What to do to improve our immune system?
The best thing to do to keep our defenses in shape, is to eat a well-balanced diet, including lots of fresh vegetables and fruits that have many vitamins such as A, C, D and E and of course that are rich in minerals such as Zinc, which is a great ally of our immune system.
Doctors insist that we should eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, which provide us with lots of vitamin C, among the fruits would highlight citrus fruits such as orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, as well as kiwi or strawberry; among the vegetables we could talk about the bell pepper, broccoli, spinach and cabbage.
We should also include in a good balanced diet, proteins of animal origin such as meat or fish, among the latter we should highlight blue fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna, or mackerel, as they have a large amount of Omega 3, which is a fat called “healthy” by doctors and that help to improve our defenses to fight against all kinds of bacteria and viruses, including Covid 19.
We must also incorporate in a good balanced diet meats, both the so-called red meats such as beef and white meats such as chicken or turkey, both rich in vitamin B6, or pork. In order to improve our immune system.
Another food to incorporate several times a week in our balanced diet will be legumes such as beans, beans or chickpeas.
We will also include in our well-balanced diet dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, kefir and cheeses.
Nor can we forget the eggs, which contain proteins of a high biological power, the egg white is pure protein and the yolk has a large amount of vitamin D.
In addition, yogurt is a food with ample properties to strengthen our immune system, it also has vitamin D; since it is composed of fermented milk, it becomes what health experts call “pro biotics”. The same thing happens to kefir. The yogurt is true that we must take it natural, not flavored or sweetened if possible.
Neither should be missing in a balanced diet carbohydrates such as bread, cereals or pasta.
Health experts also indicate that we must take foods rich in zinc to protect our defenses, much of the seafood, especially mussels, clams, clams, clams, and crabs contain a good amount of this mineral. In order to improve our immune system.
This does not mean that we will not get infected with Covid-19, but if we add to a good balanced diet, regular physical exercise (as it generates endorphins, which is a chemical that helps us feel better) and use the rules given by the Ministry of Health, in terms of how to wash our hands or wash clothes and surfaces we use, wear masks and even personal protective clothing if required by our work, if we could reduce the chances of infection.
What foods are good in our balanced diet?
A great ally is garlic, it has antibiotic properties, lowers blood pressure, and also has antibacterial, anti viral and anti fungal properties, it also helps fight fever and cold.
Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, etc., provide us with healthy fats to our diet and therefore help us to control cholesterol. They also have a good amount of vitamin E.
Among the vegetables cannot miss in our pantry:
Red bell pepper, very rich in vitamin C (it even has more vitamin C than any citrus fruit); it is also rich in carotenes, which will help us with the health of our eyes.
Broccoli is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, E, and C, as well as fiber.
Green leafy vegetables, also with a lot of vitamins C and A.
Carrots have a good amount of vitamins C, A, E and K, which makes them indispensable in the pantry.
Mushrooms have a good amount of vitamin B group, riboflavin and niacin, as well as polysaccharides that increase our defenses.
Avocados have the so-called healthy essential fats and a good content of phosphorus and magnesium.
Eggplants serve to strengthen our immune system as they have folic acid, vitamin B1 and B2, as well as vitamin A and vitamin C, without forgetting that they also have valuable minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, iron and flavonoids. It also protects us from heart disease and osteoporosis, it is also very good at reducing cholesterol levels.
Spinach rich in vitamin C, and also in vitamin A, as well as in antioxidants and beta carotenes, which will help us not only to our immune system but also to have better health in general.
Among fruits we can highlight:
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons, limes, all of them very rich in vitamin C, which helps produce white blood cells that are responsible for fighting infections, especially for our respiratory system.
The kiwi. It has a high content of vitamin C, and also has potassium and vitamin K.
Pomegranate is very good for destroying bacteria, so it will protect us from oral and gum infections; it is also rich in antioxidants.
Blueberries have flavonoids with many antioxidant properties and protect our respiratory system.
Watermelon is another fruit that contains a good amount of potassium, as well as vitamin A and C, as well as vitamin B and a substance called glutathione, which makes it a good enhancer of our immune system.
Other foods that we should use in our kitchens:
Dark chocolate, used since ancient times to the present day, where even haute cuisine chefs use it in stews mixed with rabbit meat for example.
It has great properties, it has theobromine, which is responsible for activating the defenses of white blood cells to protect us from free radicals.
The latter are molecules that our body produces by decomposing the food we eat and by coming into contact with a pollutant, that is, free radicals are the ones that cause us to have diseases, so it is important to take foods rich in antioxidants in our balanced diet.
