5 Best Ways to Boost Your Immune System in the Winter
Diseases like flu, cough, and cold usually rear their ugly head during winters. Do you know why? It’s because your immune system is at its weakest during the cold season. The cold atmosphere offers favourable conditions for a range of viruses and bacteria to breed. These organisms multiply fast and spread rapidly from person-to-person. That is why you can find innumerable people suffering from cold and flu during this season.
But does this mean that you need to fall prey to a myriad of infections in winters? Not at all! You no longer need to wonder how I can increase my immunity in winter? These tips are for you.
How Can I Increase My Immunity in Winter?
Up your intake of vitamin C
Go the herbal way
Exercise more
Get adequate sleep
Be social
1. Up Your Intake of Vitamin C
Vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables, Credit: Pixabay
Winters are the right time to boost your consumption of vitamin C enriched food items. It means plenty of citrus fruits like oranges, mandarins, apples, lemons should be on your menu every day. Vitamin C is known to increase the number of white blood cells in our body. It enables our immune system to fight off infections the moment they strike.
Start your day with lemon water. Eat plenty of fruits during your breakfast or as a snack in between meals.
2. Go the Herbal Way
Various herbs and spices, Credit: Pixabay
Herbs and spices like turmeric, black pepper, garlic, cinnamon, and ginger keep you warm and are rich in many essential vitamins. The anti-inflammatory properties of these herbs activate your immune system. Consuming them will enhance your resistance to common winter infections.
You can drink turmeric milk in the evening and add other herbs and spices while cooking your food.
3. Exercise More
Woman exercising, Credit: Pixabay
Winters are a time when we don’t even feel like getting out from our bed, forget about exercising. But you would be surprised to know that it is during winters only that our body needs more exercise. Exercise increases the circulation of blood in the body and thus helps you to keep warm.
It is also an excellent way to prevent that unpleasant winter weight gain and tackle that lethargy that the cold weather brings with it.
4. Get Adequate Sleep
Woman sleeping, Credit: Pixabay
Did you know that a lack of sleep affects your body in pretty much the same way as stress does? Inadequate amounts of sleep prevent your body from recovering and repairing itself. It thus prompts your immune system to go into overdrive. Your immune system is not able to put up adequate resistance to ward off myriad ailments. Hence, to keep your immune system working at an optimal level and your strength, you should aim to get approximately 7-8 uninterrupted sleep every night.
5. Be Social
A group of friends, Credit: Pixabay
Winter times are often characterised by people getting sick more often. Hence, people tend to maintain a distance from each other and avoid spending time together. But if you follow the tips mentioned above, you won’t fall prey to any infection. Spending time with your loved ones and friends relax your mind and decrease your stress levels. It also balances the hormones needed for the functioning of a healthy immune system. So instead of staying curled up in your bed by yourself, go out and meet your friends.
By now, you must be convinced that keeping yourself healthy and strong need not be a challenging task. You don’t have to depend on medicines and pills to boost your immunity levels. Developing healthy habits, as mentioned above, will go a long way in protecting you from various diseases not only during winter months but throughout the year.