With the arrival of fall, we’re all probably thinking the same thing: time to support our immune systems to protect ourselves during cold & flu season!
Ok, maybe it’s just us, but it needs to be on your radar as well.
The flu season will quickly be here and COVID 19 is still part of our reality. Stay safe and health with these tips for immune support:
1. Sleep Hygiene
Make it a goal to sleep for 7-9 hours per night. Less than 7-9 hours of sleep per night has been shown to significantly impact immune function.
2. Physical Activity
Try to hit 150 min of moderate intensity exercise per week to help support optimal immune function. That’s only about 20-25 minutes per day!
3. Diet
Aim for three to five servings of vegetables and one to two servings of fruit daily. Minimize sugar and alcohol as much as you can, even with the holidays, as these hinder the immune system.
4. Hydration
Aim to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water daily. Example: If you weigh 200lbs, you would be aiming for 100 ounces of water per day.
5. Stress Management
Try to build self-care into your weekly schedule and make time for the things that you love. This could be walks outside, playtime with your kids or pets, recreational sports, etc. If it brings joy, it will help reduce your stress.
6. Consider Supplements
As the days grow darker, you may need some extra support to ensure your Vitamin D levels are optimal. A supplement can easily be added into your daily routine.
Supplements like Vitamin C and Zinc are also good ways to arm your immune system if you know that you will have an increased risk of exposure to infections, a tendency to get sick often, or if it takes you seemingly-forever to get over a cold.
7. Bloodwork Analysis
If you haven’t had your bloodwork done in a while, reach out to get on the calendar. This can help assess any areas where you may be susceptible to infection so you can get ahead of it.
And hopefully it goes without saying, but keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. You can learn more about handwashing from the CDC (Center for Disease Control)