But in any case this food should not be abused, since it contains many calories, when we eat it we must choose that it has a percentage higher than 70% of cocoa, since the rest is usually sugar.
The wheat germ, is the inner part of the wheat, counts among its main characteristics to have a good amount of vitamin B6, and also vitamin E, which strengthens our immune system, it also has antiviral properties and defends us against colds, flu and other viruses, also helps the growth of intestinal flora and protects us against herpes, so it becomes a great ally in our pantry.
The cooks can add it in the elaboration of desserts, or adding it to the flour to make any recipe, also it can be added to a smoothie or to a yogurt.
Sunflower seeds have a good content of phosphorus and magnesium and also have vitamins B6 and vitamin E, with a great antioxidant power, which makes it a good food in a balanced diet to increase the defenses of our immune system.
Among the spices, we should not miss turmeric, it is irreplaceable in the curries of every good cook; intense yellow color, it gives very good flavor to dishes, both meat and fish and even cooked with some vegetables. It has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties.
Doing sports at home, a new trend
Since the beginning of home confinements back in March 2020, the internet began to proliferate videos both on YouTube and Instagram, in which personal trainers gave classes of all kinds to do sports at home. In order to improve our immune system.
From general fitness to zumba, pilates or yoga, all of them without gym equipment.
This made it easier for people, both those who were used to going to a gym, or running, as well as those who did not exercise, were encouraged to exercise at home.
Suitable clothes to do sport at home
A very important aspect to practice sport at home is the clothes and footwear that we will use.
Although we could do sports at home dressed in any way (even in pajamas or skijamas), it is best to dress appropriately for the physical activity we are going to do.
To choose the right clothes, the first thing we have to consider is what sport activity we are going to do, in order to adapt it to the movements we are going to do, so that we feel comfortable and at the same time the clothes we choose let us make all the movements with total freedom.
You should always wear clothing that is functional and comfortable. If possible, it should be easy to wash, dry quickly and be of good quality so that it lasts longer. If we base ourselves on these conditions, it will be easy to find clothes in our closet that we can use for exercising at home.
When we go to a store to buy clothes to do sports at home, we will always take into account the above premises, also try to choose them of good quality and if possible have a good price.
What kind of sports clothing to choose?
In order to improve our immune system. If we have an exercise bike, we should not choose loose-fitting pants from our closet, because they could get caught in the pedals.
Likewise, if we choose an activity in which the movements are basic, the clothes should not be tight, as this could prevent us from doing a movement or do it incompletely.
We will also have to see if we are going to exercise outdoors (terrace or garden) or if we are going to do it inside the house. In addition, we will have to take into account whether it is summer or winter.
If it is in winter and outdoors, it is best to dress in layers (a first layer of short-sleeved shirt and sports shorts underneath or thermal clothing, a second layer consisting of a sweatshirt and long pants, and if it is very cold a third layer that can be an anorak or a parka). If it was raining, a good raincoat to which you could add a pair of waterproof pants.
Nowadays there is a great variety of models and fabrics for sportswear and workwear and thanks to current technology they allow perspiration and do not weigh, for example technical T-shirts.
A good option would be a sleeveless T-shirt with short sleeves, long sleeves or even long sleeves. They can be made of cotton or polyester, some are very light and also sweat very well, they wash easily, and if they are made of fiber you wouldn’t even need to iron them. They also come in a wide variety of colors.
For the lower part we could choose between short or long pants, depending on our tastes and the temperature where we practice the physical activity. They can also be made of cotton or synthetic fiber and in a multitude of colors, with which we are sure to find the one that best suits our needs.
Looking good helps us to be more motivated, so we can choose clothes to match. For example, a tracksuit that consists of an open jacket with zipper and matching pants; In this way, it can also be used to go out to exercise when it is a little colder. In order to improve our immune system.
If the temperature is a little lower, we could choose a sweatshirt, which could be opened with a zipper or closed and have a hood incorporated or not, this garment will also serve us to go out to exercise outdoors, that either on a terrace, in our garden, at home or when we go to the park or the gym.
If our activity makes us sweat a lot, it would be better to opt for garments made of synthetic fibers, which absorb moisture better and are also lighter.
If the sport we practice is yoga or pilates, good socks can help, there are even non-slip soles.
And for the feet, good footwear is also important. The most comfortable would be to wear sneakers, with good grip, good ventilation and that are anatomical.
Those are examples to improve our immune system.
