In order to have a healthy life, you need to follow the routine necessary for fully enriching your body. Without a healthy lifestyle, even missing a few elements, your body, mind, and soul cannot flourish. If you have noticed your well being declining, not being able to feel your best, that means there are areas in your habits that can improve. If you’re feeling run down, there are key practices that can boost your immune system and keep you feeling good.
Diet
According to health experts, a healthy immune system can help protect you from infections. One of the fundamental practices of having a strong immune response is through a nutritious diet. Orlando Health recommends that adults eat five daily servings of produce. In addition to your daily vegetables, doctors recommend eating foods packed with nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, and D. Furthermore, the World Health Organization recommends eating nutritious fresh foods. “Limited access to fresh foods may lead to an increased consumption of highly processed foods, which tend to be high in fats, sugars, and salt. Such changes in eating behavior could have a negative effect on the immune system,” WHO warns.
However, it can feel difficult to meet all your daily nutrition requirements while being able to enjoy delicious food. Even so, Catherine Katz, PhD of Cuisinicity has made it her goal to provide recipes of great cuisine and great nutritional quality. Along with her husband, Dr. David L. Katz, a nutrition expert, Dr. Katz spent 20 some years experimenting in their kitchen, to marry his passion for health and her love for French cooking. With video tutorials and recipes ranging from all different types of cuisine and dietary restrictions, each one of Dr. Katz’s recipes meets the highest nutrition standards.
sleep
In addition to a wholesome diet, it’s vital to ensure you’re getting enough sleep. Dr. Mark Moyad of the University of Michigan Medical Center explains, “Your immune system is like your computer—it needs moments of rest so it doesn’t become overheated. Sleep reboots the system.” As for how much sleep, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults sleep at least seven hours every night to prevent feeling run down. However, if you have trouble sleeping, establishing a bedtime routine can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more restfully.
stress
While you may not realize it, a lack of sleep stresses your body. Ideally, it’s best to limit stress both physically and emotionally as stress impacts your health and immune system. Even though this may seem like an overwhelming challenge, there are daily practices you can do to help relieve frustration while boosting your mood. It’s all a matter of focusing on improving your mental health. These stress relievers can range from having a daily gratitude practice to meditation as well as an ongoing focus on self-care.
exercise
Equally important to both your physical health and mental well being, exercise is essential to a healthy immune system. Even a single session of brisk walking for 30 minutes leads to increased activation of several different types of immune cells. While activating your immune cells, exercising releases endorphins which overall help you feel better. Health experts recommend working out five days a week in 30-minute sessions.
While all of these steps may seem simple, they’re the easiest things to forget or put on the back burner. It’s so much easier to get fast food on the way home from a long day or put off sleeping until our work is done. Nevertheless, all those choices have consequences for our well being. Of course, we may not feel those effects immediately, but our health does still suffer. So if you’ve noticed yourself feeling run down, take a moment, and evaluate your routine. Are all of your habits setting you up to have the healthy, fulfilling life you deserve?
