At around 1:30 this morning, a frantic knock at our bedroom door woke me up from a deep sleep. Since then, I’ve spent the last 12 hours caring for 6 children. All sick with the stomach flu.
This doesn’t seem like your average stomach flu. It’s more like a cross between The Exorcist and Night of the Living Dead.
It’s BAD.
Therefore, I’m going to make this post short and sweet.
Do you want to boost your immune system?
After watching my 11-year-old daughter literally crawl down the hall to her bedroom this morning, I KNOW I do!
Here are 5 ways you can boost your immune system – and hopefully avoid this plague that is going around!!
- Get enough sleep! Sleep is usually the firs thing to go when you are dealing with a never-ending to do list. However, research demonstrates a strong relationship between lack of sleep and illness. Adults need anywhere between 7-10 hours of sleep each night in order to wake up feeling energized, refreshed, and ready for a new day! Instead of skimping on sleep, be sure to prioritize it, and maximize your health!
- Wash your hands! Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?! Washing your hands is one of the best ways to stop the spread of germs. However, a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Health found that just 5% of participants washed their hands long enough to kill germs. Further, 23% of the people in the study forgot to even use soap!
- Eat a healthy diet! A diet rich in antioxidants will maximize your immune system. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins will keep you healthy and strong!
- Exercise Regularly! You hear us say it all the time – but Exercise truly is Medicine!! Moderate intensity exercise boosts your immune system and helps your body fight illness. Strive for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. During the exercise, you should be able to carry on a conversation with someone. If you are breathing too heavy to talk, bring the intensity level down. This is because exercising at too high an intensity can actually negatively impact your immune system! If you can still talk, chances are, you are at a good intensity!
- Try Probiotics! The heath of your gut affects the health of the rest of your body. A healthy gut helps your body fend off infection and protects against inflammation. Foods high in probiotics include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut,tempeh, and pickles!
Here’s to infection-free days….and restful nights!