Immunity is something that’s at the forefront of everyone’s minds these days, but it should be always.
The immune system is composed of a collection of cells, tissues, and organs that help the body fight infections and other diseases. How well the immune system functions depends on a number of factors, some of which are directly impacted by the lifestyle choices you make on a daily basis.
Here are 7 expert-backed tips to help boost immunity that you can easily incorporate into your daily life starting today.
7 Tips to Help Boost Immunity
#1 Eat More Fruits & Vegetables
No matter what your goal is, diet plays a key role in helping you achieve your goals...including a healthy functioning immune system.
Foods like fruits and vegetables (as well as nuts, seeds, and whole grains) contain essential vitamins and minerals as well as powerful antioxidants (like vitamin C) which support the various cells of the immune systems and may even help reduce the duration of cold symptoms.[1]
Plant foods also contain fiber, which serve as food for the good gut bacteria in our GI system that also play an important role in immunity.[2,3]
Despite the importance that eating a nutritious diet plays in promoting optimal health and immune function, many individuals struggle to consume enough whole plant foods each day for a variety of reasons.
Supplementing with high-quality fruits and vegetables supplements, such as 1UP Greens and Reds, can help ensure you’re getting in enough micronutrients each day.
#2 Eat Healthy Fats
Inflammation (much like insulin) is viewed in a negative light these days.
But, the truth is that some inflammation is necessary, especially if you want to build muscle and gain strength. The type of inflammation you want to watch out for is chronic, systemic inflammation, which can actually impair immunity.[4]
Healthy fats, like olive oil, avocados, and omega-3s, may support immunity due to their anti-inflammatory qualities.[5]
In addition to making sure you’re consuming enough healthy fats each day, it may also be beneficial to supplement with an omega-3 supplement, such as 1UP omega-3, since most individuals don’t consume enough fatty fish regularly.
1UP Omega-3 supplies 2,000mg of high-strength omega-rich fish oil concentrate per serving.
#3 Make Sure You’re Getting Probiotics
Gut health has surged to the forefront of public interest in recent times, especially given the link between the health of the microbiome and various facets of life, including mood, performance, cognitive function, and immunity.
In fact, research indicates that a diverse and healthy microbiome can aid immune cells differentiate between healthy cells and pathogens.[6]
One of the most discussed topics regarding gut health are a collection of organisms known asprobiotics.
Probiotics are good gut bacteria that can boost health when consumed in adequate amounts. There are several different types of probiotics, and you can obtain them from foods (sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, yogurt, kombucha, etc.) or supplements.
Studies suggest that probiotics may improve the functionality of the mucosal and systemic immune systems through the activation of multiple immune mechanisms.[7]
1UP Gut Health Plus contains a 13-strain probiotic complex along with digestive enzymes and prebiotics to offer comprehensive digestive and gut health support.
#4 Get Enough Sleep
The quality of your sleep is directly tied to every facet and function of your life, including immunity.
Poor sleep is known to directly impair immune function and increase susceptibility to infection.[8]
Despite the importance sleep plays in promoting optimal health and wellness, many individuals still struggle to get enough sleep each night.
If you need help getting better quality sleep each night, try these tips:
- Limit blue light exposure 2 hours before bed
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine before bed
- Avoid sources of stress (work emails, texts, social media, news) before bed
- Don’t eat too close to bedtime
- Set a bedtime (and stick to it)
- Make your room cool and dark
- Wear loose fitting clothing
- Journal and/or meditate
If you’re having a particularly difficult time unwinding after a long, stressful day, you can also try using a nighttime relaxation and recovery aid, such as our men’s and women’s sleep aids, Recharge PM and Beauty Dream PM.
Recharge PM and Beauty Dream PM contain natural, non-habit forming ingredients that promote feelings of calm while soothing a hyperactive CNS to help busy individuals unwind and achieve the deep restorative sleep they need to stay healthy and fit.
#5 Exercise Regularly
Regular physical activity (i.e. exercise) is a vital part of achieving and maintaining optimal health as well as supporting immunity.
It’s also important to keep in mind that (as with most things in life) you can overdo it, and too much exercise has been shown to impair immune function.[9] The same can be said for not doing enough exercise.
Moderate exercise has been found to reduce inflammation and help immune cells regenerate.[10]
Current recommendations are to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Chances are if you’re participating in our transformation challenge, you’re already meeting the 150-minute minimum and then some!
#6 Manage Stress
These days, stress is at an all time high. And, when stress levels are high, not only is your performance, recovery, and mental health impaired, but so too is your immunity.
