“Health is not valued until sickness comes.” - Thomas Fuller
It’s easy to neglect our body when all is well. We often take our health for granted – assuming it can take on further stress, inadequate sleeps and a bad diet. Until it cannot. And when we do fall sick, we turn to prescribed medications to ease our pain. Unfortunately, most medications only treat the symptom but they don’t do much in strengthening our immune system. And the cycle continues until we learn the difference between treating the cause and not the symptom.
Keeping your immune system strong is your best defence to stay healthy. Here are some ways to build your immunity naturally.
Stay Hydrated
Here’s an important fact to remember – by the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Not drinking enough water is the most obvious cause of dehydration. Water intake is essential to help flush out toxins, reset our system and keep illness at bay. Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to maintain good health. How do you know if you are drinking enough water? Your urine should be pale and not dark.
Get Colourful With Your Food
Nature has a playful yet ingenious way of highlighting important nutrients in our food. Although most of us are creature of habits, it’s important to try different fruits and vegetables in order to benefit from a complete range of vitamins and minerals. Colourful foods such as berries, kale and broccoli are packed with enormous healing powers that we need to stay healthy. A varied colourful diet is better for our immunity.
Attitude is Everything
A positive mindset can do wonders for our health and wellbeing. It doesn’t matter what life throws at us, it is the ability to focus on the brighter side of life that makes all the difference. Research shows that a positive attitude helps in reducing stress and inflammation. To start, try smiling. Research shows that even fake smiling helps to reduce heart rate and blood pressure when one is stressed. Another tip is to spend time outdoors. It’s hard not to feel positive and at ease when you are immersed in the peace and tranquillity of nature.
While ageing is a privilege, our immune response reduces as we age, which in turn can lead to more infections and diseases. Let’s start by building stronger immunity today – every part of our body will be better for it.
