{"id":2840,"date":"2020-08-24T12:23:05","date_gmt":"2020-08-24T11:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/noticia\/5-steps-to-boost-your-defenses-and-strengthen-your-immune-system\/"},"modified":"2020-08-24T12:23:05","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T11:23:05","slug":"5-steps-to-boost-your-defenses-and-strengthen-your-immune-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/noticia\/5-steps-to-boost-your-defenses-and-strengthen-your-immune-system\/","title":{"rendered":"5 steps to boost your defenses and strengthen your immune system"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Now more than ever, it&#8217;s essential to strengthen your immune system.<br \/>\nToday we&#8217;re sharing the small steps and adaptations you need to make in your day-to-day life to boost your immune system and increase your body&#8217;s defenses.<br \/>\nAdopt healthier lifestyle habits and feel the differences in physical and mental strength.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Nourish your body with superfoods<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p>Always bear in mind that half of your meal should contain vegetables and fruit.<br \/>\nThey are essential for getting an initial dose of immunity-boosting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.<br \/>\nHere are some examples of the best foods to eat:  <\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Vitamin C: Broccoli, Oranges and Peppers<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Beta-carotene: Carrots and Spinach<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Vitamin D: Eggs and Cheese<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Zinc: Beans, nuts and seafood (including canned fish);<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Probiotics: Yogurt, whole grains and bananas.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A simple way of eating right is to &#8220;eat a rainbow of colors.&#8221; This provides your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to thrive.<br \/>\nFoods rich in essential nutrients that you should consume daily are: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Fresh vegetables;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Fresh fruit;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Legumes such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Brown rice, corn, barley, rolled oats, sweet potatoes and seed bread;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Healthy plant-based fats such as seeds, nuts and vegetable oils;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Proteins.<\/p>\n<p>To better manage and control your blood sugar levels and your mood during the day, eat three nutritious meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and two healthy snacks a day.<br \/>\nFinally, stay hydrated and drink 2 to 3 liters of water a day.<br \/>\nSome simple ways to increase your water intake are to eat fruit, vegetables and soups.  <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Exercise your body daily<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exercising regularly is a great way to deal with stress and strengthen your immune system.<br \/>\nExercise also stimulates the production of endorphins &#8211; chemicals in your brain that act as the body&#8217;s natural painkillers and boost your mood. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Exercising for 10 to 15 minutes a day can make all the difference.<br \/>\nIf you have the opportunity, exercise outdoors (taking social distancing into account, of course), as this will help with &#8220;cabin fever&#8221;.<br \/>\nIf you can&#8217;t, there are several possible exercises to try.<br \/>\nFor a cardio workout, try alternating jumping jacks with high knees.<br \/>\nBodyweight exercises are also suitable because they don&#8217;t require any equipment.<br \/>\nIf you want more variety or something more structured, there are plenty of options online.     <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t forget that children should also be active, getting your children involved in exercise is an added bonus for the whole family.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Keep a healthy mind<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Restrictions on freedom of movement can have harmful consequences on our mood and state of mind.<br \/>\nIf you&#8217;ve never tried meditation, now is a good time to do it.<br \/>\nMeditation optimizes the functioning of our immune system.<br \/>\nWhen we have a stressful experience &#8211; especially one that is prolonged and uncertain, such as quarantine &#8211; it can negatively affect our immune system.<br \/>\nMeditation allows us to pay more attention to our breathing&#8230; and even 3 minutes a day can bring benefits.<br \/>\nIf you feel yourself dispersing during meditation, simply focus your attention on your breathing.<br \/>\nIn addition, there are online apps to simplify the meditation process with guided exercises and videos on topics such as sleep, stress, anxiety and even healthy eating.      <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Learn to manage stress<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Research has shown that psychological stress increases your body&#8217;s susceptibility to disease.<br \/>\nChronic and prolonged stress can have a negative impact on the immune system by reducing the body&#8217;s ability to defend itself against viruses and bacteria.<br \/>\nSome people under the influence of stress may resort to unhealthy coping strategies, such as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, binge eating and insomnia.  <\/p>\n<p>  If you feel stressed or anxious, the first step is to recognize that this feeling is normal, especially at a time of so much uncertainty.<br \/>\nMaintain a degree of connection with your family and friends through phone calls, messages and the many video-calling tools available online.<br \/>\nRemember to let go of perfectionism, and realize that you are doing the best you can, especially when trying to simultaneously balance work, teaching your children and tidying and cleaning the home.  <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re struggling, get the help you need and contact a psychologist.<br \/>\nThey work remotely via digital platforms, and will be an irreplaceable key factor in helping you. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Don&#8217;t neglect your night&#8217;s sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During this panic-stricken time, it&#8217;s important to make sure your body gets enough rest, as not doing so can affect your immune system.<br \/>\nSleeping between seven and eight hours a night is ideal for any adult.<br \/>\nIf your mind keeps you awake at night, opt for naps during the day to reduce stress and offset the negative effects of sleep deprivation.<br \/>\nHealth experts recommend two 30-minute naps a day: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.<br \/>\nIf that&#8217;s not realistic for you, a 20-minute nap during your lunch break will make a big difference to your day-to-day life.    <\/p>\n<\/li>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now more than ever, it&#8217;s essential to strengthen your immune system.<br \/>\nToday we&#8217;re sharing the small steps and adaptations you need to make in your day-to-day life to boost your immune system and increase your body&#8217;s defenses.<br \/>\nAdopt healthier lifestyle habits and feel the differences in physical and mental strength.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1741,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2840\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sepri.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}