Is your immune system ready for fall?

Try These Amazing Ways To Strengthen Your Immune System This Fall

The weather is getting chillier and the hot days of summer are over! While you might be excited to break out your sweaters and jackets, is your immune system ready for the weather change?

The transition of seasons always brings about sniffling, sneezing, and colds! Make sure that your immune system is ready for the change so you can enjoy the start of fall to the fullest. Your immunity is an entire system that needs to be considered, so there are many steps you can take to boost it. A balanced diet, exercise, and perhaps the most surprising, massage, are all notes that should be in your September agenda.

"Optimal functioning of the immune system, it turns out, is dependent upon feeling good." -Marcey Shapiro

Boosting your Immune System

There is no magic way to boost your immune system. Meaning, you can’t force your body to create more cells, so you certainly cannot create cells that are immune. Boosting your immunity really means making sure that your cells are functioning at their best. The goal is to equip your cells with the nutrients they need to defend your body against pathogens that seek to harm you!

No smoking! Moderate exercise for at least 30mins a day. Maintain a healthy weight. Get a good night’s sleep. Minimize stress. Drink alcohol in moderation. A diet that is high in fruits and vegetables.

Well Balanced Diet

A main goal you should establish in your quest for a healthy immune system is maintaining a balanced diet. The great news is that this will help in all aspects of living a healthy life!

Focus on consuming a range of essential minerals and vitamins with extra emphasis on proteins and fibre. Avoid sugars and fats that only provide the body with ‘empty’ calories.

Eating superfoods that are known to be great warriors for the immune system is still a great idea, but they need to be incorporated into your overall balanced diet!

Fall Foods to give you a Boost

Green Tea: High in antioxidants that are shown to enhance immune function. It is also a great source of the amino acid L-theanine, which helps produce white blood cells

Sunflower Seeds: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that regulates and maintains the immune system. Sunflower seeds are packed with it! In fact, 60 ml of sunflower seeds have over 80% of the recommended daily dose!

Ginger: Adding ginger to your diet is a great way to prevent sickness. High in antioxidants, it helps against nausea and vomiting. An easy way to get your dose of ginger is to steep peeled ginger in hot water to make a tasty tea.

Sweet Potatoes: Rich in beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A, sweet potatoes fight against harmful molecules that can damage healthy cells. Be sure to eat the skin too, that’s where even more great vitamins are stored!

Pumpkin: Say yes to all the pumpkin spice you can eat! Pumpkins can improve your cardiovascular health, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and bone health. With so much Vitamin A, they’re the lesser-known superfood.

Massage as a way to Strengthen your Immune System

Massage provides immediate relaxation, but regular therapeutic massage sessions offer significant benefits beyond this.

Did you know that people who experience high levels of stress are more likely to get sick than others? Our immune system’s ability to protect us is significantly reduced with stress, lack of sleep, and poor nutrition.

Good to Read: Workplace Wellness: Everybody Deserves A Massage!

Studies have proven that regular massage naturally increases the immune system cytotoxic capacity, which is the activity level of the body’s natural ‘killer cells’. They also decrease the body’s number of T-cells, which improves the body’s overall immune functioning.

Regular massage will help keep your immune system performing at its peak, all while reducing stress and keeping your body refreshed.