Getting colds and illnesses can put you in bed for several days, which could mean missing out on important occasions and events, having to skip a week of work and experiencing plenty of disruption in your life.
Apart from that, you’ll feel awful and will spend days wondering when you’re going to feel better and what you can do to help yourself recover. Unfortunately, once you’ve caught an illness, getting rid of it is a lot harder than preventing it in the first place. Therefore, boosting your immune system is one of the best ways to help yourself stay healthy and fit.
1. Give yourself Vitamin C
You can get Vitamin C from oranges, apples and other fruits and vegetables. Have a glass of pure orange juice at the beginning of the day if you struggle to eat fruits and vegetables. Another way to get this vital vitamin is by taking daily supplements.
2. Quit smoking
This may not be as easy as drinking some orange juice, but it’s worth it to your health to try. If you smoke regularly, cut down on the amount of cigarettes that you smoke. Smoking depletes your body of Vitamin C, so getting extra Vitamin C becomes even more important. The same goes for drinking – limit the amount of alcohol you consume to a few units per week. You don’t have to cut it out of your diet completely, but it’s important to recognize that these things will have a negative effect on your health, both in the short term and the long term.
3. Eat plenty of vegetables
Vegetables and herbs such as broccoli, carrots and garlic are great at improving your overall health and thus boosting your immune system to help prevent illnesses from taking hold. If you feel like you are about to develop a cold or flu, improving your diet can help to keep it at bay.
4. Exercise regularly
If you have a busy routine, this can be difficult to incorporate into your lifestyle. However, it can really help to boost your immune system, and the knock-on effects, such as better heart health and a healthier weight, will also improve the way you feel. If you are too busy, look for little things you can do, like a few leg lifts while you’re standing at the stove waiting for the water to boil, or turning the radio on and dancing to a favorite song for a few minutes. Every little bit helps!
5. Vitamin D is important, too
As well as getting enough Vitamin C to help your immune system along, you should also get Vitamin D. While it’s not always possible to get this from the sun, you can find it in foods such as cheese, egg yolks and meat, such as beef liver and fish, and of course in supplements.
