Get Your Body to Play Offense
This fall do all you can to get your body to play offense -- as a defense against catching colds and viruses. Wearing face coverings, maintaining social distance, and adhering to good hand washing, is a great start…but we can all do more!
And by more, it’s not enough to grab an orange or chomping on a vitamin C chew when you remember to do it. A healthy immune system needs much more – healthy diet, regular sleep, and plenty of exercise.
Get outside and move – for at least 20 to 30 minutes – in the fresh, autumn air. It doesn’t have to be complicated! Walking increases blood circulation, allowing immune cells to move freely through your body where they can work efficiently. And being outdoors also provides exposure to sunlight, thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. In contrast, darker lighting triggers the brain to make melatonin, a hormone responsible for helping us sleep.
When we sleep, our immune system has a chance to rebuild. Skimping on this does nothing for your body, mind, and mood. Lack of sleep sends stressor signals to your immune system and in response you may notice a range of negative impacts, not the least of which is getting sick.
No one can deny that we are all experiencing far more stress these days – and when we stress, we tend to get sick more often. Stress calls the body’s immune system into action, just as if it was being invaded! Antibody response also triggers the body’s production of cortisol, a hormone that fights inflammation. But under prolonged stress, cortisol eventually suppresses your immune cells, increasing your vulnerability to illness and flare ups of conditions that are linked to inflammation.
Your immune system will benefit from more than just Vitamin C. To get more vitamin A in your diet, choose foods that are high in colorful compounds called carotenoids including carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and squash. Vitamins B6 is critical to immune function and can be found in bananas, tuna, baked potatoes, and chickpeas. Vitamin C, most associated with citrus, can also be found in leafy greens like kale, spinach, bell peppers, and Brussels sprouts. And finally, increase Vitamin D by eating fatty fish, fortified cereals, orange juice, or milk.
Probiotics can stimulate the production of antibodies and T cells to fight off invading viruses. Good bacteria (probiotics) live in your digestive tract and keep intestinal tissue healthy. For the most benefit, choose foods that contain live and active cultures like yogurt, kefir and buttermilk, freshly made fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and miso paste, kombucha tea (a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast) and probiotic-fortified energy bars and cereals.
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