Autumn has arrived here in the UK and we’re now marching quickly towards the winter months, traditionally cold and flu season. But, this year, we’ve also got coronavirus to worry about and, with rising cases and deaths, we’re heading into another lockdown.

A healthy immune system protects our bodies from viruses and bacteria, helping to fight infections and reduce the risk of contracting highly contagious diseases. However, an excessive and over-stimulated immune response can actually be damaging too (especially in how coronavirus reacts) so, rather than ‘boosting’ our immune system, it’s important instead to support it.

Here are 7 ways you can do that.

1 . Eat a healthy diet

Eating a colourful, well-balanced diet containing all food groups can help to keep us healthy. Try to include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains; healthy fats (eg. olive oil) and lean meat or fish. Fruit and veggies give us a variety of antioxidants and nutrients, including Vitamin C. However, avoid or reduce overly salted, sugary and processed foods which have little or no nutrients.

2. Look after your gut

A healthy gut protects our bodies from infection, with 70-80% of the immune system cited as being in the gut. This blog post from Kings College London gives more information. Following a Mediterranean type diet can benefit our gut, along with eating foods containing probiotics such as natural yoghurt, sauerkraut and artisan cheeses.

3. Exercise regularly

Exercising helps to reduce stress and improve sleep, which in turn benefits our immune system. Along with a healthy diet, regular exercise can also reduce obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. However, make sure you build rest and recovery into your routine as over-exercising can actually suppress immune function and lead to fatigue and injury.

4. Get a good night’s sleep

A lack of sleep can put us at risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, plus it increases cortisol (the stress hormone) and disrupts our immune system. Most of us need around 7-8 hours of good quality sleep. Try these tips to help you sleep better:

• Stick to a sleep schedule (go to bed and get up at the same time every day)

• Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet

• Switch the phone and other light emitting devices off at least 30 minutes before going to bed

• Meditate before going to sleep

• Limit daytime naps

5. Reduce your stress levels

When we’re stressed, our immune system struggles to fight off viruses and other antigens, making us more susceptible to infection. The increase of cortisol, a stress hormone, can also suppress the immune system. It’s therefore important to find ways to reduce our stress levels and, what works for one person might be different for another. Check my previous blog post ‘How to reduce stress’ for some tips and ideas.

6. Drink plenty of water

Drinking water carries oxygen to our cells, resulting in a properly functioning system, and helps to remove toxins from our body. Staying hydrated can also reduce headaches, improve memory, help with digestion, reduce sugar cravings and improve our mood. The NHS recommends 6-8 glasses a day, but remember that this can include tea (without sugar) and herbal teas. While we’re talking about fluids, remember that excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt gut balance and suppress the immune system.

7. Get your vitamins

Ok, so I kind of covered this earlier when talking about eating a healthy and well-balance diet, but here are some specific vitamins/minerals which are great for supporting the immune system, and where you can find them naturally.

• Vitamin C: Citrus fruit, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, strawberries, bell peppers and carrots.

• Vitamin D: Fortified cereals, oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), egg yolks and sunlight.

• Zinc: Chickpeas, beans, crabs, oysters, nuts, seeds, dairy, meat and bread.

Summary

A healthy lifestyle, including a well-balanced diet, regular exercise, plenty of sleep and staying hydrated can really help to support our immune systems.

However, skin is also an important part of the immune system as it acts as a barrier between germs and the body. The problem comes when those germs are transferred to other areas that are more susceptible to infection such as the nose, mouth and eyes.

It’s therefore important to maintain good personal hygiene, especially during the current coronavirus pandemic. So remember: wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing happy birthday twice), cover your face with a mask in public places indoors and maintain a 2 metre distance.

Stay healthy everyone.

Outdoor-Girl is run by Jacquie Budd, a freelance writer providing content writing, copywriting and digital marketing services for businesses and charities.

Visit www.jacquiebudd.com for more information.