9 Ways to Boost Your Immune System | Bio Kult

Your immune system is this incredibly complex mechanism that requires many different parts of your body to work together seamlessly. It’s one of the cornerstones of optimal well-being. Needless to say, you need to know how you can boost your immune system, so you can stay happy and healthy.

In the winter months, in particular, your immune system goes into overtime mode fending off viruses and colds. On duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year — your immune system is constantly working to keep your health in great shape. 

So before you find yourself sniffling relentlessly, make sure to take precautionary measures and steer clear of infections.

But what can you do?

In fact, there are countless things you can do to support your immune system and prepare it for its big match against all kinds of viruses and infections. 

Here’s how to boost your immune system, one healthy habit at a time.

1. Drink Lemon Water

Ever tried a refreshing sip of lemon water first thing in the morning? If not, you should consider it. In fact, try making lemon water your everyday friend and start a new healthy habit by integrating it into your daily routine.

Why?

Not only does lemon water help with hydration, but it’s also thought to have a positive effect on digestion, preparing the body to receive food by stimulating digestive secretions.

And let’s face it, it’s nice and refreshing with its lemony punch.

In addition, it’s also a simple way to increase your vitamin C intake, which is a key vitamin supporting the immune system. 

Lemon water also has a long-standing tradition in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine, as it’s believed to aid with cleansing and detoxification.

Do you have to drink the lemon water warm though? 

Ideally, yes — the lemon’s digestive benefits are more easily accessible to you if you drink lukewarm water instead of jugging it down cold. And you’ll see, it’ll help boost your immune system in no time.

 3. Eat a Rainbow of Fruits & Veggies

With meal deals and packed lunches often consisting of sandwiches and crisps, many people’s lunches are distinctly beige and lacking in nutrients. Obviously, this is not how you will boost your immune system.

The key to great health is a balanced and versatile diet. So if you have monotonous eating habits and always seek out the same ol’ foods, it’s time to mix things up.

Did you know the different color pigments in fruit and vegetables actually indicate the different health properties they possess? 

Take orange fruit and vegetables, for instance, which are high in beta-carotene — the precursor to vitamin A. Purple varieties, on the other hand, contain proanthocyanidins, which are powerful antioxidants.

Your immune system needs a variety of different nutrients to stay healthy, so eating a rainbow of different colors every day is important. Ditch the soggy sandwiches and instead pack a fresh rainbow salad topped with high-quality protein. 

You’ll see, it’s more filling and provides your immune system with the nutrients and vitamins it needs to run smoothly.

3. Take a Walk

It’s oh-so-easy to slip into the bad habit of eating lunch in front of your computer at your work desk. However, this is not the best route to choose for your digestive system and definitely doesn’t help your immune system.

It also means you’d be missing out on vital opportunities that can support your immune system and solidify your health.

So how to boost your immune system then?

Instead of sitting at your desk, working overtime, and continuing the free fall down the spiral of work stress, leave your office for a few minutes and catch your breath. Take a walk and enjoy the outdoors — at least for a little while anyway. 

A walk offers a number of health benefits, such as lowering your cortisol levels — which means less stress for you. It also increases your vitamin D levels, a truly crucial nutrient for your immune system, by allowing additional time for sun exposure.

If you have access to a green space close by, exposing your immune system to a wider variety of beneficial microorganisms from the environment can help keep it strong and healthy.

4. Eat Protein-Rich Snacks

After eating a lunch that was meant to energize you, sadly many of us get the dreaded after-lunch lull, which slams you full force. Sucking you dry of every ounce of productivity left in you and overpowering you with fatigue and food cravings you stand no chance against.

And this means that you’ll be reaching for sugary cakes and biscuits by 3 PM. Tops. 

Now imagine the cumulative result of this lifestyle. Instead, make sure you always have a healthy snack handy, ready to curb undesired cravings: a protein-rich snack.

Protein helps stabilize your blood sugar levels and reduces energy crashes. 

It also provides the building blocks for many of the body’s immune cells. Therefore, diets low in protein have been shown to have a negative impact on your immunity.

We don’t want that, of course. But how can you boost your immune system and what is the right kind of snack you should keep in your desk drawer or fridge?

Try unsalted nuts, seeds, boiled eggs, oatcakes topped with smoked salmon or mackerel, veggie sticks with hummus, or chia pudding. They all make fantastic protein-rich snack options and provide you with a filling alternative to sugary roller coaster rides.

5. Don’t Forget to Exercise

Who doesn’t know the dilemma of trying to fit your workout routine into your busy everyday life? Whether you try to make it happen outside of work hours, have to maneuver around family obligations or even social functions — who’re we kidding? It’s not that simple.

If you’re one of those people that gets too cozy on her couch as soon as she sits down, it’s time to find a different approach. Ever tried hitting the gym or making it to your yoga class straight from work?

It might be worth a shot to plan your workout right after work, especially if you’re worried you’ll get side-tracked by things at home.

Regular moderate exercise has been shown to have immune-enhancing effects and can have a positive impact on the gut microbiome in some individuals.

Wait — how does that boost your immune system and support your gut microbiome?

It’s quite interesting but recent research indicates that exercise is as powerful as helping diversify beneficial microflora in your gut. [1] 

The microorganisms in your gut microbiome are paramount factors in supporting the health of your gut and your immune system. Want to maintain your digestive health and immune health? Here’s a supplement that can help you accomplish that.

