The human immune system is a remarkable thing. It will quickly pick up on harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi and other foreign or harmful substances.
All day and all night, your immune system works to fight off infection and protect your body against disease, activating defences in the form of skin and mucous membranes, antibodies and chemical agents.
It can’t hurt to boost your immune system during peak cold and flu season. Reducing your risk of sickness is better than a cure.
Proactively working to maintain a healthy immunity will help strengthen your body’s defences to help you enjoy a happier, healthier life.
Set up your immune system with a good night’s sleep
Late nights are fun, but back them up, and your immune system might take a battering.
Staying up late, whether you’re out and about, binging your fave TV series or travelling across time zones, can compromise your immune system.
Try to keep a regular sleep routine and ensure you’re getting the right amount of sleep for you. 8 hours is recommended for adults, but some people require more, and others require less^.
Eat your way to good health
Try to eat a rainbow for every meal. Fruit and veggies look good and taste even better, plus they’re wonderfully versatile ingredients.
Where possible, eat in-season veggies, red, orange, or yellow vegetables like capsicums, tomatoes and carrots, and white vegetables such as cauliflower, mushrooms and potatoes^^.
Vitamin C is key — so tuck into oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, strawberries, capsicums, spinach, kale and broccoli as often as you can.
Vitamin B6 is another crucial player in the immunity game. It’s vital for supporting biochemical reactions in the immune system, so start to hero chicken, cold water fish (such as tuna and salmon) and chickpeas in your cooking.
Adults generally need 5 to 6 servings of vegetables a day. It’s important to remember that one serving of vegetables is half a cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of raw vegetables. You can increase your vegetable intake by eating salads or soups^^.
Protect yourself with a flu jab
Prevention is better than cure, so stop the flu before you spread it. An annual flu shot is the best way to protect your immune system against the flu — which can be life-threatening^^^.
Head into your local Blooms The Chemist and ask one of the friendly pharmacists for your flu vaccination. They’ll also be able to advice on how best to manage colds and flu this season.
Published by Smooth.com.au
References
^Healthdirect, Sleep, accessed 15 September 2023
^^Healthdirect, Balanced Diet, accessed 15 September 2023
^^^Healthdirect, Flu Vaccine FAQS, accessed 15 September 2023