Immune system support is an important topic. It’s always a good idea to practice healthy habits that will keep your immune system running strong all year round. While hand washing frequently and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze is vital to maintaining your health and the health of others, we wanted to share some less commonly known tips to strengthening immune system health. 

Hydrate 

Staying well hydrated is one of the best things you can do to maintain overall health. Water is required for cellular function, maintains the body’s temperature, removes waste and lubricates joints. Your urine color is a telltale sign you are, or are not drinking enough water. If it’s clear, you’re doing great to stay hydrated. If it’s more yellow, you could do better. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink water throughout the day. If you’re starting out dehydrated, just add a pinch of sea salt to your first glass of water every day – it’ll prime the Potassium/Sodium pump and get you rehydrated in short order. 

Sleep Tight 

Lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your body’s stress and immune system response leaving you more susceptible to getting sick during cold and flu season. The amount of sleep needed for a healthy immune system varies from person to person. In general, adults should aim for at least 7.5 hours of sleep at night, while children and teens require more, about 9-10 hours every night. However if your sleep schedule is often interrupted, stock on up naps to make up for the lost rest. Taking up to two 30-minute naps has been shown to help ward off the negative effects on our immune system from lack of sleep and reduces stress. Don’t have time for 30-minutes? Even a 20-minute catnap can do the trick! 

Fermented Foods 

Kefir, Kombucha, Tempeh, Miso, and Sauerkraut? Yep! They’re all fermented foods – and they’re all packed with powerful probiotics that spur the immune system into action. The fermentation process involves the breakdown of sugars by bacteria and yeast. The end result is an abundance of beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, for your digestive system. Lining your gut with an army of strong bacteria will enhance the body’s immune response by stopping unwanted toxins (from the food you eat) from leaking into your body. 

Plus, fermented foods provide the digestive system with lactic acid bacteria that provide anti-inflammatory effects. The mechanism of action is due to the microbe’s dynamics with their human hosts and their ability to produce metabolites that bond to specific receptors, ultimately signaling the immune system response. That means better gut bacteria is another line of defense to support natural antibodies and reduce risk of infection. 

You don’t have to eat fermented foods on the daily to reap the benefits – check out PlantFusion’s Organic Protein, which has anti-inflammatoryprotein PLUS fermented superfoods. 

Know Your Supplements 

The average multi-vitamin may be lacking specific nutrients that will give you an edge during cold and flu season - namely probiotics, benefit of vitamin C, zinc, and elderberry. Let’s break them down and discover what makes each one so important for improving immune system health. 

Eat Protein 

We already know that protein is important for literally every cell in the body. Increasing protein intake helps build and repair muscle aiding in fat loss. But did you know that including more protein in your daily diet could help reduce your risk of getting sick? Plant protein in particular has been shown to help reduce inflammation – a sign the body is in need of healing and repair. And when you’re sick (due to germs), your body’s inflammatory response is activated. So while it’s important to feed you (the host), we don’t want to add any more fuel to the invaders (the germs). 

To better protect and strengthen your immune system, add PlantFusion’s Complete Protein to your daily routine.