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Not so long ago, we faced the often-neglected topic of mental health, today we’ll talk about resilience. You will certainly notice common denominators (here you can read about our ways to take care of your psyche). Check what is worth remembering when you want to enjoy health and immunity!
We will start with vitamin D, once again emphasizing the important role it plays in the context of our good mental and physical condition. A study took place at the turn of April and May this year, the results of which are at least interesting. Scientists from the Boston University School of Medicine tested the blood of 235 patients hospitalized due to coronavirus infection. Patients with stable levels of vitamin D were to be much better able to deal with the disease, and their blood had a higher number of lymphocytes that help fight infection.
In patients over the age of 50, stable vitamin D levels were also expected to be associated with a risk of death that was more than 10.1371% lower than in deficient peers. Of course, at the end it should be mentioned that there were some concerns about the sample size of the reported study and doubts as to whether the results were robust enough. It does not change the fact that the work of American scientists is a good starting point and we look forward to the next reports. Here is a link to the description of the entire study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=0239799/journal.pone.XNUMX.
The main source from which our body can draw vitamin D is skin synthesis. It is especially worth remembering about it in the autumn and winter period, when in our latitude we are not able to expose the skin to sufficient sunlight. Sources of vitamin D are also fish, eggs, whole milk and dairy products, but according to the guidelines of the Food and Nutrition Institute, supplementation is obligatory in Poland in the fall and winter season. The dose must be adjusted after examination with doctors, and when going to the pharmacy, be sure to ask about the drug, not about a dietary supplement.
2. Water for better resistance
At least 60% of the adult human weight is water. It is present in all tissues and organs, and in the context of our immunity, it plays such roles as supporting metabolism, removing toxic compounds from the body, regulating blood pressure and body temperature, and moisturizing mucous membranes, making them more resistant to viruses. While it is easier to eat it in spring and summer, in the colder period we often do not feel thirsty, and water is replaced by additional meals, hot liquids such as coffee or tea and soups.
How do I force myself to drink water in the fall and winter? There are several ways. We can try to diversify its taste by adding our favorite ingredients (apart from lemon and mint, it is worth trying additives associated with the cooler season, such as cloves, ginger or cinnamon). We can use applications that will remind us regularly to drink a glass (such a function is available in the Holia application). It’s also a good idea to use more spicy and expressive spices in the kitchen.
First of all, remember to drink a minimum of 2 liters of water a day (men even 2,5). In addition to the positive effect on our immunity, we should observe, among other things, an improvement in well-being and an increase in energy, which we may be missing a bit recently 🙂
3. A good night’s sleep will help you fight viruses
Sleep is one of our basic physiological needs, so by not sleeping well, we do not give our body a chance to regenerate. It is not only about the amount of sleep, but also about the quality of sleep. Sleep deprivation leads, among other things, to:
- increase the level of cortisol, i.e. the stress hormone, in the blood,
- lowering the function of T lymphocytes and monocytes,
- weakening the functioning of NK cells, responsible for the destruction of viruses and cancer cells,
- increasing the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines that generate inflammation.
All these factors significantly reduce the immunity of our body. Numerous studies show that an adult should sleep at least 7 hours a day. How can we ensure the quality of our sleep? Among other things, by avoiding coffee and supplements with a lot of caffeine in the second half of the day, eating the last meal 2-3 hours before going to bed, not falling asleep in front of the TV or with the radio on, so that light and sound do not activate our brain for further work.
More tips on how to ensure the quality of sleep can be found in the article of our dietitian, Amanda Pawlak, here: https://.pl/Nie-śpisz-7h-zystiem- you can not lose weight. The article also describes how good sleep affects our body weight and weight loss.
4. Movement means health and… immunity!
According to the National Center for Nutrition Education, regular moderate exercise, 1-2 hours a day, reduces the risk of upper respiratory tract infections by over 30%. Exercise can increase your resistance to infections and colds in several ways, such as:
- increasing the number and activity of macrophages and thus improving their effectiveness in fighting viruses and bacteria,
- increase in the activity of white blood cells, especially Th lymphocytes,
- temperature increase accompanying the work of muscles itself, which inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Interestingly, the NCEZ also informs that too much activity can lead to a decrease in our immunity. This is to be caused by an increase in the levels of stress hormones, i.e. adrenaline and cortisol, which inhibit the activity of white blood cells. Post-exercise weakening of the immune system is expected to occur most often after continuous exercise, lasting 90 minutes and longer, of moderate and high intensity, performed on an empty stomach.
So how do you find the golden mean? Stress performed daily for at least 40 minutes, but not leading to fatigue, should be considered stimulating for our immune system. In the face of the recent restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, minor gardening work, walks, jogs or bike rides should be a good idea.
It is also worth thinking about exercising at home, especially since … we will probably spend more and more time in it. A stationary bike, cross trainer or stepper can be a great solution in the autumn and winter period. Of course, these are investments that require larger or smaller financial outlays. With the Tasty Matched subscription, you get free access to the Online Fitness Club, including dozens of video training sessions, for which you will not need any equipment. The training sessions are divided into difficulty levels, and you can do all of them at home. We encourage you to read the offer: https://.pl/klub-fitness-online-w-domu.html.
5. What to eat for immunity?
Through the stomach to a healthy heart and more. A proper diet, i.e. one that will provide all the nutrients in the right amounts, also has a huge impact on your immunity. A healthy and balanced diet should be based on the following tips:
- The basis of the diet should be vegetables and fruitswhich are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. It is worth trying to consume 5 servings a day.
- Bread and cereal products (preferably whole grains) should be permanently included in your menu. Same as dairy products, lean meats and vegetable fats; vegetarians can replace meat as a source of protein with legumes, tofu and eggs.
- Avoid highly processed foods, low in nutrients (fast food, sweets).
- Find a place on the menu silage, fermented milk products and sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
- Eat regularly, a minimum of 4 meals a day. Never forget about breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
We also remind you about our guide, in which you will find information on what to replace products that you don’t have at home or have not received in the store. Plus, tips on how to safely shop and recipes for healthy and nutritious meals.
It is definitely worth adding to the universal methods mentioned earlier reduce stress and rest. Long-term stress reduces the efficiency of the immune system, and although it is often unavoidable, it is worth finding ways to deal with it. Find the right relaxation method, from music, movies, books to exercise or other physical activity. Allow yourself also a moment of rest, find time only for yourself – if you work from home, don’t let your work take more hours than it was before the lockdown.
Finally, we have gathered a few ways to increase resilience directly from our Users:
Maratha: a head of garlic, squeezed 2 lemons, a small jar of honey – add warm (but not hot) water to a liter jar. A spoonful a day, every day during the sick season. My mother has been using it for 2 years and she has not had a cold even once, and she caught a few times every year 🙂 I started using it only recently, so I will test it on myself 🙂
Tomek: a bowl of oatmeal with yoghurt, cranberries and raisins, good for cleansing the digestive tract, has a lot of vegetable protein.
Man Burn it: Of the tastier ones: honey, lemon and ginger syrup. Of the disgusting ones: a mixture of apple cider vinegar with turmeric, pepper, garlic, ginger, lemon, chilli and horseradish 😀
abcbcd: people who feel that their body is not working properly should get tested. Various disorders of the body’s work can also affect immunity. In addition, it is said that exercise also increases immunity, moisturizing dry air in heated rooms, diet, avoiding stimulants.
Be sure to let me know if you have any proven methods of your own and if you manage to roughly apply the ones we mentioned in today’s article.