Wash Your Hands
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Perhaps the most simple and effective way to prevent yourself from falling ill is by washing your hands regularly. Obviously we wash our hands after using the toilet, but to do so effectively you need to practice proper handwashing techniques to ensure the entire hand is cleaned properly.
Use Hand Sanitizer
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If you don't have the opportunity to wash your hands with warm soap and water at every moment then you might want to carry a bottle of hand sanitizer around with you. Hand sanitizer with a strong amount of alcohol within them can actually be a lifesaver when it comes to cleanliness.
Stop Touching Your Face
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Our hands come in to contact with countless surfaces throughout every single day, so there's no doubt that they're carriers of germs. If you constantly find yourself touching your face then you might want to to stop as these are entry points for the bacteria your hands carry to get in to the body.
Drink A Lot Of Water
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We obviously drink at moments when we feel thirsty, but we should keep hydrated anyway in order to support our immune system. Water helps the body keep toxins out whilst also keeping your mucous membranes moist which is essential for preventing infections.
Get Enough Sleep
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We all wish we got more sleep than we did every morning right? Well it turns out that good, lengthy sleep can help prevent illness. During deep sleeps our body can repair and regenerate cells, including ones within the immune system. Try and get a minimum of 7 hours of good sleep.
Eat A Balanced Diet
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We all love to eat a little unhealthily sometimes and that's fine, but you need to make sure that it's at least somewhat healthy and balanced. Making sure you get all the right vitamins and minerals can be a great step to ensuring your immune system is running smoothly and optimally.
Get Regular Exercise
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Physical activity is essential to keeping a person fit, including their overall health. Exercise is actually believed to strengthen your immune system, so why don't you try to introduce at least 2-3 hours of exercise per week. And after you've got that far you might be able to step it up even further.
Try To Manage Your Stress
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I know it isn't that easy to manage your own stress, often it occurs out of your control. But chronic stress can quickly take its toll on your immune system so try and find the perfect and effective stress management system for yourself. Maybe something like yoga or meditation will do it.
Get Vaccinated When Necessary
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Vaccines can be quite a frightening thing for many people, but they are also quite the remarkable achievement. Try and keep up-to-date in order to shield yourself from any illnesses that are taking over. By doing this you're not just helping yourself but also the people within your community.
Avoid Sick People
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This seems a little obvious, but if you know someone is feeling ill then you'd probably want to avoid them or at least exercise some caution. Maybe you might want to reschedule any time you have pencilled in with them or try and maintain a safe distance when with them in public.
Disinfect Surfaces
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By keeping the surfaces in your home clean and germ free you'll be doing positive things in terms of keeping yourself healthy. By regularly disinfecting surfaces like doorknobs and light switches with disinfecting wipes or sprays you might be able to eliminate some of the many pathogens in your home.
Open Your Windows
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Fresh air can unsurprisingly do wonders for the quality of air within your home and help circulate the fresh air too. This simple process can actually reduce the level of pathogens or anything in the air and make your whole environment just a little bit healthier to be living in.
Get Enough Fresh Air
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Beyond ventilating your own home you might want to just spend some more time outside where there is some clean and fresh air. Nature can very much provide the fresh air we need which can provide a load of benefits for our own physical and mental well-being, even potentially making our immune system more resilient.
Avoid Alcohol Consumption
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While an occasional drink won't really do you any harm, you might want to avoid some excessive consumption. If you didn't know, alcohol can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut and therefore fending off infections can become more difficult for the body. Moderation is key guys.
Stop Smoking
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Just as alcohol can increase the risk of illness, so can smoking! It's actually one of the most common reasons that people end up suffering from respiratory illnesses and even cancer in some circumstances. Seek any support or resources you can to quit this extremely dangerous habit.
Take Probiotics
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Gut health is often overlooked by many people but you might want to start paying some more attention to it. Probiotics can be found in many food items like Yogurts and Kefir, or you might just want to take some supplements. Maintaining a healthy gut will only bolster your immune system.
Take Ginger Shots
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Ginger has long been used in medicine and it's well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Taking shots of ginger might not taste the best but it can add an additional layer of protection for the human body against illness. It might even help you DURING illness too.
Wear A Mask
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We all hated wearing masks during the Covid-19 pandemic but wearing them did become quite the powerful tool in reducing the transmission of disease. Masks can be useful in protecting you from inhaling any pathogen droplets. Make sure to wear these in crowded areas if you want to minimize the risk of infection.
Don't Share Food
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We might like to share our food with a friend or partner on occasion, but if you are going to do so you need to be careful. Try and avoid doing so with the same utensils if you have too share food as this can increase the chances of infections being spread across your social circles.
Load Up On Vitamin D
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Vitamin D is one of the most vital nutrients when it comes to creating a strong immune system. You can get this by spending time in the sunlight but also by consuming foods rich in the vitamin like fortified dairy products and fatty fish. It might be worth doing so to battle against illness.
Drink Green Tea
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Green tea has been celebrated for its antioxidant properties for a long time now, so it's no surprise that it's beneficial for your health. The compounds within the tea can help strengthen your immune system and therefore provide some defence against infections. It doesn't taste too bad either!
Stop Drinking Too Much Coffee
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Whilst a morning coffee might feel great and provide you with that boost of energy, too much will only end up disrupting your sleep and weakening your immune system. Try and limit your coffee intake and even avoid touching the drink when it comes to the afternoon and evenings.
Licorice Root
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Licorice root is another food item that has been used for centuries as a traditional medicine to help the immune system. It contains numerous compounds that help combat infections and even soothe some discomfort when it comes to the respiratory system too.
Add Turmeric To Your Meals
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Turmeric is yet another item you can add to your meals that might have a positive effect on your body's defense against illness. Fortunately, it isn't too difficult to add the spice to your diet as you can sprinkle it through sauces or even some people like to infuse their hot drinks with the spice.
Take Multivitamins
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Multivitamins can be another great and convenient way to ensure that you're meeting your daily vitamin needs, especially during times in which you might not be getting enough food. They provide a quick way to consume your vitamins at any time of the day, even if you're on the move.
Make Sure Your Home Is Tidy
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A tidy living space isn't just something that's pleasing to your eyes, but also something that's essential to your health too. By keeping the home clean you're reducing the presence of pathogens and allergens that can cause everyone within the home to suffer from some illnesses.
Wrap Up In The Winter
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Exposure to cold temperatures is a very common cause of people suffering from illness as it can weaken the body's defenses. By simply ensuring that you are dressing up warmly and layering your clothing you'll be minimizing the risk you're at of developing a cold or flu.
Crank Up The Humidifier
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If the inside of your home is too dry then it can quickly irritate your respiratory system and therefore potentially increase the chance of infection. By using a humidifier within your home, especially in the winter, you'll be able to add some moisture in to the air and preventing dryness within your throat.
Disinfect Your Phone
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I mentioned earlier that you should disinfect items within your home regularly, but perhaps the thing we use the most, out phones, should be disinfected too. As they are touched so often they can often harbor a multitude of germs which can be dangerous when it touches your face.
Introduce Zinc To Your Diet
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You might not realise how important that zinc is to the human body, but it's crucial when it comes to a well-functioning immune system. By introducing foods rich in zinc like nuts, whole grains and lean meats to your diet you'll be helping the body ward off some dangerous infections.