Natural Ways to Boost Immunity
In addition to flu season around the corner, we’re also still in the midst of a pandemic. The numbers of people affected grow daily. If you’ve followed the news, you see that vaccinated people are affected by the virus as well as those that aren’t vaccinated. In addition to wearing a mask, and staying six feet apart when out in public, there are other ways you can work to boost your body’s natural immune system.
Here are a few of the practices we follow over at Knife and Spoon. We are a plant based family, and that’s the approach that’s worked best for us. This advice is in no way intended to replace medical advice. If in doubt, seek a medical professional for guidance on how to pair natural remedies with your current medications.
Juicing
Juicing is a way to get essential vitamins and minerals key to boosting immunity. Grapefruit and other citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is known for its ability to fight free radicals that damage the body. The addition of vegetables such as carrots to your juice, add vitamin B-6, which plays a key role in antibody production. Roots like ginger add an effective boost to immunity as well. These are just a few of the ingredients you can add to juice. The possibilities are endless when you consider other fruits and vegetables in season that make for great juice mixtures. Play around with other fruits and vegetables like; lemon, apples, pineapples, and celery, and spinach to keep your juices full of immune fighting benefits.
Eating Raw
Followers of a raw diet believe that eating this way can aid in improved health and overall well being. Eating the customary raw green leafy vegetables encourages enhanced immune system health in the gut for its proper function. In addition to juicing as mentioned above, other ways to eat fruits and vegetables raw include eating salads, eating dehydrated foods, as well as chopping and blending. Eat fruits and vegetables raw, preserve nutrients, and get the immune boosting properties you need, and your body deserves.
Exercise
According to Harvard Health, regular exercise promotes general well being in the body and thus the immune system. Ideal exercise is one that you will participate in regularly. As numbers rise, it’s important to take precautions if exercising indoors with others. However, getting outside for sunshine, fresh air and movement is always a great idea. Engaging in cardiovascular exercise such as walking, jogging or bicycling are easy ways to begin with exercise, especially walking. Please consult with your physician before beginning this or any exercise program.
Stress Reduction
Stress affects the body’s ability to fight off antigens, making us more susceptible to infection according to Simply Psychology. Stress is inevitable, if you’re living, you’re going to encounter stress. The best we can do is manage it so it doesn’t affect things like our immune system. Practices like yoga and meditation help us handle, and get new perspective, when we encounter stress. Yoga practices, and meditations for stress management are easy to find on YouTube.
Incorporate one, or all of these practices into your life to improve the way your immune system functions. Along with wearing a mask, preparing our immune system is another way to be proactive when it’s time to fight off infection.