How to have healthy immunity
When I woke up today morning, I heard in the news that 2 cases of Corona Virus have been detected in the State of NJ, where I live. This was inevitable because in today’s global economy people travel frequently either for work or business or for pleasure. In good old days, travel was not as frequent as we have it now so diseases spread quickly now than they used to some 100 years back. Everyone is panicking and stores are running out of supplies of hand sanitizers and masks. Overnight everyone is giving tips on how to avoid infection of Coronavirus and this reminded me of the Ebola outbreak in 2018. The irony is that we humans have a very short memory and hence change does not last forever if we are not constantly reminded. People will forget all the wisdom and go back to their old ways as soon as they are out of danger. The same thing will happen here. Once Coronavirus Pandemic is resolved, people will go back to their old habits.
We must realize that every year more deaths occur due to illnesses like heart diseases, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, stroke than due to Coronavirus. So we must make permanent changes to our lifestyle.
Have you ever wondered why the severity of infection or disease varies from person to person? Why one person does not get affected much even if they are infected with the virus while another person is in critical condition? Why some people don’t get infected at all even if they come in contact with someone who has the disease? It’s the same virus, so shouldn’t it have the same effect on everyone? That is not the case because even though it is the same virus, people’s response is different because everyone’s body is not the same.
Our ability to recover from any disease or infection depends on how healthy our immunity system is. Our immune system is our line of defense towards any illness and infections. We do not want the overactive immune system because it is not good for us, but we surely want a very healthy immune system.
In my last blog, I had written on how to have a healthy metabolism and as our immune health depends a lot on our digestive health, I recommend that you read that blog by clicking here and implement the tips in your daily routine.
Today I am giving a few tips on how to have a healthy immune system. The purpose of this blog is to teach you a few healthy habits so that you can always have healthy immunity not for a short period of time but for life. Say no to any disease forever or if you get sick, with these tips you can speed up recovery time and reduce the severity of the disease.
First and foremost, as I mentioned above, healthy immunity depends a lot on having a healthy metabolism. To read the tips on how to ignite your metabolism, you can read my previous blog here
Our body has a natural ability to heal. The only thing which we must do to facilitate the healing is to get out of its way. Here are few immunity busters which everyone must stay away from to facilitate a healthy body and healthy mind.
1) Consumption of Sugar in any form. ( Refer to my previous blog here which has more information on how sugar sneaks into your food)
2) Lack of sleep
3) Lack of exercise. Click here to read more about the importance of exercise.
4) Lack of movement. Click here to get more information.
5) Stress and anxiety
6) Lack of social and emotional support
7) Consumption of processed food which is high in preservatives, artificial colors, and chemicals.
8) Irregular eating habits
9) Lack of proper nutritious diet.
10) Consumption of too much alcohol or substance abuse.
Now that we know what to avoid so that we can facilitate healthy immunity, let us look at a few things which we can do to gain healthy immunity.
1) Get abundant restful sleep.
2) Maintain personal hygiene and the list includes the use of hand sanitizers , washing hands with warm water often, brushing teeth and tongue cleaning and many more.
3) Learn dry brushing and perform the ritual at least once a week. Dry brushing helps you remove toxins, stimulate lymph flow, cleans pores, exfoliates the skin by removing dead cells.
4) Learn self-massage and Perform self-massage or Abhyanga as we call it in Ayurveda. Buy a massage oil as per your Dosha type and massage your body with warm oil. Feel free to contact me to find out your Dosha type. Self-massage helps in removing toxins, boosts mood, aids sleep, relieves stress, moves lymph aiding to detoxification, increases stamina, eliminates impurities and helps to maintain healthy immunity.
5) Nourish your body with healthy food. Eat a diet rich in Phytonutrients and antioxidants. Eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Buy organic and non-GMO products as much as possible. Wash your produce thoroughly before consuming it.
6) Move your body. Don’t sit for too long. Understand the difference between exercise and activity. Our body needs both.
7) Exercise daily.
8) No matter how much we try, we never eat a well-balanced diet due to our busy life. Also, our cooking methods increases the loss of nutrients from our food so supplement with high quality all-natural organic multivitamins, Phytonutrients, and Antioxidants. Get your daily dose of Vitamin D and Vitamin C. Deficiencies in Vitamin D may lead of poor bone growth, cardiovascular problems and weak immune system.Vitamin C helps immune system fight cold and Flu. Also Take Echinacea, Studies show that it helps stimulate immune system and ward of flu and inflammation but keep in mind that it should not be taken for longer periods of time. Also People with autoimmune diseases should not take Echinacea. Click here to read more regarding the importance of supplements.
9) Do a detox to reboot your system. Since no two people are the same, there is no cookie-cutter approach for detox. Contact me and book a consultation to design a perfect detox as per your body type.
10) Always eat warm meals which are light and easy to digest.
11) Consume healthy fats like organic cow ghee, olive oil, and sesame oil.
12) Include spices and herbs like fresh ginger, Holy Basil or Tulsi, Amlaki, Turmeric, Onions, Garlic, cumin, cloves, Peppers, Paprika, fenugreek, Asafoetida, coriander, fennel in your diet.
13) Don’t consume cold water or cold beverages. Don’t consume soft drinks or water 45 minutes before and after meals. Say no to sodas, energy drinks, store-bought juices, and iced teas.
14) Say no to sugar, desserts, sugary beverages. Learn to read labels for hidden sugar, artificial colors, preservatives. Sugar sneaks in your food in several forms. Also say no to junk food or any food with too much sugar, artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives.
15) Eat food which grows on plants not made in plants ( Factories). Say no to fast food.
16) Eat home-cooked fresh meals. Don’t eat a stale meal or reheated meals often.
17) Meditate. Meditation is very important to improve immunity and reduce stress as well as inflammation. Here are a few benefits of meditation.
18) Consume fiber and Probiotic every day. Also, eat Prebiotics. Prebiotics are the foods that support good Microbiome in your gut.It helps improve digestion and reduces toxin production resulting from poor digestion thus stimulating your immune system .
19) Exercise a minimum of 5 days a week for at least 45 minutes and bring variety in your workouts. Join the gym if needed. For the remaining 2 days, go for a hike or walk. Spend time in nature.
20) Maintain a daily routine as far as meals and sleep are concerned.
21) Use steam saunas, bubble bath, dry brushing, oil pulling, and tongue cleaning to remove toxins.
22) During cold and flu season maintain a daily habit of gargling with warm salt water, consume warm water and beverages to stay hydrated and consume warm turmeric milk. Also, Wrap your body, cover your head and neck with a cap and scarf and stay warm if you are going out in cold. Avoid handshakes and hugs. Take shower once you come home.
23) Take caution but Do not panic. Panic increases stress. Stress releases stress hormones which has adverse effect on our immunity.
24) Drink warm Green tea - Green tea has high levels of antioxidants like EGCG which helps to improve immunity.
25) If someone in your household has the flu, take special care when washing their things. Wash dishes and silverware thoroughly by hand or in the dishwasher. You don’t have to do a sick person’s laundry separately, but try to avoid scooping up an armload of items and holding them close before washing them. Use laundry soap and dry on a hot setting. Always wash your hands immediately after handling dirty laundry.
Wishing you all a long healthy, happy and happening life. Feel free to contact, if you want to improve your health and ignite your immunity.