Snow falling gently on cedar branches is a lovely sight but one needs their health to fully enjoy the season’s pleasures. Common colds are the main reason for missing work or school. It is pure misery to be stuck at home with a nasty bug or struggling at work just to make it through the day. Stress, unhealthy diets and contact with others puts one at risk of contracting a cold or flu. Give your body the tools necessary to support good immune function and to maintain your health.
Influence of Lifestyle Factors
When stress is high, the ability to fight off antigens and air-borne pathogens is reduced. The stress hormone corticosteroid suppresses effective immune system function. We then become more susceptible to the effects of germs and viruses. The following simple actions help combat stress. Exercise is a great stress reliever. Being engaged in a physical activity makes one present in the moment, providing a necessary break. Meditation is another way to handle stress. Take 10-15 minutes daily to mentally center yourself and reap the physiological benefits as well. Laugh. The Mayo Clinic supports laughter as a method of stress relief. Laughter has been shown to stimulate your organs, activate and relieve your stress response in the short-term. Long-term benefits may include improved immune function by the release of neuropeptides along with those positive thoughts. Laugh more and live better.
Avoid infection with proper diet and supplements
Sometimes it seems impossible to eat healthy in the midst of our routines and obligations. Primarily, one should be eating a diet of nutrient-dense sources of protein and an array of fruits and vegetables. With a poor diet, fatigue sets in, organ function is taxed and the body has to work overtime to try to stay in good working order. A few suggestions begin with hydrating with water, green and herbal teas and beginning the day with a glass of water with lemon. Hydration helps membranes stay moist and intact, sustaining an effective barrier against germs. Water with lemon provides vitamin C and creates an alkaline mixture that helps to maintain a balanced ph. Unhealthy cells and viruses cannot thrive in an environment with a balanced and somewhat alkaline pH. Some staples for your medicine cabinet include a multivitamin, a probiotic and astragalus. A multivitamin helps to achieve the minimum level of vitamins to ward off diseases like scurvy or rickets. A probiotic helps to balance out your micro flora and combats the bad sugar-loving bacteria thriving in your body. Astragalus is an herbal supplement that may help to eliminate viruses in the body and is purported to help maintain the telomeres in our DNA, a possible anti-aging benefit. Pregnant women, those on immune-suppressing drugs or with an autoimmune disease should skip this supplement. All should focus on maintaining a healthy diet for optimum well-being.
Make an effort to implement these strategies. The suggested lifestyle and dietary tips will help you live every moment fully.
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