In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are looking for every opportunity to boost our immunity and prevent illness (including yours truly). On their own, our immune systems to an incredible job of defending us from foreign invaders. We are exposed to hundreds of millions of bacteria, parasites, and viruses each day, yet most of us rarely get sick. However, we’ve seen that in the outbreak of COVID, HIV/AIDS, Spanish Flu, Swine Flu, and countless other pandemics, our immune systems can sometimes fail us.

What can we do to possibly make our immune systems stronger so they can better protect us against these devastating diseases? Can we change our diet? Should we take vitamins or other supplements? What lifestyle changes can we make to give ourselves a fighting chance against all these pathogens?

The immune system is a complex balance of many body systems working together and research isn’t exactly sure how all these components communicate to create our immune response to pathogens. We do know one thing: to keep your immune system strong and healthy, your whole body needs to be strong and healthy.

Antioxidants

Good ol’ fruits and veggies have nutrients with immune-boosting powers. These nutrients are known as antioxidants, such as beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, copper, and iron.

1. Beta carotene is found in orange and red fruits and vegetables (think “carrot” for “carotene”) and is a component of vitamin A. Tomatoes, carrots, sweet potato, oranges, apples, bell peppers, cantaloupe, and anything with a natural red-orange hue has beta carotene.
2. Vitamin C is known to be found mainly in citrus fruits, but did you know that papaya, bell peppers, strawberries, and cantaloupe are some of the highest sources of vitamin C? (Hey, aren’t those foods red-orange too?) Still, oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit are also super high in Vitamin C. Regardless of any fruit or vegetable you choose, it’s likely to be a good, great, or excellent source of vitamin C.

While I can go on and on about what foods contain antioxidants, it’s better (and easier) to eat a large variety of fruits and vegetables with a wide array of colors to make sure you have all the essential nutrients. Think of it as eating the rainbow!

Exercise

Research has found that regular exercise can boost your metabolism, maintain a healthy weight, reduce stress, control blood pressure and improve overall health. Does this mean you need to run 10 miles or go to the gym every day? No! You can get plenty of mild to moderate exercise doing ordinary, everyday activities.

1. Cleaning – dust, mop, sweep, and vacuum to sneak in a few more exercise minutes (and clear out some dust bunnies too)
2. Cooking – hustling and bustling around the kitchen chopping veggies and washing dishes definitely counts as physical activity
3. Parking – park farther away from wherever you want to go, this will help you get more steps

Hippocrates once said that walking is the best medicine, and he was right. Today we know that being more active improves your overall health and, consequently, your immune health as well.

Hygiene

Today, more than ever, personal hygiene is the pinnacle of health. Hand washing, mask-wearing, covering cough/sneeze, social distancing, cleaning and disinfecting, and being vigilant of signs and symptoms of infection are more important than they’ve ever been. Hands down, one of the best ways to keep your immune system strong and healthy is to not get sick. To protect yourself and others, please:

1. Wash your hands. This is important especially after being in a public place, blowing your nose or touching your face, or after touching animals or pets. If you can’t wash your hands, using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol should do the trick until you reach a sink.
2. Wear a face covering. This is to protect both yourself and others from any germs that you carry, especially highly infectious ones.
3. Social distancing. It may be hard to stay away from your friends and family during this time, but maintaining a minimum distance of 6 feet will protect everyone.

Finally, remember that to stay healthy it’s important to both social distance and wear a face covering. You wouldn’t forgo a seatbelt because airbags work, nor would you forgo airbags because a seatbelt works.

I hope these tips for boosting immunity are helpful. Stay happy and healthy!

Please see the following links about COVID-19 information and safety.

https://www.eatright.org/coronavirus

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public