HOW TO STRENGTHEN IMMUNITY?
Do you often get ill, have trouble sleeping, lack energy? Don’t ignore these signs! They show that immunity is low. This is the state when the body is not capable of effective defence against infection, and is vulnerable to all kinds of contagion. As a result, even a mere cold can make life unpleasant for many days, while treatment of more serious illnesses can be hindered and drag on for months. Fortunately, there are effective methods for coping with a weakening of the body. Check how to strengthen your immunity!
The human body’s ability to protect itself against infection is the responsibility of the billions of immunity cells circulating around the body. There task is a seemingly simple one – to identify and destroy foreign antigens which get into the body through the throat, nose and digestive system, including viruses and bacteria.
Immunity cells are formed in various organs of the body and have a variety of functions. Monocytes produced in the bone marrow react quickly to the presence of intruders in the body, and begin to approach them. During this quest, they are transformed into macrophagi which absorb the antigens. They transmit information about this to the lymphocytes. T lymphocytes mature in the thymus. They play an enormous role in the process of defence against infection, as they send other cells information about the appearance of antigens, manage their response and directly fight threats such as viruses. B lymphocytes, which form in the bone marrow, spleen and lymph nodes, are responsible for producing the body’s defensive forces. When the presence of bacteria or viruses is detected, they create antibodies charged with destroying them.
What reduces immunity?
Unfortunately, the immune system does not always function properly. Its work can be disrupted especially by mistakes caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. This means an improper diet full of highly processed products, fats and sugars and lacking in vitamins and minerals, or a lack of physical exercise such as simply walking. And there is more! Long hours spent at a desk in an air-conditioned room, being overloaded with work, long-term stress, chronic lack of sleep – all of these factors reduce our ability to protect ourselves against infections. Another challenge for the proper functioning of the body’s defensive systems is the consumption of coffee, cigarettes and alcohol.
Proper hygiene is also of no small importance for the functioning of the immune system: washing the hands and avoiding places where there is a high risk of infection, such as hospitals. At the same time, it is worth remembering that excessive sterility can also be harmful. Inordinate use of cleaning agents or detergents disrupts the body’s natural bacterial flora and is conducive to the development of diseases.
How to recognise reduced immunity?
A body whose defensive mechanisms are weakened or ineffective will signal this fact. The information about the reduced immunity can take a variety of forms. The most common symptoms include:
- Frequent infections – not only colds, but also other illnesses and inflammations,
- Allergies – rashes, skin irritations, watering eyes,
- Constant tiredness, drowsiness, lack of energy – particularly when there is enough sleep,
- Problems with digestion – stomach aches, flatulence, diarrhoea, vomiting,
- Problems with wounds healing – even minor ones,
- Mouth ulcers – particularly when they occur often and in large numbers,
- Cold sores – especially when regularly reoccurring,
- Attacks of appetite and cravings for sweets.
How to strengthen immunity?
There are many ways to strengthen the immune system. The more of these that can be applied in everyday life, the better. It should be remembered that their efficiency depends above all on whether they are applied systematically. Chaotic and sporadic attempts to work on immunity can have effects not only worse than intended, but sometimes even opposite.
Check how to strengthen your immunity, and enjoy good health! Here are some hints.
1. Eat healthily
Take care to ensure that your everyday menu includes large amounts of vegetables, fruit, nuts, lean meat and fish. Try to eat regular, light and nutritious meals. Limit your consumption of sugars and fats. Avoid highly processed foods containing flavour enhancers, emulsifiers and preservatives.
2. Hydrate your body
Drink a lot of pure water. If you don’t know how much water your body needs each day, it’s easy to calculate. Simply divide your body weight (in kilos) by 30. This means, for example, that someone who weighs 90 kg should drink 3 litres of water per day, and someone weighing 60 kg needs 2 litres. Remember to drink a glass of water in the morning, as soon as you wake up.
3. Limit stimulants
Give up harmful habits such as abusing alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Avoid smoky places, and if you have contact with smokers you should regularly air the rooms you are in. As far as possible, limit the amount of coffee you drink too.
4. Take supplements
Even if your diet is rich in vitamins and minerals, your body may still need additional support in building up immunity. There is a wide range of preparations available to help stimulate the body’s defences . Choosing the appropriate supplement and taking it regularly will significantly accelerate the process of rebuilding natural immunity and enable it to be maintained for longer.
5. Exercise
Try to exercise regularly. Choose the form of exercise that best corresponds to your capabilities and needs. Aerobics, swimming, cycling, strolling – they are all effective if you take care to be systematic. But remember not to overdo it, as excessive physical effort acidifies the muscles and weakens the body instead of strengthening it.
6. Get a good night’s sleep
A long, peaceful sleep is vital in effectively building up immunity. You should sleep in complete darkness and silence in order for the body to properly regenerate. Before going to bed, make sure all sources of light and sound are switched off. Try to sleep no less than 7-8 hours a day.
7. Avoid stress
Stress is one of the arch enemies of immunity. Whenever possible, avoid situations of extended tension. Apply methods which allow you to control negative emotions, try meditation or yoga. Talking to family or friends can also be helpful.
8. Toughen the body
Spend as much time as you can in the fresh air. As far as possible, accustom your body to low temperatures. Do not overheat your body or the rooms where you are. Choose your everyday clothing sensibly, always taking the weather into account.
9. Be active
Meet with friends, go to the cinema, museum or gymnasium. Do what you enjoy and avoid sitting at home. Contact with people is excellent training for the immune system.
10. Laugh
Laughter doesn’t just protect against depression. It also helps produce the antibodies which fight infection and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. So smile more, and enjoy your health.