6 Natural Ways To Boost Your Immunity

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You don’t have to wait until you’re sick to devote time and effort to your immunity. In fact, doing the work to protect your immune system now can prevent you from getting sick in the future. There are so many ways to protect and strengthen your immune system, and you can focus on as many options as feels right to you.

While there are plenty of fancy vitamins, medicines, and tinctures out there, so many natural methods of immune system boosting are right there in front of you. From the foods you can eat to the habits you can introduce into your routine, boosting your immunity can be as easy as remaining mindful of your health on a regular basis.

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1. Get some sunlight

Getting outside has so many health benefits, from encouraging movement to taking you away from your screens for a moment. Getting out in the sun, no matter what you do, is great for your immune system through the magic of a little thing called vitamin D. Research shows that vitamin D can increase immunity by helping to energize T cells in the body.

Even if you’re soaking up those rays, it’s important to remember to wear sunscreen. Although the sun can do a lot of good, UV damage can still be detrimental. Going with an SPF above 30 is always your best bet.

2. Drink green tea

Green tea provides a natural lift for any morning with just enough caffeine to get you going — but it can also do wonders for your immune system. Green tea contains antioxidants that help protect your immunity. Again, those T cells come into the mix, with green tea actually increasing the number of cells available to fight off all those pesky colds and illnesses.

Drinking green tea on a regular basis does the most for this, so if you can start off your day with a cup each morning, you’ll be good to go. However, be careful when it comes to drinking it too late at night. It has more caffeine than most teas and could keep you up late into the evening.

3. Eat seafood

Almost everybody knows by now that fish and other marine life are packed with omega-3s and other healthy fats and oils that work hard to boost immune system responses. This is so widely accepted that people literally take fish oil vitamins and supplements. And while those supplements have their benefits, it’s always a little better to eat the whole food when trying to get any nutrients.

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Eating just two or more servings of fish a week will help to boost your immune system — the research totally backs this. Eating fish can also help with inflammation, and prevent a slew of other health problems.

4. Get enough rest

A well-rested body is a healthy body is a body that can protect itself from many of life’s challenges, including illness. The average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, and when we’re not getting those hours in, the body is too exhausted to function at the top of its game. Of course, wellness isn’t the top priority. Your whole system is more focused on keeping you awake and alert.

Staying on a consistent sleep schedule is one of the best ways to ensure that you’re getting your necessary rest. That way, your body gets used to a rhythm that can carry you through each day with ease.

5. Quit smoking

Sometimes, kicking the habit isn’t as easy as we’d like to think, but it’s absolutely worth the trouble. Smoking tobacco is all-around bad for your health in so many ways, including your immune system. From the impact it has on your lungs to the risk of other health conditions that could stand to compromise your immunity, smoking is so far from worth the risk. Smoking can cause cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, bacterial meningitis, and a slew of other health conditions that make you much more susceptible to illnesses of all kinds. Even if the most you can manage to do is cut back, you should give it a try.

6. Find some natural probiotics

Probiotics like kombucha and other fermented foods and drinks have been known to boost the immune system by helping to maintain gut health. Many health professionals refer to the gut as the second brain because it’s in charge of so much of the body’s health. Probiotics like yogurt and kombucha are great for gut health, and as a result, they help to boost the immune system.

Get on top of your health

There are so many things you can do to boost your immune system’s effectiveness naturally. Don’t wait until you’re sick to fix the problem. In fact, when you care for your immune health now, you may not even catch a cold this coming season.