Let’s talk about Lifestyle and I present few tips –
a) Sleep- Sleep rejuvenates our body, this is the time when our body is healing itself so getting adequate and proper sleep is very important. Following a sleep pattern in addition to adequate no of hours is very important. Our body needs to stay in rhythm so disturbed sleep patterns do not do good to body. Disturbed sleep, or lack of sleep can cause havoc to our immunity which means exposing ourselves to potential disease.

b) Regular Exercise- Following a regular exercise routine is very important. Often exercise is misunderstood to be equal to spending hours in the Gym and doing strong work outs. Building a body in the gym is a personal preference but the perception that this is the only form of exercise many a times deter people from keeping fit. Exercise in simple terms means—keeping ourselves active, ensuring every part of our body gets appropriate exercise. Therefore following a proper routine such as walks, doing stretching and Yoga can do as much wonder. Most important thing is to ensure the routine is followed and you will see the benefits in the form of better health and an active life.

c) Stress- Prolonged exposure to stress plays havoc on body’s overall well-being. Anyone who has built a reaction to get stressed quickly usually finds him or herself in a difficult position to exit out of that habit. Prolonged long term stress weakens the immune system. There are certain techniques we can follow to reduce our stress levels-

• Deep breathing

• Meditation

• Pranayama (Yoga)

• Spending adequate time in doing what we like—be it music, gardening, dancing, cooking, painting or any hobby which is to your liking. Most important thing is to follow our passion.

• Make entertainment a part of your life

• Socialise (in today’s world without being dependent on electronic form of socialising) — meet people, spend time, laugh, remember your best memories

• Learn the habit of positive affirmation whereby you tell yourself and repeat the good experiences you have been through in life. Enjoy your achievements and learn from the failure.

d) Sun bathing- venture out in Sun. Exposure to sun also helps immunity. However be conscious of any allergies you may have or if you are advised not to do so. In any case this very limited exposure also helps enhance Vitamin D levels.

Coming to food –
There are plenty of food items which help enhance immunity. To quote a few

• Citrus fruits
• Red bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Turmeric
• Papaya
• Yoghurt
• Sweat potatoes
• Mushrooms
• Poultry
• Almonds
• Sun flower seeds
• Green tea
• Dark chocolate
• Mushrooms
• Shellfish
• Kiwi
• Blueberries
  Etc. Etc. 
  

To talk about few of them
a) Citrus Fruits- almost all of them are high in Vitamin C. It is easy to add a squeeze of this to any meal. Popular citrus  fruits include—grape fruit, oranges, lemon, lime, amla (gooseberry). Vitamin C is an essential element for continued health.

b) Red bell pepper- they contain almost thrice the Vitamin C found in oranges. They are also a rich source of Beta Carotene. Body converts Beta Carotene into Vitamin A which in turn helps to key eyes and skin in a healthy condition.

c) Broccoli- is packed with Vitamin A, C, E, Fibre and anti-oxidants. It is one of the healthiest vegetables

d) Spinach- Similar to broccoli, Spinach is rich in Vitamin C. It is also packed with numerous anti-oxidants and Beta Carotene. These help increase the body’s infection fighting ability.

e) Yogurt- can be a great source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system. Pro-biotics found in Yogurt help strengthen the immune system.

f) Lemon, honey, ginger and turmeric- you can drink a mixture of these in a warm water. Our ancient science talks of numerous benefits of these elements. Most people end up taking this during cold. They help strengthen immune system. Ginger particularly has anti-viral properties and can be used to reduce the discomfort of nausea and motion sickness. Lemon juice is high in Vitamin C. Lastly a chemical called Curcumin in turmeric helps regulate the immune system.

g) Nuts and Seeds- They are full of nutrients, including phosphorus, magnesium, Vitamins B and E. Vitamin E is important to regulate and maintain our immunity.

I will share more tips as we go forward in this series.

In Conclusion-
Proper nutrition will require a varied diet. Eating just these alone won’t be enough to amply increase our immune system and it does not matter how many servings we keep having without focussing on a combination of all nutrients. In addition serving size and a proper daily intake is very important. Excess of any single Vitamin or less of others doesn’t help .

Stay tuned for more updates