Immune system boosting can help you stay healthy and reduce your chance of getting a virus. This is not a good time to be sick. With COVID -19 a threat, now is the time to take care of your health.
People have some bad habits that can hurt their well-being. Eating unhealthy food is one. Soda, processed foods, sugar and refined carbohydrates can call help create sickness. These foods can also make you fat.
Lack of exercise can make you susceptible to disease. And stress is a major cause of a weak immune system. If people are anxious, their body cannot protect them as well.
There are three things you can do to support your immune system and overall health.
- Immune System Boosting Using Exercise
According to Harvard’s article on “How To Boost Your Immune System”:
“Regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and protects against a variety of diseases. But does it help to boost your immune system naturally and keep it healthy? Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system. It may contribute even more directly by promoting good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently.”
So, exercising 4-6 days a week can help keep you healthy. I love walking, hiking and swimming. You can bike, go to a gym or something else.
Exercise gets the endorphins flowing. You can come into the present moment as you are working out. Get out of your mind. De-stress. It is good for your heart and burns fat. It helps protect you from getting viruses. And if you do get a virus, your body is better prepared to deal with it if you are in good shape.
Get your blood flowing through your body. You will feel more alive😊.
ACTION STEP: Get some exercise today. Whatever fits your schedule. Hiking, swimming, biking, going to the gym. If you are short on time, you can walk.
By getting your body in motion, you can support your immune system and reduce your chance of getting sick.
- Immune System Boosting Using Foods
One of the most powerful ways to improve your physical and emotional health is through your diet. What do you put into your mouth? This can make a BIG difference.
There are foods that can help prevent you from getting sick. Consider adding some of these to your diet or eat them more often.
Dark, leafy greens can support your health. Arugula, kale and spinach are 3. They have beta carotene, which reduces inflammation. I use these vegetables often in a fruit and vegetable drink I make every morning.
Garlic is good for your immune system. You can add it to many dishes. It can destroy bacteria and infection.
Almonds are another good food to help keep you healthy. They have the antioxidant vitamin E. They make a good snack that won’t make you fat.
Sunflower seeds are another healthy and tasty food. They have phosphorous, magnesium, vitamins B-6 and E. They also have selenium. They can help protect you against infections. Sunflower seeds are non-fattening.
ACTION STEP: Eat some immune boosting foods today. Dark leafy greens, garlic, almonds or sunflower seeds can be eaten later today.
You can support your health through your diet. Mix in healthy foods that support your well-being. And choose foods that keep you a healthy body weight. You are what you eat😊.
The key: When you eat healthy and exercise, you can shift your life.
You will feel more energy and feel better emotionally when you are fueling your body with healthy nutrition and building your strength through exercise.
- Immune System Boosting Using Meditation
Meditation can help keep you healthy. Deepak Chopra, MD, wrote an article “How Meditation Helps Your Immune System Do its Job”:
“Consider these research findings that offer very good news for anyone who mediates.
- Since your immune system responds to both negative and positive thoughts, meditation creates a positive mental environment for the immune system to flourish.
- A UCLA study shows that HIV positive patients who practice mindful meditation slow down the reduction of their CD-4 cell count. These are the immune cells that are associated with keeping the virus from propagating.
- Meditation boosts antibodies. A recent study confirmed that, after being given weekly meditation training for 8 weeks, 48 biotech workers had significantly higher levels of antibodies than the control group (coworkers who didn’t meditate) as well as higher levels than before the study.
- Meditation stimulates immune system brain-function regions. Mindfulness meditation has shown increases in electrical activity in the prefrontal cortex, the right anterior insula, and right hippocampus, all parts that control positive emotions, awareness, and anxiety. These are also the areas of the brain that act as a command center for your immune system. When stimulated, they make the immune system function more effectively.”
So, meditation helps keep you healthy. You have some defense against viruses. Meditation helps support your brain.
Meditation is of course relaxing. You can relieve stress when you are mindful. You can get out of your mind and thoughts. You can come into the present moment, where your life is. When you are calm, you can think clearly.
Your body is able to do its job when you are relaxed. You can connect to your higher self when you are at ease. It is hard to think clearly if you are stressed out and anxious. Meditation helps you focus and concentrate. Meditation helps your body and emotions.
ACTION STEP: You can do an easy meditation to boost your immune system. In-Out meditation is simple. You just focus on your breathing. You can close your eyes. As you breathe in, notice you are breathing in. As you breathe out, notice you are breathing out. Whatever way you are breathing is fine. Just focus on your in breath and your out breath. Put your attention in your body. Come out of your mind and thoughts. Pay attention to your breath. Maybe you can feel your shoulders moving. Notice what is going on physically. Reconnect with yourself.
You can boost your immune system by healthy eating, exercising and meditating. This will help your overall physical and emotional health. You can transform your life. No joke. Immune system boosting can help you feel good and enjoy your life😊!
To Your Health and Happiness,
Jim Twomey
Tucson’s Depression and Anxiety Breakthrough Specialist
Founder and CEO of Peace for You