The effect of exercise is, however, not limited to that of the digestive system and immune system. Let’s not forget the profound impact exercise has on cardio health, its weight management potential, and its ability to strengthen your bones.

Now that you’re ready to commit, why not join MoveGB to gain the benefits of a variety of exercise classes in your local area? You got this.

6. Move Dinner Up

You’ve been there before — you’re all caught up in work, hustling eagerly, tweaking a project you couldn’t put off any longer. Now that you’re finally on the subway home, you realize it’s 8:30 PM and your stomach is grumbling angrily.

While infrequent, this scenario can lead to two issues. One, you’ll be eating dinner way too late. And two, you’re so tired from work that you really don’t care about what you eat anymore. You just know you need food. Any food.

But eating late is not good for your health or your immune system — especially if it entails eating unhealthy, processed, or deep-fried foods.

How do you boost your immune system with this routine and get back on track with a healthy lifestyle?

Avoid eating late at night — in fact, move up dinner and make it a habit to eat early. Doing so is thought to benefit your digestion and quality of sleep. 

Emerging research indicates that having a prolonged overnight fast of 12 to 16 hours, known as time-restricted feeding or TRF, may also have a number of other wider health benefits.

Particularly noteworthy is that TRF has been shown to stimulate the process by which the body breaks down old cells — including old immune cells. The components can then be recycled into new ones. 

In this way, fasting is thought to actually “cleanse” cells of damaged molecules and organelles, which can strengthen your immune system.

If you have a tendency to work late or have a long commute, why not batch-cook some evening meals that can quickly be reheated? 

Turns out you can eat healthy, even after a long workday!

7. Get the Rest You Need

Want to learn how you can possibly boost your immune system? Then you have to realize that sleep is an important part of the equation. In fact, sleep and the immune system are closely linked. 

Research shows that participants who had a good night's sleep after receiving vaccinations, created more protective antibodies than those who were sleep deprived — indicating that sleep plays a significant role in the formation of immunological memory. 

Prolonged periods of not getting enough sleep are therefore likely to have a negative effect on immune function. And that is in addition to many other adverse effects you may experience if you don’t get enough rest every day.

Needless to say, you want to make sure you set a regular bedtime and sleep well at night. Avoid scrolling through your phone or typing on your laptop at least one hour before bedtime. The blue light from electronic devices can be counterproductive.

If there’s anything you can do to regulate your circadian rhythms and the production of your sleep hormone (melatonin), you should do it. Whether that means soaking in a magnesium salt bath or reading a relaxing novel before bed, remember that sleep is essential for good health.

8. Keep Your Vitamin B12 Levels Up

It’s a well-known fact that vitamin B12 is an important nutrient for immune function and is involved in DNA synthesis. Inadequate levels of vitamin B12 have been shown to impact the ratio and activity of a number of immune cells — making it a crucial vitamin to boost your immune system.

You should therefore keep an eye out for your vitamin B12 levels, especially if you don’t consume many animal products in your diet. Vitamin B12 can be found in meats, fish, and dairy products. 

If you’re vegan, in particular, and wondering how to boost your immune system, you might want to look for fortified foods. There are various options including fortified cereals, plant-based milk, or even fortified tofu.

Or you can consider supplementing to further support your immunity on a daily basis. You can try Bio-Kult Boosted, a multi-strain probiotic supplement also containing vitamin B12, which contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system.

9. Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

Learning how you can help to boost your immune system is a critical factor — after all, you’re the one who can tip the scale in your health’s favor.

But what does a healthy lifestyle encompass? Obviously, a versatile diet and consuming diverse nutrients and vitamins are important. But this is only one contributor.

There are, however, many other factors that play into the big picture of immune health.

Both drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and smoking can compromise your immune system. Said to affect the stability of the immune system, smoking can adversely impact your immunity and weaken your body’s response to infections — ultimately reducing your chance of successfully fending off viruses. [2]

The heavy use of alcohol has a similar effect as it can weaken your overall immunity and the way your body responds to illness.

Another factor to keep in mind is your immunizations and flu shots, so make sure you stay up-to-date — particularly during the winter months. Vaccines aid your immune system in making antibodies ahead of time, so your body can more easily fight illnesses.

You can also take supplements that help you maintain healthy levels of vitamins and minerals in your bloodstream and body. Whether you add an advanced multi-strain supplement or take extra vitamin C, supplements can fill in where your lifestyle falls short.

Last but not least, ensure you stay hydrated at all times. Why? Hydration eliminates toxins from your body and helps boost your immune system. 

NOW THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, WHAT WILL YOUR ROUTINE LOOK LIKE?

We all want to live a happy and healthy life, so naturally, boosting our immune system should be a common goal. There are things we all can do to help our immune system in doing its job at fending off infections and viruses. 

Each dietary choice and lifestyle habit can impact your health but it’s never too late to start with a healthy routine. Want to learn more about supplements and how they can help you maintain good health? Here are some of our favorites for you.

References:

1. Monda V, Villano I, Messina A, Valenzano A, Esposito T, Moscatelli F, Viggiano A, Cibelli G, Chieffi S, Monda M, Messina G. Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:3831972. doi: 10.1155/2017/3831972. Epub 2017 Mar 5. PMID: 28357027; PMCID: PMC5357536.

2. Smoking and Overall Health Fact Cheat. Accessed January 10, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/50th-anniversary/pdfs/fs_smoking_overall_health_508.pdf