It is no surprise that the lifestyle choices we make on a daily basis, impact our health profoundly. What we choose to eat, what we choose to drink, and what we choose to do in our daily lives are some of the decisions we make that result in producing the effects on our health and the quality of life we get to experience.
The typical Singapore lifestyle is busy and stressful, which can lead us to make choices that can compromise our health. In some cases, we feel we donât have the option to choose what we want to do, because of that exam coming up, or that deadline to meet, or the family/social responsibilties we are required to fulfill. Over time, the overall balance and harmony of our bodies get disrupted and can lead to health challenges that no one wants to face.
We wanted to share with you 8 doable tips that we can fit into our busy every day lives.
But first, what does it mean to âboost your immune systemâ?
What is Immune System?
Your immune system is basically your bodyâs defense system. It is a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work in concert to protect you from foreign invaders. Your immune cells are like the security guards of your body, constantly surveying and patrolling, making sure there is not a break in.
The key to understanding how to boost your immune system is to understand that the various parts of your immune system need to communicate with each other to work together optimally. Your immune system needs to be a seamless, coordinated team.
And that communication is handled by your nervous system, the master wiring system of your body that controls and coordinates all of the functions of your body.
In fact, what we simply express as âboost your immune systemâ can translate to âbeing healthyâ in short form, and to âbeing healthy by optimizing the balance and harmony of all the functions of your bodyâ if we want to elaborate further.
So, what are those easy tips that we can incorporate into our busy lives?
8 Tips to a Healthier You
1. Manage Your Mental Stress
Long-term exposure to mental or emotional stress will depress your immune system. Make a habit out of doing your breathing exercises on a daily basis to stimulate the rest and relaxation centers in your nerve system.
Read “10 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health”
2. Get Enough Sleep
Getting a good rest at night, on a regular basis, can have a profound positive effect on your level of health and vitality.
Itâs important that we make getting consistent, high-quality sleep a priority. Rest and recovery need to be essential aspects of a personâs health promotion efforts. We need to create a lifestyle that supports restorative sleep and general stress-management.
Read âEnjoy Great Sleep (Part One)â for more tips.
3. Catch Some Ray
Sunlight triggers the skinâs production of vitamin D, and provides a number of health benefits.
Donât get me wrong, I am not saying that you need to get baked under the sun and expose yourself to sun burn. A good 10 â 15 mins under the sun is good enough for your skin to absorb the vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps to regulate the immune system and boost our bodyâs natural defences. And doesnât it just feel good to be under the sun? Sunlight promotes the production of serotonin, which helps us stay in a positive mood, and fight depression.
4. Avoid Smoking
Tobacco smoke exposes you to infections such as pneumonia, influenza, and potentially even more lasting illnesses. It also lowers the level of protective antioxidants in your blood. Other effects include causing tightness in your muscles and reducing your bone density.
Need we say more about the negative effects of smoking?
(source:Â https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/smoking-effects-on-your-body)
5. Reduce Alcohol Intake
In terms of alcohol consumption, Singapore ranks very low, with reported 2015 statistics by the World Health Organization at 2.9 liters of alcohol consumption per capita per annum. But it must be said that there has been a general uphill trend.
According to research conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, they found that chronic drinkers are exposed to a wide range of health problems which includes infections and systematic inflammation impairing your immune system.
6. Protect Your Gut
A stressed-out gut can increase the level of inflammatory cells.
Help your gut function better by including prebiotics and probiotics into your diet. They may seem similar but they have different roles in the digestive system.
Prebiotic foods such as banana, berries, garlic, and onions go through the small intestine undigested and is fermented when it reaches the large intestine. Us humans canât digest the fiber, and it helps feed and increase the number of good bacteria in your intestines, which is a crucial part of your digestive system.
Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that we find mainly in fermented foods such as yogurt, miso, and kimchi that are good for your digestive system. They help to balance out your good and bad bacteria to keep your body healthy.
7. Eat Plenty of Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts and Seeds.
An eating regime that is rich in vegetable and fruits provides protection against cardiovascular disease, cancers, and other chronic illness. There is a reason why people say we are what we eat, as our diet impacts our immunity and our overall health significantly.
In our next post, we are doing to share 10 superfood that you should eat to boost your immune system.
8. Chiropractic Adjustments
Your immune system is directly controlled by your brain through your nervous system. By far, the most important thing you can do to boost your immune system is to fine tune your nervous system by keeping your spine healthy, flexible, and aligned.
Chiropractic adjustments are gentle inputs of energy that stimulate your immune cells to coordinate and act more effectively.
Align your spine, optimize your nerve system, and boost your immune system.
