It took a pandemic for people to finally be truly aware of their health. Well, at least the ones who believe that COVID-19 is a real thing and not some hoax as others keep telling themselves and spreading on social media. With over 215,300 confirmed cases and 5,112 deaths in the United States as of this writing, it’s definitely time for people to take this pandemic seriously. Instead of partying at the beach or licking toilet bowl seats, people should start to self-quarantine. Aside from staying at home, you should also boost your immune system to have a better fighting chance against this dreaded unseen enemy.
Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System
Eat Healthy
The easiest way to be healthy enough to fight coronavirus is to eat healthy. Vitamin C helps prevent infection by improving white blood cell production in your body. Make sure you stock up on fruits rich in vitamin C such as oranges, lemons, limes, strawberries, and grapefruits, as well as vegetables like red bell pepper and broccoli.
Red bell pepper and broccoli along with carrots and sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, which helps in regulating the immune system. Vitamin A also fights off infection. Vitamin E, which is found in sweet almonds, hazelnuts, spinach, and other green vegetables, is also great for the immune system. It neutralizes free radicals in your body while also keeping infectious diseases at bay.
Ginger is a well-known medicinal plant. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities lead the way in helping the body’s immune system. Yogurt with “live and active cultures” is also great for your immune system. It’s also a great snack, especially when combined with fruits and honey. Skip sugar, though.
News that garlic is an effective cure for COVID-19 made the rounds on social media but has been relegated to fake news. While its positive effect against the coronavirus has yet to be proven, the health benefits of garlic cannot be doubted. In fact, it contains alliin, which is a compound known to help boost the immune system. Add garlic to your meals to give you a bit more edge against viruses. But please don’t think that eating lots of raw garlic will make you invincible.
Stop Smoking
Going cold turkey is never an easy thing but it is completely possible. In fact, you don’t have any choice but to kick the habit. And it’s not just cigarettes, though. You should also stop using tobacco, pipes, and e-cigarettes. The American Lung Association warns against the possible risks of smoking marijuana on the lungs. Also, weed is not a cure for COVID despite what the meme that’s been shared on social media says.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, smokers are more likely to get seriously ill once infected with the coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) also stresses that the act of smoking itself can make it easier for a person to get infected. The virus can be transmitted from the hands to the mouth while smoking. Sharing cigarettes, blunts, pipes or other paraphernalia is also a no-no.
Avoid Alcohol and Sugary Drinks
There are people who turn to alcohol to de-stress. While they may think that drinking helps their mental health, the fact remains that too much alcohol is not good for your body. At best, drink in moderation.
There are studies that suggest too much alcohol makes it easier for you to get infected. Another thing that’s been closely looked at is the relationship between heavy alcohol consumption and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) since many coronavirus patients died of this lung complication. If you can skip the bottle completely, that’s a whole lot better. This is the time to find other methods of de-stressing.
Sugary drinks should also be avoided for numerous reasons and they all point to your health. Sugar can cause or is related to fatigue, headache, tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, heart issues, and possibly cancer. It also affects the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to COVID-19.
(Related: Easy Homemade Herbal Tea Blends For A Healthier New You)
Exercise Regularly
Skip the gym for now and stay home. According to some reports, the gym is a hotbed for coronavirus. It’s a communal place where people come in contact with equipment. If one person is infected and coughs or sneezes, the droplets may settle on the weights or the machines. The next person to use these pieces of gym equipment can possibly get infected if they touch their faces, which is likely since you’re sweating a lot.
WHO recommends exercising for half an hour each day for adults while children can do physical activities for an hour. Be careful not to overdo it. Too much strenuous physical activity is not recommended.
If it is allowed, go out for a walk or run but make sure to practice social distancing. A better option is to just train in your home. There are lots of exercises you can do in the safety of your home. Be imaginative and use everyday things as your gym equipment. If professional and Olympic athletes are training at home, so could you. And yes, if TikTok can make you practice your dance moves for at least 30 minutes, then go ahead and sweat away.
Get Enough Sleep
It’s understandable if you can’t get a good night’s sleep nowadays. Some people, especially those with loved ones in the front lines, just can’t stop worrying about the current pandemic that they end up awake all night. It’s vital that you get enough rest to care for your mental health and at the same time strengthen your immune system to fight coronavirus.
Aside from the fear of contracting the virus, many people are worrying about putting food on the table. Not everyone is as fortunate as the NBA workers that still receive pay and support from their employers and some good-hearted players. Despite the stressful situation, everyone needs to get ample rest to rejuvenate their bodies and minds.
A healthy diet with lots of fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables can also help with your sleep issues. Don’t eat too much right before bedtime, though. Eat just enough at dinner to curb your hunger.
Products to Help Boost Your Immunity
These days, we need all the help we can get. There are a number of ways you can protect yourself from the coronavirus. The most obvious ones are to stay at home, practice social distancing, wash your hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds, avoid touching your face, wear a face mask when out, and to disinfect your home. Of course, boosting your body’s immunity is also a priority.
