Your body’s immune system is responsible for fighting diseases and infection to keep you healthy. Maintaining your immune system is crucial, especially during the current state we’re in with the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe.
With that said, you should do all it takes to strengthen your immune system to live a happy, healthy, and safe life. Keep reading to find out our top four tips for creating a strong immune system to stay healthy and fit below!
1. Exercise
Maintaining your physical health is key to strengthening your immune system. Regularly exercising has many proven benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health, lowered blood pressure, the ability to control body weight, and protection against various diseases.
Exercising also helps improve circulation, which allows the cells in your immune system to efficiently move throughout your body to ward off any diseases or viruses. Some exercise activities you may want to try out include:
Going for a run. Running and walking are great ways to get exercise for a variety of reasons. All you need is a solid pair of running shoes, and you’re good to go! Through running, you can explore your neighborhood or local areas, get fresh air, and vitamin D, which also helps strengthen your immune system. If you’re serious about running, you can even invest in an activity tracker to analyze your runs, such as your heart rate, cadence, and mile splits.
Taking a bike ride. If you don’t want to pound on your feet, try biking instead. Similar to running, biking is a great activity to stay fit outdoors and soak up those warm sunny rays. If you want to make sure you bike every day, make a commitment to commute to work through biking. You’ll be able to raise your endorphin levels and clear your mind on a relaxing ride to work.
Signing up for a gym membership. If cardio isn’t your thing, or if you want access to a variety of equipment that allows you to target all areas of your body and switch up your workout, sign up for a gym membership. Gyms are great in that you can build muscle, improve your cardio, and even take fitness classes with certified trainers.
2. Quit Smoking and Drinking
There are plenty of vices in life, but two of the most common are smoking and drinking. While it’s okay to have the occasional glass of vino or a cold beer at a baseball game, there’s never a good excuse to inhale smoke into your lungs and body.
Being addicted to nicotine is tough, making it extremely difficult to cut cold turkey. If you want to make a lifestyle change that strengthens your immune system, try and slowly wean yourself off of cigarettes through vaping or a nicotine patch. Pure, lab-tested CBD vape pens from CBDfx are a great option to help you quit smoking because CBD can strengthen your immune system and isn’t addictive. Over time, you’ll be less addicted to cigarettes and will be able to quit vaping whenever you need it.
As for alcohol, it’s okay to indulge yourself every now and then. But if alcohol is becoming a problem and you begin to rely on it every day, you may need to seek help. You can talk online to counselors or go in person to an Alcohol Anonymous meeting to break away from this unhealthy habit.
3. Sleep
Sleep is essential when it comes to restoring your body. It’s during your time of shuteye where your body repairs itself to help you feel stronger and rejuvenated when you wake up. While you sleep, your body releases proteins called cytokines, which promote sleep and combat infection, inflammation, and stress. If you’re sleep-deprived, these protective cytokines won’t produce as much, which can weaken your immune system.
To get a good night’s sleep, create an environment that’s conducive to sleep. Invest in a quality mattress, comfortable bedding and blankets, and block out distracting noises with a white noise machine.
4. Eating Healthy
The food you eat to fuel your body can make or break your immune system. An unhealthy diet filled with processed foods is never a good idea. Instead, make sure to eat nutrient-dense foods that have all the vitamins and minerals you need to build your immune system up. Leafy greens like kale, collards, and spinach, vegetables like Brussel sprouts and broccoli, and fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients and a host of vitamins that support your immune system. You can also buy frozen spinach leaves.
If you don’t have enough time in the day to cook and prepare nutritious meals, you can sign up for a food delivery subscription, such as HelloFresh or Blue Apron, that deliver ready to cook meals straight to your doorstep.
Bonus: CBD Combat Immune Problems
Cannabidiol also helps people manage the signs and symptoms of immune diseases, like lupus. This particular autoimmune disease involves antibodies produced by the person’s body, which attack other tissues and organs.
According to My Lupus Team, there are different types of lupus, such as Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form, Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) limited to the skin, congenital lupus (inborn), and Drug-induced lupus erythematosus caused by medication reactions.
Here’s how CBD can help patients with immune problems:
- Suppresses Immune Reaction: CBD slows down immune T-cell production, which suppresses the memory of the immune system. It means that CBD could reduce the likelihood of autoimmune attacks.
- Antioxidant Properties: Cannabidiol has been found to increase gene expression dealing with oxidative stress, reducing cell damage as a result of autoimmune attacks.
- Anti-inflammatory Properties: According to a study, CBD has the ability to target anti-inflammatory pathways, such as inducing anti-inflammatory cytokines, responsible for immune response. CBD can help treat signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases.
How to Choose the Best CBD Products?
When shopping for CBD products, make sure to read the label and listing carefully. Additionally, it’s important to know the ingredients used, if the CBD is a full spectrum or not, or whether it contains cannabinoids other than CBD. Also, don’t forget to check the CBD content of each product. The standard dose is 25 milligrams per ml or one full dropper.
Lastly, it’s important to know the source of the hemp plant used where CBD oil has been extracted. You only want CBD products that were derived from sustainable hemp farming to ensure that they are organic and non-GMO – not genetically modified products.
Once you have chosen the best CBD product for you, it’s crucial to follow the instructions on how to take it so you can achieve its desired effects.
Wrapping Up
A strong immune system will help fight off any nasty diseases and viruses that are trying to bring you down. With these four trips, from exercising and quitting smoking to getting enough sleep and eating healthy, you’ll feel better than ever in no time.