The swine flu scare has come as a wake-up call. Stay fit, live healthy and boost your immunity so that your body can work as the first line of defence against newer diseases
The swine flu scare has come as a wake-up call. Stay fit, live healthy and boost your immunity so that your body can work as the first line of defence against newer diseases
How to build up your body's barriers and activate its protective mechanisms
Eat wholesome meals
Skipping meals, being on an overly restrictive diet, not getting enough nutrition from your meals and eating outside food most of the time all compromise your immunity. Establish a routine for at least the major meals in the day and choose simple, home-cooked meals that are rich in fibre (whole grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables) and contain good quality protein (milk, yogurt, dals, chicken, fish, eggs) rather than outside meals that are high on calories and low on nutrition.
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Deal with previous health conditions
Anyone who is anaemic, obese, diabetic or has any respiratory problems like asthma or bronchitis is more susceptible to a new pathogen. Take care of these problems by avoiding anything that triggers or worsens them as compromised immunity increases vulnerability. If you are anaemic start an iron supplement today itself as low haemoglobin lowers yours body's ability to defend itself.
Load up the antioxidants
This is the right time to start taking a multivitamin supplement. Even if you are someone who tries to eat healthy at most times an extra dose of Vitamins C, A & E will be helpful in keeping illnesses at bay.
Increase vegetable and fruit intake
A good way to include the above said vitamins in your diet through natural sources is to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Having a bowl of soup daily helps increase your vegetable servings and the added fluid helps drain out the toxins from your system. Yellow and orange-coloured fruits and vegetables are a good source of Vitamins A and C. Salads are a good way to add these vitamins and fibre to your diet, however avoid eating raw salads from restaurants as raw vegetables that are kept chopped for several hours and may not have been stored at the right temperatures, may harbour more microorganisms than nutrients!
Control stress
One of the best ways to lower your immune system and make yourself sick is stress. Stress lowers your immunity making you more prone to illnesses. Stress creates panic and makes you take rash irrational decisions i.e. self medication or wrong medication when you do not even have that particular problem. Similarly, negative emotions like worry and anger will also lower your immune system. Stay calm but stay alert.
Sleep and rest
Getting enough sleep and rest for six to eight hours daily is a must to allow your body to rejuvenate itself. Studies have proved time and again that people who don't sleep for sufficient hours have a compromised immune system. Apart from good sleep you must drink at least 1-2 litres water daily which will help to flush out all the toxins from your system.
Exercise
Exercise stimulates circulation, improves muscle tone and cardiac function and boosts immunity. It is also a way to eliminate toxins from the body through perspiration. When we exercise we breathe more deeply, more forcefully and more often. In doing so, we release toxic by-products through the lungs. Second, when we exercise we also perspire. Perspiration is another means to eliminate metabolic waster material from the body.
Finally, muscular activity is the only way to move waste material through the lymphatic vessels. If we don't sweat, don't breathe heavily and don't move our muscles, these toxins usually remain in the body, only to foul the biochemical machinery that makes our immune system operate efficiently. The result: susceptibility to illness. Just walking daily for 30-45 minutes is good enough to give the required boost to your immune system.
Avoid over-exercising as that can have a completely opposite effect and may actually compromise immunity!
Maintain hygiene
Hygienic surroundings as well as good personal hygiene are a good way to shut out any infection carrying microorganisms. Wash your hands and face thoroughly with any soap anytime you come from the outdoors. Keep your nails trim and your clothes clean.
Natural remedies are helpful
Drinking milk with turmeric, or adding ginger to your tea will give you added resistance naturally. Even if you don't have a cold or cough making these tiny additions to your day's intake can help making your body's defence stronger.
Avoid crowded and closed places
Avoid places that are too crowded or places that are air-conditioned or centrally air-conditioned since in such places we end up breathing in the same air and spreading infections to each other. Avoid close contact with people with minor infections as your immunity may also be lowered.
So stay happy and optimistic, eat right, exercise, rest and stay fit
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