Boost Up Your Immune System
We are still reading is all about the COVID-19 virus, how it is spreading, the importance of personal hygiene and taking extra care in hand washing etc.
We must avoid contact with anyone who exhibits any signs of the illness. All of this is still important but not much has been said about looking after ourselves in terms of our diet. We can boost our immune system up by making sure we are eating high quality nutritious food and getting enough sleep.
Some important tips to help boost our immune system
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, in combination with a healthy lifestyle, can help to boost your immune system and may reduce the duration of colds. Currently, high doses of Vitamin C
are being tested in China on those infected. Our bodies cannot make Vitamin C and must be obtained from the diet. Meanwhile, we can include more fresh fruit and vegetables
into our daily diet as they all contain Vitamin C. In particular are capsicums, kiwifruit, feijoas, tomatoes, citrus fruits, cauliflower, broccoli, tamarillo and fruit juice
(e.g. unsweetened blackcurrant juice). Another importance of vitamin C is it help with the absorption of iron, which is a mineral crucial to good health as well as our mental
and physical well being.
Zinc
This mineral plays an important role in cell mediated immunity and is not only an anti-inflammatory agent but also an antioxidant. It is found in our bones, skin,
liver, pancreas, kidneys, brain, red blood cells, eyes and in men in the prostate gland. Rich food sources include oysters, meat, shellfish, beans and nuts.
Vitamin D
This is vital for a healthy immune system and there is only a very small amount found in animal foods containing fat such as fish liver oils, egg yolk, butter and liver. Our main source of Vitamin D is from the sun. However, if you are always covered in sunscreen you may not get enough Vitamin D from the sun. As it is, most of us are highly likely to have low levels by winter. So please, get outside when you can, for fresh air and get some sun on (but not in the middle of the day when you can get sun-burnt). If you do not get out in the sun much, you may require a supplement.
Exercise
It is important to maintain our fitness level so aim to do some form of exercise at least four to five times per week for at least 30 minutes. Think about using exercise videos or following a YouTube workout if you’re staying in. There are many suitable workouts available for all fitness levels. If you can, get outside and enjoy the fresh air by taking a walk or going for a run.
Food Tips
- Eat fresh fish, grass-fed meats, chicken and eggs as good sources of protein
- Increase intake of fruit and leafy vegetables
- Have good fats such as nuts, avocado, olive oil
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
- Decrease amount of processed foods and takeaway foods
- Minimise the amount of sugar intake such as in confectionery and biscuits
It is now more important than ever to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes a long-term healthy eating plan to ensure essential nourishment. If you are older or
have an underlying health condition such as diabetes and high blood pressure, you have an increased risk of getting severe symptoms if you caught the virus. It is important
to reduce this risk by improving your diabetes management and high blood pressure. If you need help with this please contact me.