Aside from the natural ways to boost your immune system mentioned above, you can also take supplements to fight the coronavirus.
Isamune® With Zinc
Zinc is vital to one’s health. This powerful antioxidant has been proven to have a pivotal role in enhancing the body’s immune system. Unfortunately, the body cannot produce zinc naturally. This is why many health products and supplements contain this nutrient. One such product is Isamune® With Zinc, an immunity support spray from Isagenix.
Isamune is packed with zinc and other ingredients and nutrients such as bilberry, blueberry, colostrum, echinacea, and reishi mushroom. They also added flavors such as Island Breeze (pomegranate and spearmint) to give users a more pleasant experience. The Isamune comes in a portable hand spray bottle, which you can use anytime you need a boost.
Even when this pandemic becomes a thing of the past, you should still take care of your health. When everyone is finally allowed to leave their homes and live normal lives again, make sure you have an Isagenix immunity support spray in your pocket or bag at all times.
Isagenix Immune Shake Booster Dietary Supplement
Isagenix took some of the best immune boosters that science and nature have to offer and turned them into the Immune Shake Booster. This dietary supplement contains maitake, poria, and reishi mushrooms, as well as Wellmune® beta-glucan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JFf9hu7pho
Maitake mushrooms contain high levels of beta-glucan, a compound that has positive effects on the body’s immune system. Poris is another type of mushroom that’s been used in ancient Chinese medicine to boost the immune system. Reishi, meanwhile, is also a mushroom known for treating prostate cancer as well as a being powerful immune booster.
Wellmune is a beta-glucan supplement, more particularly a yeast beta 1,3/1,6 glucan. The highly purified, naturally gluten-free, non-GMO and non-allergenic beta-glucan is derived from the cell wall of a proprietary strain of baker’s yeast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrbxeiz5b30
Isagenix Immune Shake Booster doesn’t have any flavor so you can mix it with any kind of shake you make. It only has ten calories and doesn’t have any gluten, soy, dairy, sweetener or artificial color. Plus, it’s great for vegetarians and those who prefer the kosher diet.
BEA™ Sparkling Energy Drink
Many people depend on coffee or energy drinks to give them that boost they need to start or continue on with their day. While these drinks have their positives, they don’t compare to BEA™ Sparkling Energy Drink when it comes to boosting the immune system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB8Rt6ej84Y
BEA, which stands for Botanical Energy + Adaptogens, naturally sources its caffeine from green tea while also counting adaptogens, particularly ashwagandha, maitaje mushrooms, and shitake mushrooms, as main ingredients. These adaptogens help balance your body, fight stress, and keep you awake, alert and focused.
Ashwagandha is a traditional medicinal herb that’s been known for its stress-relieving qualities. It’s also useful against the coronavirus because it fights infections. The mushrooms, meanwhile, contain beta-glucans that helps improve your immune system.
The BEA™ Sparkling Energy Drink gets its fruity flavors, Berry Bellini and Citrus Sunrise, from real fruits not from artificial flavors and sweeteners. It has less than one gram of sugar and only ten calories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYvod9ucoKM
Aside from helping you fight COVID-19, BEA™ Sparkling Energy Drink also helps you fight for underserved children. BEA is donating 5% of all its profits to the Isa Foundation, which helps provide proper nutrition and wellness education to children while also aiding people affected by natural disasters.
Dr. Emil Nutrition Organic Lions Mane Smart Shrooms Dietary Supplement
Lion’s mane mushrooms are a favorite among chefs at some fancy restaurants. They’re also known for their medicinal value. Like other mushrooms, lion’s mane aids in improving the body’s immune system. It’s also used as treatment for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
Dr. Emil Nutrition produces dietary supplements made from 100% pure lion’s mane mushroom powder extracted using hot-water method. This allows the supplement to retain as much nutrients as possible. The gluten-free and non-GMO supplement also comes with BioPrene, a black pepper extract that allows for better absorption.
Dr. Emil Nutrition Organic Lions Mane Smart Shrooms Dietary Supplement is marketed mainly for its positive effects on the brain but what it does for the immune system cannot be discounted.
Quantum Health Super Lysine+ Immune Support
Quantum Health combines six different ingredients to help improve the immune system and keep the lips healthy. It counts L-Lysine, vitamin C, propolis, Echinacea, garlic bulb, and licorice root as its main ingredients.
Lysine is an essential amino acid that’s believed to help treat cold sores, canker sores, stress, and diabetes. However, these supposed medicinal benefits need more research. Still, lysine is widely believed to have a positive effect on the immune system.
Propolis is produced by honeybees and has been used since ancient times for its medicinal benefits particularly for treating wounds, abscesses, infections, tumors and even for embalming mummies. Its antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties are just some of the qualities that make propolis a great ingredient for supplements that boost your immune system.
