With the current Covid 19 pandemic, many are concerned about staying healthy and maintaining a healthy immune system. Following a healthy diet and staying active (whether it’s a simple walk, bicycling or yoga practice) are powerful immune systems boosters, but you already know that. But what else you can do to improve your body’s defences against viruses, bacteria and other pathogens? Here are 4 smart steps to add to your to-do list today.
Add a Vitamin C Supplement to Your Diet
It’s true that there’s no magic herb or vitamin you can pop to automatically prevent a cold, flu or other viruses. However, studies have shown that a moderate daily dose of vitamin C can support the immune system by protecting against oxidative stress, aiding in microbial killing and decreasing the potential for tissue damage. A deficiency in this vitamin has been shown to increase the rate of infections. It’s not that if you buy vitamin C supplement and start taking it once you begin sniffing will keep you from getting a cold, but it could help you recover more quickly.
Vitamin C is an essential vitamin we must get from our diets. It’s called “essential” because the human body doesn’t make any of its own vitamin C. When consumed together with a healthy diet, a vitamin C supplement benefits the body by supporting a healthy immune system function, a healthy response to stress, and much more.
If you’re looking to buy vitamin C supplement, you’ll notice that it’s also called ascorbic acid in supplement form. As for how much you should take daily, it varies based on factors like your gender, age and overall health. Adult men are recommended to take at least 90 milligrams of vitamin C per day while women get at least 75 milligrams daily. Pregnant women need at least 75 milligrams daily and those who are breastfeeding should consume at least 120 milligrams.
Doses up to 2,000 milligrams per day are considered safe for most adults, but doses above 1,000 milligrams may only be beneficial if you’re feeling run down or you have trouble absorbing nutrients normally. If you are wondering if can you overdose on vitamin C supplements, know that vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. This means the body can flush out excess amounts that it doesn’t need. In other words, the risks associated with taking too much vitamin C are generally low.
Start Juicing
Juicing is a simple, quick and effective way to get the important nutrients your body need to stay healthy without having to eat an entire basket of apples or bushel of kale. You get all the nutrients of these antioxidant-packed fruits and veggies in one quick and easy drink! Depending on what you put into our juicer, you can enjoy a range of health benefits – from boosting your energy before a workout to jumpstarting your metabolism to building your immune system.
Preparing your juice home will save you money and will also ensure that you drink natural and healthy juices. When deciding which juicer to get, you might want to consider a cold-pressed model. Cold-pressed juicers have gained popularity over the years due to the increasing number of advantages they offer over other models. Retention of essential nutrients is one of the main reasons people prefer cold-pressed over centrifugal juicers.
With cold press juicers, fruits and vegetables are squeezed, which retains most of the nutrients. Centrifugal juicers use fast-spinning blades to extract juice from fruit and vegetables, and this creates friction and heat, thereby reducing the nutrient content in the juice. Also, by operating at a very low speed, cold-pressed juicers keep the nutrients intact. The low-speed processing also produces low noise, which means you can utilize the juicer without disturbing others around you.
There are many juice recipes you can try to boost your immune system. Green juice, specifically, is known to help decrease the toxins in your body along with healthy eating and exercise. The Phytochemicals in green juices help dissolve free radicals in the body – free radicals put you at a higher risk of disease. Although it’s unlike green juice will decrease your health care bills, it might help you from developing many preventable diseases.
Have More Sex
In a study, individuals who had sex once or twice per week had higher levels of immunoglobulin A in their saliva than those who were not sexually active or were infrequently sexually active (less than once a week). Immunoglobulin A is an immune molecule that helps protect us against illnesses like the common cold. As you can see, enjoying sex up to a couple of times per week seems to be one of the secrets for promoting optimal immunoglobulin A levels.
Reduce Stress With Mindfulness
Chronic stress can depress your immune system and increases the risk of several types of illness. Stress is linked to increasing the levels of suppressor T cells, which suppresses the immune system. When this branch of the immune system is impaired, you become more susceptible to viral illnesses, including respiratory conditions like colds, flu and Coronavirus infection. One of the ways you can use to manage stress is through mindfulness training. This can help you gain a new perspective on the stressor in your life, so they are not so debilitating.
