Winter offers you a lot. You get low temperatures, surreal snow, and plenty of fun adventure sports during this season. It's very important that your mind and body are healthy and prepared enough to make the best of this challenging season and that's where a strong immunity comes in. If your immunity is strong, you'll be able to deal with anything the weather might throw at you. Just follow these 8 tips to boost immunity during winter and enjoy the best of the cold season.
8 Tips To Boost Immunity During Winter
- Keep Yourself Hydrated
- Use Essential Oils
- Get Proper Sleep
- Follow A Healthy Diet
- Try To Exercise Regularly
- Get That Vitamin D
- Practice Meditation
- Reduce Your Sugar Intake
1. Keep Yourself Hydrated
This is a basic tip but a rather important one. When it’s cold and moist outside, we often forget to drink water, which can cause dehydration. Winter can also cause you a lot of dryness because the cold tends to suck the moisture off. That’s also why it becomes way more important to keep yourself hydrated, so your body has enough fluids to make up for the loss of moisture. Keep a note of your water intake and if needed, you can take help from an app that can remind you to drink water.
2. Use Essential Oils
If there’s a time to make use of those luxurious essential oils, it’s the cold season. Essential oils work wonders when mixed with hot water, which is perfect for winter. Eucalyptus, oregano, myrrh, lemon, frankincense, ginger, peppermint, cinnamon, etc. present in essential oils can enhance the activity in your immune cells, which can lead to an immunity boost. These oils come in different budget ranges and variants, so you can go for whatever suits you the best.
3. Get Proper Sleep
We’re all guilty of taking our sleep for granted. Sometimes it’s a night of Netflix and food and other days, the party seems more inviting than your bed. Doing this on a regular basis can hamper your immunity in a bad way. It might sound cliche, but you do need that 8 hours of sleep. The cold affects your body as well as your mind, and proper sleep can boost the activity of your immune cells (specifically known as T cells) that help in strengthening your immune system.
4. Focus On A Healthy Diet
Your elders are right when they say that a healthy body is home to a healthy mind. Your diet affects all the areas of your life and if you stick to a healthy one, there are only positives. Your immunity thrives when your body is getting the right vitamins and proteins. Include foods like clove, garlic, potatoes, onions, and green vegetables in your diet. Such foods promote growth and maintain the beneficial microbes, which can later break down into fibers and boost immune cells activity. To put it simply, it works with the microbes that strengthen your immune system and can help you fight off any casual sickness.
5. Try To Exercise Regularly
Exercise is especially important during winter because your body and mind start to slog. Researchers claim that exercise contributes to positive changes in antibodies and White Blood Cells (WBCs). WBCs are the primary fighters when it comes to flushing out bacteria and helping with colds and flu. Exercising regularly helps in increasing the circulation of immune cells in your body and makes you more resistant to infections. So, definitely start building an exercise routine, be it with yoga or a full-body workout.
6. Get That Vitamin D
Our body needs many things to function well and vitamin D is one of those essentials. Vitamin D plays a huge role in regulating your immunity by altering the number of White Blood Cells. WBCs provide your immune system with the tools to fight off bacteria and viruses.
Outdoors and the sun are very important sources of vitamin D, but you might not get frequent opportunities when it’s cold. You can consume foods like salmon, orange, milk, beef, etc. for balancing that vitamin D intake. If the sun is like a distant friend, then consult with your doctor and start taking vitamin D supplements if advised.
7. Practice Meditation
Meditation is a great way to offer positive coping mechanisms to your mind and body. Regular meditation can strengthen your mind and body while boosting the activity of genes. and various studies claim that it also has positive effects on your immune system. Meditation is also a great way to deal with the cold you feel inside and outside because it makes you feel warm and relaxed.
8. Reduce Your Sugar Intake
Winter offers you plenty of delicious drinks with high sugar content, and though they might look tempting, a lot of sugar can damage WBCs. This, in turn, could weaken your immune system. You should start by being mindful of your sugar intake and gradually reduce your intake. Don’t feel disheartened if you have a sweet tooth, because now there are plenty of sugar substitutes available in the market. So, you can still satisfy your cravings without messing up your immunity.
Summing Up
A strong immunity can help you achieve your winter goals, so it’s very important that you take active steps for it. We’re hoping that our tips to boost immunity during winter will motivate you to make healthy lifestyle choices.
FAQs
What Should I Eat For The Immune System In Winter?
Having specific foods during winter can definitely boost your immune system. Amla (Indian gooseberry), ghee, dates, sweet potato, and jaggery are some foods that you should eat to strengthen your immune system in winter.
Can Tea Boost The Immune System?
Various studies have shown that tea, especially green tea, has antioxidant properties which can boost your immune system. If you have a strong immune system, the risk of inflammation, heart disease, and even cancer can be reduced.
In Which Food Items Vitamin E Is Present?
Peanuts, almonds, avocados, broccoli, hazelnuts, and spinach are some of the food items that are rich in vitamin E.
How Do You Stay Healthy In Winter?
Staying warm using winter clothing, body, and hand warmers, eating healthy food, drinking enough water, and exercising are some of the ways to stay healthy in winter.