Chronic stress leads to systemic inflammation which disrupts normal immune cell function and can increase susceptibility to infection.[11]
As difficult as it may be, it’s imperative to keep stress in check daily. Some activities that may help you manage stress include:
- Breathing drills (box breathing)
- Exercise (see point #5)
- Yoga
- Journaling
- Praying/meditating
- Limiting news/social media consumption
#7 Spend Time Outdoors
Many of us are feeling cooped up these days, but getting outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine is one of the best things you can do for maintaining a healthy immune system.
Something as simple as taking a 20-minute walk each day not only helps you get in some much needed exercise, but it also gives you the opportunity to enjoy a change of scenery andget some vitamin D.
Vitamin D has been identified as a pivotal player in immunity as it modulates both the innate and adaptive immune systems.[12] Deficiencies in the “sunshine vitamin” are also known to lead to increased risk of illness.
As if that wasn’t enough reason to spend more time outdoors, research also shows that taking a “nature pill” (walking in nature) can help reduce stress levels[13], which also supports immune function.
If you’re not able to spend enough time outdoors, or you live in an area where you’re not exposed to direct sunlight, you can supplement with vitamin D3.
1UP Multi-Go Men & Women each supply 800 IU of vitamin D3.
References
- Hemilä H, Chalker E. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jan 31;(1):CD000980. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4. PMID: 23440782.
- Yeoh YK, Zuo T, Lui GC, et al. Gut microbiota composition reflects disease severity and dysfunctional immune responses in patients with COVID-19Gut Published Online First: 11 January 2021. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-323020
- Holscher HD. Dietary fiber and prebiotics and the gastrointestinal microbiota. Gut Microbes. 2017 Mar 4;8(2):172-184. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2017.1290756. Epub 2017 Feb 6. PMID: 28165863; PMCID: PMC5390821.
- Dhabhar FS. Effects of stress on immune function: the good, the bad, and the beautiful. Immunol Res. 2014 May;58(2-3):193-210. doi: 10.1007/s12026-014-8517-0. PMID: 24798553.
- Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Epel ES, Belury MA, Andridge R, Lin J, Glaser R, Malarkey WB, Hwang BS, Blackburn E. Omega-3 fatty acids, oxidative stress, and leukocyte telomere length: A randomized controlled trial. Brain Behav Immun. 2013 Feb;28:16-24. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2012.09.004. Epub 2012 Sep 23. PMID: 23010452; PMCID: PMC3545053.
- Wu HJ, Wu E. The role of gut microbiota in immune homeostasis and autoimmunity. Gut Microbes. 2012;3(1):4-14. doi:10.4161/gmic.19320
- Maldonado Galdeano C, Cazorla SI, Lemme Dumit JM, Vélez E, Perdigón G. Beneficial Effects of Probiotic Consumption on the Immune System. Ann Nutr Metab. 2019;74(2):115-124. doi: 10.1159/000496426. Epub 2019 Jan 23. PMID: 30673668.
- Prather AA, Janicki-Deverts D, Hall MH, Cohen S. Behaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold. Sleep. 2015 Sep 1;38(9):1353-9. doi: 10.5665/sleep.4968. PMID: 26118561; PMCID: PMC4531403.
- Walsh NP, Oliver SJ. Exercise, immune function and respiratory infection: An update on the influence of training and environmental stress. Immunol Cell Biol. 2016 Feb;94(2):132-9. doi: 10.1038/icb.2015.99. Epub 2015 Nov 13. PMID: 26563736.
- Simpson RJ, Kunz H, Agha N, Graff R. Exercise and the Regulation of Immune Functions. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;135:355-80. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.08.001. Epub 2015 Sep 5. PMID: 26477922.
- Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Doyle WJ, Miller GE, Frank E, Rabin BS, Turner RB. Chronic stress, glucocorticoid receptor resistance, inflammation, and disease risk. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Apr 17;109(16):5995-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1118355109. Epub 2012 Apr 2. PMID: 22474371; PMCID: PMC3341031.
- Aranow C. Vitamin D and the immune system. J Investig Med. 2011 Aug;59(6):881-6. doi: 10.2310/JIM.0b013e31821b8755. PMID: 21527855; PMCID: PMC3166406.
- MaryCarol R. Hunter, Brenda W. Gillespie, Sophie Yu-Pu Chen. Urban Nature Experiences Reduce Stress in the Context of Daily Life Based on Salivary Biomarkers. Frontiers in Psychology, 2019; 10 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722
