As the dark evenings now draw in, we should all be thinking about our health and how to prepare our bodies for the long winter of colds, flu and viruses.
Here are a few tips to help boost you and your families immune system and avoid those nasty cold and flu viruses.
Immune Boosting Tips For Flu Season
Drink Fresh – we all need to boost our vitamin A and C levels to help fight off viral infections. Try drinking fresh cold pressed and intact juice, with no added sugar. Vitamin C is known to increase the production of white blood cells. When consumed in a juice form, the body can digest more easily especially in the winter. Orange, carrot and ginger juice give a huge boost!
Stay Hydrated – ideally we should try to drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day. Water ensures oxygen is transferred to our blood cells to boost our immune system. Water also flushes out any toxins our body may have which also strengthens the immune system.
Exercise – daily exercise help strengthen our heart muscles, increases our lung capacity and all helps with our immune system. A quick brisk walk daily will ensure our immune system is fighting fit.
Personal Hygiene – This is quite self explanatory. Daily showering and regular washing of hands will help reduce the micro organisms that settle on the skin. This will help reduce the spread of flu and virus infections. If in doubt, always have an antibacterial hand gel in your bag or car.
TRY NOT TO TOUCH YOUR FACE, EYES, MOUTH OR NOSE. Always use a tissue to sneeze or cough into, and discard in a toilet or bin. NEVER sneeze into your hands, if you have to, use the inside of your elbow sleeve.
Sleep & Stress – the more sleep we get the more time our immune system has to recover and stay working at its optimum level. Stress also affects sleep which in turn affects our immune system. If you need help with stress, find out more here. Remember, STRESS = WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM.
Garlic – garlic is rich in sulphur, which has amazing anti-bacterial properties. It also increases white cells to help fight diseases.
Green Leafy Veg – These are some of the best ingredients we can have to boost our immune system. Packed full of nutrients, anti-oxidants and fibres help the body fight diseases. If you like to juice, these can be perfect to add a wheatgrass shot to. For more benefits on wheatgrass read our blog.
And Finally…
Avoid – need we say, alcohol, smoking and processed foods all help to break our immune system down, so reduce the consumption over the winter to give you an extra boost. That’s not to say we cut things out altogether, just moderation. If you need help with any addiction or are concerned about alcohol or smoking click here to find help.