We are constantly exposed to different viruses and germs. Supporting your immune system through good habits for sleep, nutrition, hydration, exercise and stress management with help keep you and your family healthy and well. Prevention is always key. Let's ensure we prepare our bodies and boost our Immunity.
Eat your fruits and vegetables!
Fruits and vegetables are packed full of vitamins and minerals that will help our bodies and minds stay healthy. Plus they have a tone of soluble fiber, which helps move things along the GI track. Fruits and veggies are low in calories and easy for the body to digest.
Fruits and veggies are free of trans fats, saturated fats and sodium. A diet full of fruits and vegetables will help lower your risk of many serious and chronic health issues. Remember to eat the colour of the rainbow everyday! Fill your plate full of these colourful foods. Try adding onions and garlic to your meal. Onions can be used to treat respiratory diseases. Garlic is antiviral, anti-fungal, reduces cholesterol, regulates blood sugar levels, and fights off cold and flus. Best to eat garlic raw.
Using the right supplements to help support our diet is very important. With the mass production of unhealthy foods from the food industry, marketing and ads; processed and packaged junk food is even more enticing and irresistible. I hate to say this but we have been brainwashed to love junk food, ultra-processed and packaged foods, sweet and salty foods; because all these non-foods have altered our taste buds, and our desire to eat unhealthy foods raises our dopamine levels causing us to want it even more. Thus, making it difficult for us to go back to eating real-foods, whole-nutrient dense foods that are in the most natural state. Supplements can play a major role in helping our body reverse and maintain our health. When paired with a diet that is high in nutrient-dense whole foods, and positive lifestyle factors can have a huge impact on your body.
Drink water!
H2O is super important for our bodies and daily functions. We need water to survive. 60% of the human adult body is water, according to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery 31%.
The importance of water is to keep your body in balance and to regulate metabolic processes. Water also serves several essential functions to keep our bodies going and functioning well:
A vital nutrient to the life of every cell acts first as a building material
It regulates our internal body temperature by sweating and respiration
The carbohydrates and proteins that our bodies use as food are metabolized and transported by water in the bloodstream
It assists in flushing waste mainly through urination
Acts as a shock absorber for the brain, spinal cord, and fetus
Forms saliva
Lubricates joints
Make sure you drinking at least 8 glasses of liquids everyday. It doesn't have to be water alone. Here are some ideas: sparkling water, broth/soups, hydration drinks, green drinks, smoothies, unsweetened green tea, black coffee, lemon water, nut milk, and the list goes on. Treat your body right and stay hydrated 💦
Stress management
Stress is a normal human reaction that happens to everyone. The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. When you experience changes or challenges (stressors), your body produces physical and mental responses. That’s stress.
Stress responses help your body adjust to new situations. It can be positive, keeping us alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger. For example, if you have an important presentation coming up, a stress response might help your body work harder. But stress becomes a problem when stressors continue without relief or periods of relaxation.
Stress can lead to many physical and emotional problems or even suicide.
Physical: headaches, aches, and pain, exhaustion or trouble sleeping, stomach or digestive problems, and even weaken the immune system. Emotional and mental: anxiety, depression, sadness, self-harm, and even panic attacks.
Trying to cope or manage stress with unhealthy behaviors like drinking, overeating, or using recreational drugs will result only in major health problems. You can’t avoid stress, but you can stop it from becoming overwhelming by practicing ways to reduce stress levels.
Sleep
Good quality sleep will allow the body and mind to recharge and restore. Sleep is one of the body’s best natural preventive medicines. As being stated by the father of early modern medicine, Avicenna, “Prevention is always better than thousand cure.'' When you work on all the aspects to improve your health, you are always one step closer to being the better and healthier version of you every single day. Helping your body cope with everything going around you will let you overcome and be less affected by any outer circumstances that may face you. Other neglected elements are rest and sleep. Sleep is one of the body’s best natural preventive medicines. Adequate amounts of sleep promote health in many areas of the body and have been proven to be an effective protector against several different conditions.
To help you sleep better, follow these simple acts. Enjoy the results of having a better sleep experience and its impact on your body and mood.
Stick to a nighttime ritual, and wind down at the end of the night. By adopting this habit, it will help you to relax before sleep, helping you fall asleep faster and have deeper sleep.
Keep the room dark and at a comfortable temperature.
Turn off screens 30 minutes to 1 hour before bedtime. Remove electronics from the bedroom. Blue light is bad and will often keep you winded up.
Exercise daily, this will help to destress. Yoga and meditation can help to calm your mind and relax the body.
Keep the bedroom a place to rest and sleep.
Avoid caffeine, smoking, and alcohol. These items will often have a significant effect on the sleep-wake cycle and quality of sleep.
Drinking caffeine-free tea or beverages can be soothing.
Exercise
Doing activities can help balance strong emotions, create feelings or happiness and wellbeing, and boost your energy levels.
Getting the right exercise prescription is very important. Different people enjoy different types of activity. Someone might prefer organized team sports, while others may prefer non-competitive activities such as hiking or canoeing. It is important to look of physical activities that you enjoy.
Let's ensure we prepare our bodies and boost our Immunity. And ensure we take control of our health. My motto has always been health is wealth. The good thing is you don't need to do it alone. Join me in committing to your health goals!
As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist™, I will focus on all aspects of a person's wellbeing and lifestyle. If you have any questions or comments you can send me an email at BlendaRHN@gmail.com
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Article Disclaimer
The entire contents of this article are based upon the opinions of Blenda Chan. The information in this article is NOT intended as medical advice, nor is it intended to replace the care of a qualified health care professional. This content is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. Always consult with your primary care physician or licensed healthcare provider for all diagnoses and treatment of any diseases or conditions, for medications or medical advice as well as before changing your health care routine.