Skip to main content
Blog

7 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Before Flu Season

While the golden days of fall can still be quite warm, it’s clear each and every day that winter is around the corner. That means flu season is also ahead. Flu season is defined as the period each year when influenza activity rises and peaks. Boost your immune system in advance of flu season with these 7 tips. Flu season typically coincides with the cold period in each hemisphere—in Arlington Heights, that means roughly November through March, with the peak usually around January or February.

Highly contagious, influenza is spread through sneezing and coughing. Although the most vulnerable members of the general population are infants, the elderly, and people with a compromised immune system, anyone can catch the flu. Once you’ve caught it, you’re going to be sick for five days to up to two weeks with high fever, aches, chills, coughing and sneezing, and other unpleasant symptoms.

Knowing all this, wouldn’t you want to do everything you can to boost your immune system in advance of the season? At Sleigh Family Chiropractic, we strongly believe that being proactively healthy keeps your body and your immune system at their peak. Be ready to keep you and your family healthy this winter. Here are our top tips for boosting your immunity:

Eat a healthy and balanced diet.

Fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and superfoods all work together to keep your body nourished and your immune system fueled. Putting good food into it helps boost your immune system’s ability to protect you.

Make time to exercise.

A regular exercise routine is part of a healthy lifestyle. Regular cardiovascular activity can help decrease your risk of heart disease, keep your bones and muscles strong, and can also help strengthen your immune system. Exercise may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways, and the slight increase in body temperature during and after exercise may also be beneficial in keeping bacteria in check.

Keep your fluid intake up.

Adequate fluid intake helps your body function best by flushing out toxins and keeping your cells and systems nourished. Water aids in digestion, helps your body produce lymph (a main circulation fluid in the immune system), and keeps your eyes and mouth clean, contributing to a stronger immune system. Men should aim to take in 3 liters of fluid daily, and women about 2.2 liters. Fluid can come from water, other non-caffeinated drinks, soups, fruits, and vegetables.

Pump up your Vitamin D intake.

Vitamin D works with T cells, the body’s natural offense cells, to keep your immune system on the defense against incoming bacteria and viruses. You can take Vitamin D supplements, but also make sure you get some daily sunshine when possible to help your body metabolize the vitamin.

Manage your stress levels.

When you’re chronically stressed, you live in a constant state of fight-or-flight, or high anxiety. You’re asking your body to be on high alert, and all of your systems, including your immune system, need to be in overdrive. Learn to manage your stress levels with mindfulness, relaxation, mantras, and enough downtime and rest to stay centered. All of your systems, including your immune system, will function better as a result.

Be mindful of sugar intake.

The sugar you consume can directly compete for space in your immune cells with vitamin C. In fact, the more sugar in your system, the less room in your white blood cells for vitamins and nutrients that help your immune system stay strong. As a result, you could be more susceptible to flu and other infections.

See us to stay adjusted.

There’s no doubt that your body’s systems are connected, and that a healthy nerve system is important for normal immune function. Chiropractic adjustments can augment your immune system’s ability to fight off colds and flu. Why? When a chiropractor unlocks your spine, your nerve tension is cleared, and your body’s immune potential is unleashed. Therefore, it’s important to keep your body in alignment and harmony, so that it works its best to help you get and stay healthy.

At Sleigh Family Chiropractic, we offer exceptional chiropractic care for your entire family, especially beneficial during flu season. With a warm and friendly atmosphere as our standard, we believe that what our patients encounter is different from that experienced in other doctors’ offices. What’s more, we strive to give our patients a path to optimal health with excellent chiropractic care as well as resources for home. Whatever your health goals are, Sleigh Family Chiropractic will help you and your loved ones achieve them. We invite you to visit us and experience our standard of care. Learn more or call us at 847-788-0880.

Sleigh Family Chiropractic

At Sleigh Family Chiropractic, we focus on restoring your body to health naturally. We provide family chiropractic care to treat your entire family. We have special certifications as pediatric chiropractors and prenatal chiropractors. With an evaluation we are able to make a spinal care plan that will focus on a balanced nervous system along with healthy lifestyle. As a leading chiropractic clinic we treat patients with back pain, neck pain, leg pain, and other painful conditions.

Skip to content