each time before you take your meals, after meals, after using the bathroom and after taking care of anyone who is sick.
