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What is the Immune System?
The immune system is a shield that forms the defense against diseases in living things, recognizes the formation of pathogens and tumor cells, destroys them when necessary, and protects the body against diseases.
Its functioning is so detailed that it can even distinguish between substances that are almost identical in structure, such as proteins and amino acids. “Immunology”, known as the science of immunity, protects the living organism by distinguishing foreign substances that are not good for it from the body’s own cells and tissues.
When Does the Immune System Activate?
When the immune system, which becomes active with birth, weakens, the living being’s risk of catching a disease increases at the same rate. The stronger we keep our immune system in our body, the lower our risk of getting sick.
So, how do we keep the immune system in our body strong?
As cold weather is approaching, unhealthy nutrition, irregular sleep, lack of physical activity, smoking and alcohol use, and being under intense stress affect our immune system and lower the body’s resistance to diseases. Let’s list what you need to do immediately to keep your immune system strong.
Eat a Balanced and Healthy Diet
Our body has certain needs; these needs do not end merely with feeling full and meeting the energy requirement. The carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals that the body needs must be taken. Daily meals must include plant and animal protein sources, and nuts, vegetables, and fruit groups should be in nutrition plans. Probiotics, apple cider vinegar, and pickles, which have been heard a lot recently, also protect and strengthen immunity.
Pay Attention to Your Water Consumption
Winter is almost here, and generally, people’s feeling of thirst is lower in winter, so drinking water does not often come to mind in winter. So, what can happen in the body when this water consumption does not come to mind? Inadequate fluid intake causes recurrent infections. Even if there is no feeling of thirst, we need to remind ourselves to consume water and drink a minimum of 1.5 liters of water a day. Remember that our daily water need should be met by water itself, not from coffee, tea, or acidic beverages.
You Must Get Regular and High-Quality Sleep
Unfortunately, the immune systems of people who experience insomnia or have sleep disorders are low. Irregular sleep weakens the immune system, inviting infections. Sleep is the resting phase of your body, brain, and organs. If a person can get quality sleep, their body rests, and their immune system becomes strong.
Quit Smoking and Alcohol
Smoking directly invites respiratory tract infections. In the long and short term, smoking not only poses a threat to health but also prolongs the healing process when it does. Long-term and heavy use of smoking and alcohol consumption creates serious negative effects on all organs that make up the immune system.
Manage Your Stress
Protecting our body from chronic and intense stress is the first step to be taken for the immune system to work healthily. Chronic stress exposes the body to stress hormones that suppress the immune system, and its treatment is highly personalized. The individual should use their own specific stress-coping methods to get rid of stress. If they have difficulty coping with stress individually, they should take the situation under control by seeking help from a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Incorporate the Effect of Sports into Your Life
It has been proven by many studies that regular and balanced exercise has many positive effects on the body. Exercise strengthens the immune system, reduces the risk of catching diseases, and helps to overcome diseases quickly. In addition to the immune system, it also has positive effects on the nervous system and cardiovascular health. Taking an average of ten thousand steps a day helps boost your immune system. However, the fact that exercise programs are personalized will increase the individual’s efficiency in the exercise they do.
What is the state of your immune system?
Everyone’s lifestyle in life is unique to themselves. If you are a person who has adopted healthy living as a philosophy, it means you already do not need to worry about your immune system. But what if you are not? A busy work life brings both stress to our lives and restricts exercising, right? In that case, you should start keeping your immunity strong piece by piece.
First of all, the first piece you can do in your life routine spent under this intense stress and with restricted movement is water consumption management. For those working at a desk job, the most appropriate move should be to immediately order a water bottle that shows how many liters of water you drink. Wouldn’t tracking your water daily and seeing that you drink a minimum of 1.5 liters of water a day make you happy too? If your answer is yes, I am moving on to the second thing you need to do. “Eating healthily”, which is often difficult to do in the hustle and bustle of life or when leaving work late, actually affects our lives seriously negatively.
Think of it this way: you left work and went home late, and on the way, you bought some ready-made food, ate this food immediately, and slept. Well, what did you do to digest it? Did you feel tired when you woke up in the morning? Did it cause you to wake up with a dry mouth? Did it even affect your dreams?
Just try sleeping 2-3 hours after consuming a healthy meal for one day and see the difference. Moreover, by doing this, you will both strengthen your immune system and increase your quality of life. Remember, eating healthily will always benefit you.