Echinacea is a medicinal plant that helps increase white blood cells, which are necessary to fight infection. It’s also known to prevent colds, though further research is necessary. Licorice root is commonly used as a sweetener though it’s also been used as medicine for centuries. Glycyrrhizic acid or the much safer deglycyrrhiziated licorice (DGL) extract from licorice root is responsible for the plants immune boosting properties.
Nature’s Way Sambucus Standardized Elderberry Gummies
Sambucus elderberry has a long history as a traditional medicine. Dug up graves of early humans were found to have elderberry branches. Native Americans ate elderberry fruits and used its flowers and leaves as medicine.
Elderberry has been used to treat colds and flu in the early days. Recent studies, meanwhile, prove that elderberries have antiviral properties that help boost your immune system, which is necessary to stay safe from viruses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95CX_PYePeI
Nature’s Way Sambucus Elderberry Gummies are made from European black elder, which has been used to boost the immune system, especially during winter. The black elderberry extract are rich in flavonoids
Nature’s Way took things a couple of steps further by adding zinc and vitamin so your body’s immune system gets the much needed boost, especially during this pandemic.
The Genius Brand Genius Mushrooms Dietary Supplement
If you haven’t noticed yet, mushrooms are quite the immune booster. The brains behind The Genius Brand had the bright idea of combining three of the most researched fungi around to make one dietary supplement.
Genius Mushrooms used lion’s mane, reishi, and Cordyceps mushrooms in their bid to help people with low energy, poor immunity, and lack of clarity. Lion’s mane mushrooms help boost the brain, relieve anxiety and depression, and reduce the risk of heart disease, among other medicinal benefits.
Aside from for its ability to boost the immune system, reishi mushrooms also has the potential to be used as a cancer treatment though further studies need to be done. Reishi also fights fatigue and depression.
Cordyceps has been a staple in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for fatigue, low sex drive, and kidney disease. It also provides a higher level of energy particularly to the muscles allowing you to exercise more, which is necessary if you want to boost you immune system to fight coronavirus.
Dr Tobias Deep Immune Probiotic & Prebiotic Dietary Supplement
Most of the immune system is found in the gastrointestinal tract. Researchers at John Hopkins University School of Medicine determined that bacteria in the gut interact with the immune system. While further studies are necessary to know the extent of their relation, it’s safe to say that a healthy gut means a healthier immune system.
Dr Tobias Deep Immune Probiotic & Prebiotic Dietary Supplement has 4.4 billion CFU probiotics with built-in prebiotics to help ensure your gut is healthy. They use innovative spore-forming strains that can endure stomach acid thus reaching the intestine to do its job. Also, the acid-resistant non-GMO capsules don’t require refrigeration. You can just place it somewhere so you won’t forget to take it.
Nuun Hydration Effervescent Immunity Supplement
Nuun Hydration is being promoted as an immunity booster when you’re on-the-go since the supplements are packed in a compact easy-to-pop case. If you’re feeling a bit under the weather, just plop the tablet into a glass of water and let it fizz and dissolve, then drink. It’s indeed a good thing to have in your everyday carry kit.
However, you’re not supposed to go out these days, especially if you’re sick. The good news is that you can still enjoy the Orange Citrus and Blueberry Tangerine flavors along with the health benefits they give while you’re self-isolating in your own home.
Nuun Immunity is a potent botanical blend made up of electrolytes, anti-inflammatories, and antioxidants. The electrolytes help prevent dehydration while the antioxidants go head to head against free radicals. The anti-inflammatories, particularly zinc, elderberry, Echinacea, ginger, and turmeric, provides support to your immune system.
MaryRuth’s Organic Liquid Elderberry Immunity Dietary Supplement
Children and the elderly need that extra boost to their immune system, too. For the really young ones, give them something they can easy ingest. The Organic Liquid Elderberry Immunity Dietary Supplement from MaryRuth’s Organics comes in a 20 ml bottle with dropper. Each bottle is equivalent to 30 drops or servings.
The immune boosting syrup comes in a delicious blueberry and raspberry flavor to make it easier for young children and even adults to take. It’s also non-GMO, vegan, and has absolutely no sugar or alcohol in it. Most importantly, the liquid extract derived from the sambucus plant is rich in antioxidants and other nutrients that will boost your immune system. Plus, it is rich in flavonoids, which gives the syrup its purple color.
Medical experts predict the worst of the pandemic to hit the United States in the next couple of weeks. That prediction comes with a staggering number – around 200,000 possible deaths by the end of the year. It’s useless to point fingers now. The only thing you can do to avoid being part of that horrific statistic is to stay home as much as possible and to avoid contact and maintain social distancing if you do go out for supplies. Of course, you also need to wear a face mask if you have one and wash your hands properly often.
Strengthening your immunity is another way to survive this pandemic. Aside from the natural ways to boost your immune system to fight coronavirus, you can also take any of the supplements listed above. If you know other ways to protect ourselves from COVID-19, please share away on Gentleman Pirate Club. Stay safe, everyone!
