Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Immune System
A strong immune system is crucial for maintaining good health.
A healthy diet can help maintain it. Basic steps include exercising regularly, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding excessive sun exposure, losing excess weight, and refraining from smoking.
The disease-fighting benefits stem from maintaining healthy habits over time. A glass of OJ this morning isn’t going to jumpstart your immune system into the stratosphere by the afternoon.
An immune-healthy diet includes a rich range of food choices. In fact, that variety is part of what makes it so effective, including fruits and vegetables of every color. So, load up your grocery cart with all the colors of the rainbow (or at least the produce section).
The Cleveland Clinic advocates for the power of three vitamins – C, B, and E. That means, citrus, strawberries, spinach, and broccoli; plus, chicken, salmon, tuna, and green vegetables; and nuts, seeds, and spinach.
WebMD adds button mushrooms, oysters, watermelon, low-fat yogurt, tea (white, green, or black, regular or decaf), garlic, miso, ginger, and – seriously – chicken soup.
And AARP encourages us to eat lean beef, legumes,and pumpkin, as well.
Remember to drink plenty of water every day and always get enough rest.
Then you’ll be giving your immune system everything you can to protect you from invaders, new and old.
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