Natural Immunity Boosters
Immunity has been a hot topic ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began. We learned a harsh lesson: The strength of your immune system matters. It can determine how long and how much we suffer when we’re down with a cold. It can also make a difference between life and death. So here are some natural immune system boosters to add to your overall health and wellness routine.
Immune System Booster #1: Incorporate more whole foods into your diet, especially fruits and vegetables
They’re not as glamorous as expensive supplements marketed as immune system boosters, but whole foods, especially plants, provide a host of nutrients like vitamin C, which plays multiple roles in healthy immune system function. Adding fresh, in-season produce to your daily diet also gives your body a steady supply of antioxidants to help fend off cell damage and inflammation.
Immune System Booster #2: Add moderate exercise to your routine
When you’re looking for how to strengthen your immune system, start by strengthening your body! Regular, moderate intensity exercise is a great immunity booster. Moderation is key, however. Exercise sessions of excessive length and intensity have been shown to actually depress the immune system for a period of time after training. So think brisk walks, not marathons. As an added benefit, exercise has been shown to reduce inflammation, helping to ward off many inflammatory conditions.
Immune System Booster #3: Improve your sleep habits
Better sleep is one of the most underrated natural immunity boosters. You need quality sleep, and enough of it, to produce infection-fighting antibodies and cytokines that your immune system uses when under attack. Consider strategies like blue light filters on screens after dark, white noise when you go to bed, and weighted blankets or other similar sleep aids to help increase the depth and quality of your sleep. Your immune system will thank you.
Immune System Booster #4: Float your way to better health
As you can see, the best immune support is holistic. The better you treat your body, the better your immune system can function. Float tank therapy is one of the most non-invasive and relaxing ways to give yourself a reset to a healthy state. This is primarily due to the dramatic reduction in stress (and its accompanying stress hormones and physiological responses) caused by a session in a sensory deprivation tank. Stress and fatigue lower our immune defenses. Making time for regular float sessions gives us a powerful tool for relieving stress and anxiety, allowing our nervous system to return to its baseline and giving our immune system a chance to power up too.
