Published on October 30, 2020

woman in bed sick with a cold

6 Tips to Optimize Immune Function and Stay Healthy

Your lifestyle habits can help you stay healthy, especially when sickness is more likely due to travel or the seasonal illness.

The team at Avera Integrative Medicine encourages patients to use the following tips. They can boost your immune system and help you stay healthy.

  • Use good hygiene — Prevention is always the best medicine. Cover coughs and sneezes with your inner elbow, wash hands frequently, and take advantage of hand sanitizers and wipes in public places. Additionally, keep your vaccines up to date for your age and the season. Vaccines stimulate the immune system for early recognition and prevention of illness.
  • Eat healthy — Give your immune system the nutritional energy it needs for a victorious battle with the bugs. Include a variety of immune-boosting foods in your diet such as fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, garlic, nuts, whole grains and omega 3 oils. Avoid foods that restrict your immune system function. Processed foods, white sugars and saturated fats cause inflammation in your body, distracting the immune system from doing its more important job of fighting illness.
  • Sleep — Your immune system requires seven to eight hours of sleep regularly for optimal function. Take the steps to help you get your needed hours. It's just as important as diet, exercise or anything else — don't overlook it.
  • Modulate stress — When people are living high-stress lifestyles or dealing with unexpected additional stressors, they are more susceptible to infection. Similar to a poor diet, prolonged stress creates cellular inflammation in the body resulting in decreased immune function. A healthy diet, adequate sleep and regular exercise are a great foundation for stress management. I encourage patients to explore other stress-busting routines such as mind-body movement, tai chi, essential oils, massage, acupuncture, guided imagery, meditation and prayer.
  • Nutritional supplements — Multivitamins, B vitamins, zinc, vitamins C and D, and mushroom supplements can benefit immune system function.
  • Acupuncture — Treatments with acupuncture can offer benefits such as improving sleep, reducing the effects of stress on the body, and optimizing the function of the immune system.

if you find yourself struggling with sickness, consult your primary care provider for the next best steps.