Many of us dread the effects of covid-19. It is true, the virus will not have the same effect on us all. Some will have symptoms (mild to severe), while others will be asymptomatic. Either way, we should all be trying to do our best with preventing the virus from entering our bodies and taking over.
While there are no proven ways to prevent COVID-19, there are healthy lifestyle habits that you can use to keep your immune system as strong as possible. Here are a few:
Get enough sleep
Studies have shown that getting enough sleep is important for our immune system. If you are regularly not getting enough sleep, this can also put stress on your body, causing inflammation.
So how much sleep do you need? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep or more each night.
Eat healthy foods
Include lots of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables in your diet. Nutrition supports our immune system, too, making sure that it has the energy and nutrients that it needs to fight off an infection. The vitamins and minerals in our food are the lifelines all the systems in our body rely on to function well. This includes your immune system. The better you feed your body with nutrients, the better it runs and can avoid chronic and acute disease.
The World Health Organization recommends eating fresh and unprocessed foods every day, drinking 8 to 10 cups of water daily, eating moderate amounts of fat and oil, and eating less salt and sugar.
Stay active
Regular physical activity can help improve your immune system’s defenses by bolstering your immune cells and reducing inflammation.
Try to get daily exercise, ideally up to 60 minutes of moderate activity. This includes activities like walking, running, or cycling. If your ability to exercise is limited due to disability or health conditions, just moving around more can be helpful (or as recommended by your doctor). Keeping active, as well as eating a healthy diet, can help you maintain a healthy weight that can also lower your risk of severe disease.
