Tips for Boosting Your Immune System

As the coronavirus affects all aspects of our lives, it’s understandable to to want a quick fix.

Unfortunately, there’s no simple solution.  There is no magic pill or a specific food guaranteed to bolster your immune system and protect you from the new coronavirus, but there are ways to give your immune system a better chance at fighting COVID-19.

First, it’s essential to limit stress.  Numerous studies have shown that the human body does a better job fighting off respiratory illness when it’s not under stress. Meditation, controlled breathing and other stress reduction techniques can help your immune system stay strong.

Good sleep habits are also important. When it comes to warding off illness, the it’s important to get six to seven hours of sleep a night.

You also want to eat a balanced diet. As registered dietician Stefani Sassos explains, probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, and sauerkraut are always a good idea. From their outpost in your gut, these beneficial, live microorganisms protect all other organs from anything circulating through your bloodstream. It’s always important to make sure you’re getting enough protein.  According to Sassos, protein from lean animal sources and plant-based versions (like chickpeas, beans, lentils, and peas) can “boost immunity by regulating existing cells and generating new ones.”

While no single food or remedy has been scientifically proven to bolster a person’s immune system or ward off disease, if you enjoy foods with supposed immune boosting properties (ginger, citrus fruits, turmeric, oregano oil, and bone broth), experts say there is no harm in working them into your diet.

Remember to drink plenty of water.  The body’s fluid needs increase when it’s fighting infection.  Drinking an extra two cups of water plus your daily minimum can fuel regeneration of immune-fighting lymphatic cells to get your body feeling stronger.

Vitamins C, A, E, and D are all associated with improved immunity, as is Zinc. Working oranges, grapefruit, red bell peppers, strawberries, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, spinach, almonds, and fatty fish into your diet is beneficial.