COVID-19 - How to keep a strong and healthy immune system

During times like this, it is imperative to keep our immune system strong to fight off any illnesses. Here are top 7 tips to give the immune system a boost to protect the body during a pandemic.

 

1.- Drink water

It is important to remember that even if water doesn’t necessarily protect you from illnesses, you need to stay hydrated because of the sake of overall health. Staying hydrated provides numerous benefits such as regulating your body temperature, cleansing your body to remove waste, lubricating your joints and more.

2.- Get enough sleep

Yes, a good night’s sleep can make a difference and is worth giving more attention to it. Quality sleep is widely accepted as a stress-reducing agent and can significantly improve mental health. Additionally, it can help maintain a healthy heart by regulating the body’s blood pressure.
 

3.- Eat a healthy diet

Focus on getting a healthy and well-balanced diet. For instance, eating healthy fats, like avocado, salmon and olive oil among others, may help with heart health and your cognitive function.

 

4.- Exercise

Exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living and a routine will help improve our cardiovascular health and protect us from various diseases. Also, don’t forget that exercise will get us closer to get our dream body and make us feel great.

5.- Avoid Alcohol

Excessive drinking can do a lot of harm to your liver and cardiovascular system. Alcohol depletes immune cells and makes the body more susceptible to infections. So if you drink frequently, you might notice that you are catching colds, flu or other illnesses more often than non-drinkers. The occasional glass of wine here and there are okay but you don't want to abuse and go way beyond that.

 

6.- Practice Good Hygiene

Proper hand, body and facial cleanliness are essential for the overall health as it can interrupt the spread of bacteria. Also, practicing good hygiene etiquette is critical to keep your immune system strong and healthy. For instance, when coughing or sneezing you should cover your mouth and nose with the inside of your elbows or a tissue. Don’t forget to wash your hands regularly after sneezing or coughing.

 

7.- Supplements

Even if we try to get all the vitamins and minerals from natural sources, we can be short due to multiple different reasons. This is when we should take advantage of supplements. Vitamin C is one of the more popular options since it is well known to be beneficial for the immune system and even for your skin. Other great options are Vitamin D, Echinacea, Turmeric and Zinc supplements.

 

It’s worth mentioning that no diet or supplement can protect you from developing COVID-19. So practicing physical distancing, also known as social distancing, and proper hygiene are your best allies against COVID-19.