العربيةA healthy immune system is crucial for protecting your body from various illnesses. The stronger it is, the more efficient it is in fighting off viruses.
Generally, boosting your immune system and keeping it strong means having a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
And while you work your way towards improving your lifestyle, you also have to avoid several mistakes to boost your immunity, which include:
1. Not doing a body cleanse routinely.
A body cleanse is a clean eating program that focuses on having a balanced and organic-based diet with minimally processed foods. This usually lasts for at least five days.
Going on a body cleanse means giving your digestive system much-needed rest, which can help fight bloating and facilitate regular bowel movement.
Cleansing can also strengthen your immune system since it removes the toxins accumulated in your body. After the process, the immune system will function better and the white blood cells will work more efficiently to combat foreign bodies, including germs and viruses.
Since cleansing can help boost your immune system, include it in your wellness routine.
2. Having a processed food-rich diet.
If your diet consists mainly of processed foods, such as chips, cookies, hotdogs, burgers, fries, instant noodles, cans of soda, and other unhealthy foods, you are doing both your digestive and immune systems a disservice.
According to a study, consuming too much processed foods can lower your immunity since they contain high levels of sodium.
Additionally, salty foods cause your kidneys to work doubly hard to excrete extra amounts of sodium. This leads to a domino effect occurring on other vital body organs, resulting in a weaker, malfunctioning immunity.
If you want to have a healthier body and immune system, stop or, at the very least, minimise your consumption of junk foods.
3. Indulging in too much alcohol.
Although you may want to reward yourself with a glass of wine or two every night for having a bad day at work, you need to lay off alcohol if you want to avoid weakening your immune system.
Various studies show that consuming too much alcohol can lead to different health complications, including a weakened immune system. As a result, your body will have a harder time resisting diseases.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, men of legal drinking age are recommended to limit their intake of alcohol to two drinks or less in a day, and for women, one drink or less in a day to maintain a healthy body and immune system.
4. Not drinking enough water.
Drinking plenty of water gives your body numerous health benefits. Conversely, not doing so can cause you to develop a variety of health issues, including a weaker immune system.
When you don’t drink enough water and you become dehydrated, your body will have a difficult time flushing out toxins as fast as it should. Because of this, your immune system becomes compromised.
Also, if you develop constipation due to low water intake, your intestinal health will be affected, which can impact your immune system.
To get the most benefits, sip water throughout the day and make sure you drink at least eight glasses daily.
5. Not spending enough time outdoors and exercising.
Vitamin D plays a vital role in boosting your immune system. This is a nutrient that you can get naturally from sunlight.
If you spend most of your time cooped up indoors, you’re not bathing in sunlight, meaning you’re not getting enough vitamin D.
If you want to turn things around, go out and get 15 to 30 minutes of early morning sunlight.
Exercise also helps strengthen the immune system. When your muscles contract, the blood and lymph flow increase. This, in turn, enhances the circulation of your immune cells, enabling them to go around your body at a higher rate.
When you don’t get enough exercise, you compromise your body’s ability to fight infections.
If you want to get enough vitamin D and exercise at the same time, consider taking your workout outdoors. A 30-minute walk, run, or swim early in the morning allows you to do both.
6. Failing to practice self-care.
Failing to take care of yourself can also weaken your immune system.
If you are constantly stressed, you are more likely to have weak immunity. A study shows that stress can cause the body to produce more cortisol that kills the defensive white blood cells in the body and thus, lowering your immunity.
Lack of sleep can also impact your immune system. If you are sleeping less than seven hours nightly, your antigens will become weak, making you more vulnerable to diseases.
To boost your immunity, learn to manage your stress. Also, improve your night habits so that you can get at least seven hours of sleep every day.
Getting a body massage regularly enables you to reduce your stress and improve your sleeping patterns. As such, include this in your self-care routine.
If you want to have a stronger immune system and body, include going on wellness retreats in your health and fitness routine as well.
These wellness retreats are perfect for helping you achieve all your health and fitness goals, including boosting your immune system, changing your lifestyle, and experiencing a relaxing getaway.
Get in touch with us to know more about holistic wellness retreats and programmes.
