How to boost your immune system naturally

Chioma Ukpai
ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR
3 min readFeb 22, 2024

Your immune system is responsible for defending you from any form of damage or diseases that arise in your body.

Although the body has its own way of fighting off illnesses, you can help your body.

I would gladly be sharing with you 4 tips to help strengthen your immunity.

1. Get enough sleep

There’s a lot of truth to the idea that sleep is the best medicine says Filip Swirski, PhD.

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Sleep and immunity are closely tied. Inadequate or poor sleep is linked to a higher susceptibility to sickness. When you miss out on sleep, your immune system and inflammatory responses are disrupted in some problematic ways.

One night of poor sleep likely won’t make or break your health. But, it is clear that if you aren’t sleeping well much of the time, your health is likely to suffer from it.

Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night, sleep is a natural activity and you can’t cheat nature.

2. Engage in moderate exercise

Research shows that when it comes to boosting your immunity, moderate- intensity exercise is best.

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Although prolonged intense exercise without rest between sessions can suppress your immune system, moderate exercise can give it a boost.

Regular moderate exercise may reduce inflammation and help your immune cells regenerate regularly.

Jogging, biking, walking, swimming, and hiking are great options for moderate-intensity exercises.

3. Eat more whole plant foods.

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Whole plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, etc are rich in nutrients and antioxidants that may give you an upper hand against harmful pathogens.

The fiber in plant foods feeds your gut microbiome, or the community of healthy bacteria in your gut. A robust gut microbiome can help improve your immunity and help keep harmful pathogens from entering your body via your digestive tract.

Meanwhile, the antioxidants in these foods help decrease inflammation. Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous health conditions including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, etc.

Make smart choices and reduce your consumption of refined grains and sweetened beverages.

4. Stay hydrated

Since 60% of the body is made of water, it makes sense that hydration plays a crucial role in supporting our immune system.

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Hydration doesn’t necessarily protect you from germs and viruses, but preventing dehydration is important to your overall health.

Staying hydrated helps your body eliminate the bacteria and toxins that cause infection.

To prevent dehydration, you should drink enough fluid daily and I recommend WATER, cos it is free of additives, calories, and sugar.

Keep your immunity up by drinking plenty of water to starve off infection. Drink water whether you’re thirsty or not. Most importantly make sure the water you drink is clean.

If you’ve found these health insights valuable, show me some love with a round of claps and leave me comments! And if you’re eager for more tips on living a healthier life (because who isn’t?), hit that follow button for a journey towards a fitter, happier you.

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Chioma Ukpai
ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR

The Lazy Writer Writes ||Student||Health Writer||Building my passion.