Keeping your immune system strong and healthy is hugely important. This is your body’s protector, and if it is weakened, you’ll be much more susceptible to colds, flu, and plenty of other bugs too. Perhaps you’ve already noticed that you seem to be unwell a lot of the time and that almost as soon as you get over one bug, another comes at you. If that’s the case, it could be that your immune system is not working as well as it should.
Don’t worry; although there are some nasty viruses that can attack the immune system, in many cases, if it’s not doing a good job, it’s easy to fix since it’s down to your lifestyle. With that in mind, here are some of the best ways to keep your immune system strong.
Eat Healthily
The ultimate way to protect your immune system (and your health in general) is to eat healthily as much of the time as possible. Of course, the occasional treat isn’t a bad thing and can be an ideal reward when you need one, but sticking to a healthy, well-balanced diet is something you need to do for the majority of your meals.
This means limiting the amount of sugar and fat you consume and ensuring you get enough fruit and vegetables, for example. The best diets consist of lean meats, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains.
Give Up Bad Habits
We all have bad habits, but some are worse than others. Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, and taking drugs are some examples of habits that will destroy the immune system over time, resulting in some very serious and potentially fatal conditions. This is why, if you know some of your habits are bad for you, it’s wise to try to give them up as soon as you can.
This is not always easy; habits are, by their very nature, hard to cut out of your life. If you’re having real trouble, it’s usually a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor at nhsgp.net to get some professional help.
Get Enough Sleep
When you don’t sleep deeply enough or for long enough, your immune system will be compromised. This is because it won’t have a chance to grow stronger, which is what it is able to do when you sleep – energy is directed towards this healing and growth rather than to the areas where it is needed when you are awake.
Ideally, you should aim for between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, although this will differ from person to person. In order to get the best night’s sleep you can, you should have your bedroom completely dark, keep it at a low temperature, and remove all screens.
Add Probiotics
Although our diets are the best way to ensure our immune systems are as healthy as possible, sometimes what we eat is not enough and additional elements might be needed. This is why probiotics are so useful. Probiotics keep your gut healthy, removing bad bacteria and ensuring your digestion is working well.
When you have good gut health, your immune system will be much healthier.
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