How can we build immunity
1. Diet
While no single food will boost your immune system, nutritionist and personal trainer Pip Reed and sports dietitian Robbie Clark suggest it’s important to look at what specific vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals are essential for optimal immune function, and consume a variety of those foods on a regular basis.
Vitamin C – leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, capsicum, chilli, berries, parsley.
Vitamin E – nuts and seeds, spinach, broccoli, dark leafy greens, avocado, trout, prawns, olive oil.
Vitamin B6 – banana, chicken, tuna, salmon, chickpeas. Vitamin A – carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, dark leafy greens, dried apricots, rock melon.
Vitamin D – fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna), mushrooms, fortified milks, Selenium – nuts and seeds (especially Brazil nuts), sardines, tuna, wholemeal bread, pork, chicken, rye.
Zinc – oysters, beef, lamb, spinach, nuts and seeds, raw cocoa, pork, chicken, chickpeas, mushrooms.
2. Exercise
Similar to a healthy, balanced diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system. It may contribute even more directly by promoting good circulation, therefore improving cellular activity, which allows the cells of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job more efficiently.
‘‘Exercising in moderation can help give the immune system a boost and it is thought that approximately 20 minutes of exercise a day is sufficient to take advantage of the benefits,’’ say Reed and Clark. ‘‘When a person exercises, the white blood cells, which combat bacteria and viruses, travel throughout the body faster and more efficiently.’’
3. Sleep
When you’re stressed it’s common for sleep to become disrupted, with our overactive minds often causing us to wake throughout the night. Therefore, it’s important that you try to keep a normal bed routine to remind your body when to switch off and turn back on again.
‘‘If you are really struggling to sleep for a prolonged period of time, it may mean that your melatonin levels and circadian rhythm is out of balance.’’