How to Boost your Immune System

You’ve been stressed, overwhelmed by a demanding schedule, and skimping on sleep. Suddenly you feel sick. It starts with a sore throat, a runny nose, and a mild headache. A few hours later you experience chills, muscle aches, and fatigue that make working difficult. Clearly, your body is talking: Slow down and double down on the self-care, it begs, but who has the time?

While a magic solution to completely knock out an infection does not exist, there are numerous natural approaches you can take to boost your immune system. Doing so can support your body so it can fight a virus, like the common cold or the flu.

Sleep reboots the immune system and has a big impact on your body’s ability to fight infection. So as soon as you notice you’re feeling run down, unplug, take a nap, and go to bed early.

Your body makes several types of cells and antibodies that fight infections while you’re sleeping. Not only are you more likely to fall ill when exposed to viruses, if you get sick and aren’t sleeping well it can take longer to recover. A 2015 study found that individuals who slept less than six hours a night were more than four times more likely to catch a cold than people who slept more than seven hours.

Having trouble sleeping? Create a sleep routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Turn off electronics about an hour before retiring. Keep your room dark and cool. Avoid caffeine, large meals, and alcohol close to bedtime.
To run efficiently, function optimally, and fight off disease, your immune system needs training, balance, and support. Managing stress, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, taking a good multivitamin (to ensure you get all the nutrients you need), exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, and staying hydrated are important long-term strategies that help keep your immune system strong.

However, even if you do take good care of your body you still may be vulnerable to infection. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to boost your immune system fast. Here are some suggestions.