5 Ways to Help Boost Your Immune System

 

Taking care of our bodies helps us when fighting infections - potentially enabling us to live longer!

If you want to give your white blood cells a boost, adopting a healthy lifestyle is a must. This article includes five handy tips on how to keep your immune system strong.

1. Adopting a Healthy Diet

We’re told from a young age that our diets should contain plenty of fruits and vegetables. This doesn’t only help to keep us at a healthy weight and make our skin and hair look great - some foods are especially rich in the vitamins and minerals we need to improve immune responses. 

Many foods, like bell peppers, broccoli and spinach, contain vitamin C, which prompts our body to create more white blood cells. These are great for fighting infections.

Garlic and ginger contain amino acids which have an anti-inflammatory effect and improve the health of your gut bacteria.

Gut bacteria are a collection of friendly microorganisms that help regulate your immune responses. The gut microbiome - the environment in which these microorganisms thrive - can also be improved by eating fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut.

Remember, steaming veg rather than roasting or frying it helps it to retain more nutrients!

B&M Top Tip: adding fruit and veg rich in vitamin C to your soups and smoothies helps you to cram in a little extra nutrition without much effort.

2. Taking Vitamins

You can also take vitamins and minerals in capsule, tablet or effervescent form.

We recommend picking up supplements rich in vitamin C, zinc and healthy oils like Omega-3.

B&M Top Tip: look out for packs of multivitamins and minerals. They contain a wider variety of the good stuff, so you won’t need to take a tonne of different tablets each day.

3. Sleeping Well

A lack of sleep can negatively affect your immune system. Why not give your room a cosy makeover and take steps to make your bed more comfy? This will help you to drift off into a deep sleep much more easily. 

Having a selection of covers to hand - including sheets, blankets and duvets of different weights - will aid your slumber whatever the time of year.

B&M Top Tip: memory foam pillows can help to soothe aches and pains and support you in exactly the way you need.

4. Exercising

 

Grab your trainers and get on the move!

Regular exercise boosts the circulation of white blood cells, helping them to track down and fight illnesses more easily.

If you plan to exercise outdoors during a disease outbreak or pandemic, practice proper social distancing by remaining at least 2 metres away from other individuals.

B&M Top Tip: remember to stay hydrated. Choose from our huge range of Water Bottles & Drink Flasks - there's a style and colour for every member of the family!

5. Keeping Clean

Wash your hands to kill germs! It’s one of the easiest ways in which you can boost your immune system. 

Use plenty of soap and follow official hand washing guidelines. You should wash for at least 20 seconds multiple times a day - particularly: 

• After using the toilet
• After sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose
• After changing a nappy
• After touching animals
• Before and after preparing or eating food
• Before and after touching a wound

B&M Top Tip: stay clean on the go by using hand sanitiser. 

So, to boost your immune system, simply eat well, take vitamins and minerals, get a good night’s sleep, get lots of exercise and wash your hands!

B&M Top Tip: for supplies to help you fight any illness, check out our health & wellbeing section.

What are your favourite vitamin-rich recipes? Share them with the B&M Community via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!