Implementing regular habits to maintain good health and well-being goes hand-in-hand with boosting your immune system to build up resistance to, and fight off, a virus or infection.
Here are a few tips.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegies
A diet that includes a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables equates to a diet naturally abundant with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes. Aim to consume at least 3 cups of fruit and vegetables each day to nourish and strengthen your body.
A recent blog about the benefits of consuming a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.
Fermented food and drinks
Fermentation is an age-old method of food preservation that not only increases the shelf life of food but adds more flavour complexity and nutrients such as B12, a nutrient not normally found in plant foods.
Fermented foods and drinks contain probiotics that, when consumed, contribute to a vigorous microbial community in the gut which, in turn, helps to keep the “bad” bacteria under control. A diverse microbiome plays an important role in overall health by enhancing the immune system and reducing inflammation.
Reduce stress
When stressed, your body triggers a “fight/flight” response designed to protect you in an emergency. When under stress your body releases hormones that increase your heart and breathing rates and readies muscles for action. Because the fight/flight response is designed for survival in an emergency, energy and blood flow is diverted from more long-term survival systems such as digestion, reproduction and immunity.
In modern life people face many daily pressures that revolve around work, family, finances etc – all can cause stress and in turn deplete digestion, reproduction and immune systems. Many people who struggle with aspects of daily life could improve their situations by reducing levels of stress.
Meditation and EFT offer an effective self-help method to cope better with stress.
Read how Kinesiology can help calm you and re-energise your survival systems.
Sleep well
Regular sleep improves general immunity, brain function and physical performance. It also helps reduce inflammation, risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.
Sleep is important for our emotional well-being and sleep deprivation is associated with a higher incidence of depression.
Regular exercise
GET MOVING!
Living in Darwin we have plenty of options available to exercise in groups and clubs or by yourself, so you can select activities that suit you best.
If you prefer to exercise in air conditioning, there are numerous gyms offering weights or high energy groups such as spin classes or F45. For those who prefer group classes with a slower focus there are some fabulous yoga and Pilates studios.
If you prefer to be active outdoors, join a team sport or boot camp; if individual activities suit you better try walking, running, cycling or swimming.
My Gemini personality loves variety so I like to do a combination of strength/conditioning (Pilates) and cardio/endurance (Darwin Triathlon Club)