The 6 Best Immunity Boosters, According to a Doctor
With coronavirus on our minds, we're all thinking the same thing—we want to remain healthy!
In order to avoid getting sick, it's important to give your body the fuel it needs and deserves. We spoke with Dr. Nadia Musavvir, ND, about the best practices to raising immunity.
Keep reading for her six most highly recommended immunity boosters.
1. Take Daily Multivitamins
Brands push multivitamins left and right, but these ingestibles actually have major value, outside of sponsored ads you may see influencers post on Instagram.
"Take your daily multivitamin and consider extra vitamin D and A to give your immune system a boost. You should also take vitamin C every day, as it improves immune cell function, and deficiencies increase risk for infectious diseases."
(via Shutterstock)
2. Eat Lots of Fruits and Veggies
Who says veggies have to be boring? These days, there are so many incredible recipes out there to choose from (hello, Pinterest!), meaning you have no excuse to skip out on getting your daily intake of healthy fruits and vegetables! By adding color to your diet, you'll also add lots of necessary vitamins, proteins and iron.
"Maintain good nutrition habits as best as possible. Include a variety of nutrients and colors on your plate. If that's difficult at this time, consider smoothies made from frozen fruits and vegetables, and add protein powders."
3. Take Probiotics
Gut health is so important, which is where probiotics come into play! Not only does the bacteria give us a healthy gut, but it also helps strengthen our immune systems. Dr. Nadia says to stick to probiotics with 20-50 billion CFUs (aka, live cultures) for the best results.
"70% of the immune system resides in the GI tract. Taking probiotics supports the immune system by physically 'crowding out' pathogens (disease causing organisms), and certain strains even enhance the body's cellular immune response by increasing the circulation of beneficial immune cells (cytokines and modulation of T cell differentiation). For general support, use a multi-strain for widespread support of the commensal bacteria with 20-50 billion CFU per dose."
4. Exercise
You've heard this a million times, but it's true—you need to exercise! By getting your body moving and your heart rate up, you're strengthening your muscles and heart. If you're active for at least 30 minutes, five times a week, your chances of getting sick will drastically decrease.
"Make sure you stay moving. Go for a walk outside. Invest in resistance bands or jump rope to use in the home. Studies have shown that moderate physical activity (approximately 30 minutes, five times per week) supports a stronger immune system. A good goal is to try and break a sweat daily."
(via Shutterstock)
5. Practice Self-Care
If your goal is to stay healthy, it's vital to practice self-care. This includes things like breathing exercises, meditation, yoga and relieving your body of stress and anxiety. By doing this and keeping up with a daily routine, you'll be left with one boosted immune system!
"Avoid panic and stay calm. Continuous stress suppresses the immune system. Take this time to slow down, and implement a self-care routine with meditation, journaling or yoga. Start your day with 10 deep breaths. Drink tea to wind down. Some good teas to incorporate are anything with rose, green tea, tulsi, milky oat or lemon balm, which all help calm the nervous system. Maintain routine with the same sleep and wake time to maintain circadian rhythms, as throwing this off is a stress to the body."
6. Try BareOrganics' Calming Liquid Drops: $13.49
In order to reach peak health, we often turn to supplements. Probiotics and multivitamins are the first steps, but if you really want to see a difference in your immune system and mental health, Dr. Musavvir is a huge proponent of BareOrganics' Calming Liquid Drops.
"BareOrganics' Calming Liquid Drops can easily be added to your tea or water to help calm your mind and support a healthy response to stress. Made with potent, organic ingredients, these liquid drops are available in a compact vial and don't need to be refrigerated, making them ideal for those with active, on-the-go lifestyles. It's infused with organic Cordyceps Extract, organic Ashwagandha Extract, organic Lemon Balm Extract and organic Holy Basil Extract for optimal wellness."
(via BareOrganics)
Need some ideas for working out at home? Click HERE for our fave at-home workouts we found for free on Youtube.