You can build a strong immune system through a well-balanced diet and exercise. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, a moderate amount of carbohydrates and dairy, and maintain an exercise routine appropriate to your age and lifestyle. This sounds easy enough. But in the real world, it can be difficult to eat healthily on a daily basis and routines often go awry. To keep your immune system healthy or give it a boost, follow these tips.
Instructions
1. Take your supplements in small doses over the span of a day. The human body can only process a certain amount of nutrients at a time.
2. Consume vitamin C, an excellent immune-booster. With six servings of fruit a day, you can take in around 200 milligrams of vitamin C. Your body will process almost all of it. If you supplement your fruit intake with vitamin C capsules or tablets, take one tablet in the morning and one later in the day, allowing your body to efficiently process and utilize the supplement.
3. Get your vitamin A, which stimulates the production of antibodies. It is also an antioxidant, working to eliminate free radical cells. Take supplements in small doses. Your body produces vitamin A, and too much can be toxic to your system. An intake of 5,000 IU (international units) a day is sufficient.
4. Consume vitamin E, also an antioxidant. Seeds, grains and vegetable oils all provide vitamin E. You need no more than 400 milligrams daily in supplement form. If you have an active lifestyle and enjoy a proper diet, no more than 100 milligrams is necessary.
5. Use certain herbs in your cooking to improve your immune system’s performance. Add such herbs as watercress, sage, oregano, parsley, rosemary, ginger and fennel to your meals. Using fresh and dried herbs to season food is a natural, tasty way to boost .
6. Add garlic, preferably fresh, to your diet. Garlic is an antioxidant and fights infections. Garlic supplements are not as effective as fresh garlic and are more expensive.
7. Eat tomatoes. Tomatoes contain lycopenes, antioxidants that stimulate the immune system. They have earned the title "super food," meaning they are high in nutritional value, containing high amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Dark greens such as spinach and kale are also super foods. So are avocados, pumpkins, green beans and soybeans. Also add dark-colored fruits such as blueberries, raspberries and cranberries to your diet.
8. Go for bioflavonoids. These immune boosters are found in the colored part of fruits, vegetables, grains and flowers. Foods high in bioflavonoids have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-allergen and anti-cancer properties. Bioflavonoids are not vitamins, but rather work in concert with vitamins to charge up your immune system. Citrus fruits such as mangos, oranges and lemons are excellent sources of bioflavonoids. So are grapes, currants, apricots, cherries and cantaloupe.
9. Take a good multivitamin, along with additional vitamins A, C and E. This gives your immune system additional power to ward off colds, flu, and other viral and bacterial infections. But no supplement can replace a well-balanced diet. Add more super foods to your diet and enhance their flavors with herbs.
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