JOIN USAre you the first one to catch a cold at home or contract a stomach infection after a weekend binge? If you are down with a stomach bug or feeling fuzzy with flu, chances are the changing weather conditions and your poor eating habits are bringing you down. And the best way to deal with this vicious cycle of back-to-back illnesses is to improve your immunity.
Here are some simple ways to boost your immunity and shield your body from seasonal ailments:
Adequate sleep: Pay attention to your body clock. A portion of your brain known as the hypothalamus regulates the periods of sleepiness and wakefulness throughout the day. Adequate sleep is a must to stay healthy.
Avoid stress: It is good to take up challenges, but not if they drop a mountain of stress on you. Set your boundaries depending on how much you can take on a daily basis and don’t compromise on your leisure time.
Stay hydrated: Apart from the physiological benefits of drinking water like easing digestion and cleansing the system, water can even boost your mood. It helps cure depression and sleep disorders.
Avoid smoking: Smoking is a leading cause of cancer because cigarette smoke is full of carcinogens (cancer-causing substances). Studies suggest that cigarettes are responsible for over 13 types of cancer. It also contributes to many common digestive disorders such as heartburns, gas-related problems, increased acidity, intestinal cramping, diarrhoea, etc.
A balanced diet: The food we consume plays a massive role in determining our metabolism. Eating a healthy and heavy breakfast kick-starts your metabolism. In a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who got 22 to 55% of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds on average over four years.
Sunlight exposure: Like other vitamins, you don’t really need food to get vitamin D inside you, sunlight does the trick. Deficiency of vitamin D can lead to loss of muscle mass and strength, lower immunity levels, higher blood pressure and risk of cancer.
Walking: This is the simplest form of exercise you can do to stay fit and is good for every muscle in your body. Muscles grow stronger with exercise and therefore, walking makes your heart stronger and healthier by providing more oxygen and nutrients to our organs. Walking releases an influx of antibodies like neutrophils.
Sugar free: Cutting down on sugar will keep obesity and related disorders at bay. Insulin is the main fat storage hormone in the body. Low intake of sugar and will reduce your insulin levels and help you stay fit.
Natural boosters: Cinnamon, oregano and lemons will help keep your immune system prim and proper. Yogurt is also great for your gut. Probiotic properties
of yogurt will keep digestive ailments at bay.
Laughter: Research shows that laughter acts on the endothelium, which is the inner lining of the blood vessels, causing them to relax and expand. This in turn increases the blood flow, which is beneficial to the heart and the brain.
(The author is head of medical operations, DocsApp)