A lot has been said and written about general health issues over the last eighteen months or so, not all of it as well-informed as we’d like it to be. Without a doubt, it’s been more important than ever to consider your health and the health of others during this time, and that has gone beyond the questions of whether or not to wear a mask, or when it is OK to visit loved ones. While, for many of us, the issue has been about avoiding infection with a virus, there has also been an important question around how to ensure the best chance of a positive outcome if we become infected.
One of the primary defenses against the worst of Covid – and against most, but not all viruses – is a strong immune system. There has been incredible variance in how the virus has affected people, with some arguing that it was no worse than a mild bug while others saw their lives cut horribly short by the same virus. One of the defining factors for outcomes from this virus has, without question, been whether the patient’s immune system is functioning at its highest level. And because the virus hasn’t gone away – but also because it’s essential information anyway – now seems like a good time to look at how you can give your immune system the best chance at fighting unwelcome visitors.
Sleep on it … literally
It’s common these days to accept that you’ll go short on sleep during the week, and catch up on your days off. To make a long story short, it shouldn’t be common – a lack of sleep can’t really be compensated for at a later date, and the original negative impacts will remain. That’s bad news for a number of reasons, not least your immune system. Studies show that the more quality sleep you get, the better it is for innate immunity as well as the adaptive form – which includes the ability to respond efficiently to vaccinations.
In short, don’t tell yourself that you can watch another episode of something on TV, or sit up reading, and then promise yourself a catch-up nap on the weekend. While there’s nothing wrong with a siesta when the situation permits it, more regular sleep means a healthier body and more efficient processing of everything – so the nap actually does you more good if you’ve slept enough hours during the week.
Exercise well and often
There is every reason to get a workout in, whenever the time allows – it helps you regulate body weight (which is another factor in better outcomes from a viral infection), and it gives you better endurance on a more general level. A balanced workout is best, giving you aerobic and strength exercises – and this is all the more important, because the more balanced your workout, the better it is for your own immune system. Aerobic exercise ensures the optimum levels of oxygen in the blood, which helps fight off anything that may be laying us low, while strength and lifting exercises also help in more ways than you might realize.
Strength training gets blood flowing throughout the body, along with lymphatic fluid, flushing out toxins and giving the body more of a flow of endorphins and beneficial compounds. You don’t need to lift every weight in the gym, although some variety doesn’t hurt. As a priority, use a kettlebell to strengthen all muscle groups in the body and some lighter weights to help tone and define. Along with the right diet, a varied exercise regimen will give you the best chance of seeing off any infection quicker and with fewer ill-effects.
Eat and drink well – and supplement more
Your immune system will be higher-performing the more you take care of it and, as hinted above, the right diet plays a crucial role in delivering that care. You would be well-advised to stay away from processed foods, as your body has to work harder at digesting these – and that means it won’t be working on the processes that assist you in fighting illness.
Not to put too fine a point on it, your gut has a fundamental role to play in strengthening your immune system. You know those “friendly bacteria” you hear about occasionally in TV ads? Well, the more of those you have in your digestive system, the better. You can beneficially assist that by eating more fermented foods which encourage the growth of digestive bacteria. Foods that will help here include yogurt and sauerkraut, as well as the popular Korean wonderfood kimchi. It may also be time to swap out any soft drinks for kombucha or kefir – the former is a pleasantly tart beverage which can also stand in for beer if you want to cut back on alcohol (which is a very good idea).
Fermented foods can be strong-tasting and as a result aren’t for everyone, although it is certainly worth acquiring the taste for the benefits that they offer. However, if you can only manage them sparingly, it is a good idea to try supplements to get some of the same benefits. Take a probiotic – ideally one that contains the ingredient bifidobacterium – for the maximum impact where it counts.
Hydrate
While there are plenty of superfoods (and superdrinks and supersupplements) that you can buy commercially, don’t forget that the one thing your body wants above almost everything else (aside from oxygen) is water. Don’t miss a chance to drink some H2O wherever possible, because it helps on so many fronts – flushing out toxins, delivering oxygen to the body’s cells, and replenishing fluids that are lost across the day. There’s no need to religiously follow the eight-glasses-a-day rule here (who came up with that? What size glasses do they have in mind?), but do make sure you’re regularly topping up your hydration level.
Whatever the future may hold in terms of this pandemic, there is always plenty of reason to keep your immune system in condition to fight off any infections and illnesses, and the above tips will help you to feel better all-around.