The current pandemic has put everyone to be very vigilant. People from all over the world willing to play their own role in stopping the spread of the virus. Maintaining a safe distance, cleaning hands regularly, covering mouth when coughing or sneezing, using masks whenever we step out of the house has become a part of our daily. During this situation, it seems like the motto would be “Keeping everyone healthy will keep ourselves healthy”.
While it’s imperative for us to follow all the necessary precautions, it’s also important to make sure that we are in the fittest condition possible to avoid getting infected. In order to make sure that your body will be ready to fight against the virus should you ever have to deal with the worst-case scenario, strengthening your immune system should be one of your priorities?
Our immune system is the third line of defense that our body would rely on in fighting against any pathogen. And in order for your immune system to work properly to be able to fight any invader that entering your body, it also needs to be in its fittest condition.
I’m sure you must have heard some of the most basic yet impactful ways to boost your immune system. You’re right! Everything stems from maintaining healthy habits like exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, get enough rest, and maintain your stress level.
But if you’re willing to take boosting your immune system to another level, here are 7 powerful drinks you can consume to boost your immune system.
1. Berries Smoothie
Berries smoothie can provide you the vitamins that your body needs. Berries are rich in vitamin C that can help prevent damage in your cells. It will also protect your immune system against deficiencies. You can try to mix some berries instead of just using one berry since the combination will give even more benefits to your body. Try to mix raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. You can also add other types of fruit to add more nutrition to your meal.
2. Orange or Grape Juice
I’m sure you already aware that orange knows for its abundant amount of vitamin C. If you want to strengthen your immune system and protecting your cells, then a glass of citrus juice every morning is just what you need. The antioxidant in vitamin C will protect your cells from any substance that can damage your body.
3. Watermelon and Mint
Watermelon contains lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that with so many health benefits. Due to its powerful impact on health, it can usually be found in supplements. But of course, it will much be better to consume the natural form of this substance from a lycopene-rich food like watermelon. You can also make a watermelon smoothie and add some mint. Moreover, mint also packed with a wide variety of antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Herbal Tea
If you’re a tea person, then you can add either green tea or chamomile tea to your daily diet plans. Green tea contains polyphenols and flavonoids which are disease-fighting antioxidants that can protect your body against free radical dan destroy them. Chamomile tea also has a great impact on strengthening your immune system due to the abundant amount of phenolic compounds inside them. Chamomile tea also contains a substance that can help reduce inflammation as well as boost the activity of antibacterial.
5. Carrot Juice
Maybe not everyone is a great fan of carrot juice. Well.. if we talk about the taste, it may not be the best. But if we talk about nutrition, the carrot is second to none. Carrot can be processed into many kinds of food. But other than that, you can also consume it as a beverage. Carrot is highly nutritious. Known as a great source of beta-carotene, carrot also contains other beneficial substances including fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidant. Furthermore, you must have already known it will also contribute to you having improved eye health.
6. Hot Honey
If you want to drink something sweet but still wish to get some health benefits out of it, then hot honey would be an excellent choice. Honey offers so many benefits. It can be a natural energy booster, a good treatment for cough, and honey remedy can also help you fall asleep quickly. But that’s not all it got. Honey is also a powerhouse of antioxidants. And we know that antioxidants can remove free radicals from the body. For quick tips, you can drink it early in the morning before breakfast. Add a spoon of honey and half of lemon to a cup of water and it will be ready be consumed.
7. Tomato Juice
Similar to watermelon, tomatoes are also rich in lycopene. Besides, it also contains a lot of vitamin B-9 which can help lower the risk of you suffering from an infection. Since tomatoes hold an abundant amount of lycopene, drinking tomato juice can also help in reducing inflammation. To really reap the benefit of consuming tomato juice, be sure that your tomato juice is fresh. Try to avoid adding a lot of other ingredients by making the juice yourself.
So now, from all those delicious and nutritious drinks which one do you think can be your favorite? Well… The choice is yours. I would say that each and every one of them can give you the benefit you need to strengthen your immune system.
However, always remember that the best way to keep your body healthy is by having a healthy lifestyle. This means, you also shouldn’t forget all the basic advice that can also help you’re staying fit. So apart from the powerful drink above that you can consume, don’t forget to exercise regularly, maintain a healthy diet, give your body enough time to rest. Also, make sure you drink an adequate amount of water every day to stay hydrated. As you get older, it’s even more important to maintain a healthy habit since the capability of our immune system reducing as we age.