The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people the world over, the healthcare professionals at the best hospitals in Hyderabad and other cities, are the most affected as they are fighting the virus on the front lines. So, everyone needs to step up their immunity to fight this virus in the best way possible. The elderly are particularly prone to the virus and it is a fact that 80 percent of the ones affected in China are mostly the elderly; they are at a higher risk leading to a high degree of mortality rates.
Strengthen your immunity! That seems to be the norm. You have to take steps, to help your body fight the virus with the right foods and exercise. Take a look at what you can do to nourish your body and keep your immune system strong.
How to Boost Your Immunity during the COVID-19 Pandemic? Top Tips to Enhance Your Immunity
The rules are simple, eat right, sleep right, and stay active. Well, let’s explore the ways you can do these in the correct manner or the health-enhancing manner.
- Keep activity levels high-
Increasing your physical activity levels helps you stay healthy in several ways. Researchers believe that exercise is one of the best ways to improve. Regular exercise proliferates the body’s production of antibodies and T-cells and helps up the immunity levels. It also helps release toxins through the sweat produced and energizes your cells and improves metabolism. Regular exercise can help to reduce the body’s stress hormones, called adrenaline and cortisol, which stress you out. Sweating regularly is a great way to boost your immunity much like when you have fever as the body’s temperature rises to kill the pathogens.
How many days should you exercise? Well, for that you have to listen to your body, just because exercise is good for you, it does not mean you will overdo it. Aim for 150 minutes a week at least.
So, what kind of exercises should you do? Anything you can do, in the lockdown phase, you are trying social distancing so going to a gym is a strict no-no. YouTube is a great pal to you in this phase, open any video which you can do, and attempt those exercises. Dancing, yoga, bodyweight exercises are great options.
- Eat right-
Eat to power your immunity – Did you know that your gut and the immune system are strongly linked? A healthy gut will mean a healthy and strong immune system. So, it is important to eat healthy foods to support your microbiome. Eat a healthy balanced diet comprising fresh fruits and veggies, whole- grains, moderate helpings of good quality proteins. Eating right goes a long way in circulating immune cells, called T-cells. Eat a rainbow palette and limit your intake of processed foods. Remember to include foods rich in probiotics and prebiotic foods to take care of your gut health. The fermented foods which you can include are yogurt, home-made pickles, miso, kefir, and the works.
- Sleep deep –
Recent research has reiterated the fact that optimum sleep can help boost your immunity. Sleep is a great way to reboot your mind and body and needless to say your immune system. Not getting enough sleep can spike your stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. These two hormones can’t not only keep you awake but also adversely affect your immunity. It is important to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
- Good hygiene practices –
Ensure you follow the right practices and the quarantine rules and regulations of your city. Wear the right protective gear, PPE, or personal protective equipment. Not all PPE equipment is right for you, some are specifically meant for health care professionals. So, ensure you follow the health organizations of your city.
- Stay active physically and mentally –
Use this quarantine period to learn something useful, read books, learn a new language. This helps keep you positive and happy. These may be unprecedented times where you need to stay at home, but there is a lot to be thankful for as well, you are now able to take a break from your regular life, stay at home with your loved ones and catching up with everything you were unable to do so far because of a hectic pace of life.
- Soak in some vitamin D –
If you can spend some quality time outside in the sun, it can be at your terrace or out in the garden, this can help you both physically and mentally. Vitamin D helps build strong immunity. So, remember to get some sun-bathing at your home. It keeps you positive and healthy. You can also add vitamin D supplements, available at an online pharmacy, to enhance your health. It is important to contact your doctor about the dosage and other factors.
- Connectivity is the way to go –
Get in touch with your loved ones who stay far away from you, your family, friends, relatives, people you may have lost touch with thanks to an extremely busy schedule. Now’s the time to make the most of the time you have on your hand and connect via a simple call or a video call. This can reduce the increasing feelings of despair and reduces your cortisol levels, keeping you happy and content.
- Do good onto others –
Charity or philanthropy can help you feel good from inside. You may help the lesser privileged and animals, it increases the amount of dopamine and serotonin, the happy hormones in our brains, helping you beat depression and anxiety.
Take simple yet powerful steps to strengthen your immunity. In times of crisis, it is very important to stay positive and say to yourself you will overcome these trying times, this too shall pass! Stay safe, stay healthy.