2020 has been a year when everyone has given thought about what they can do to make themselves less susceptible to illness. In general, poor nutrition and not being mindful about your health can make you a lot more likely to get sick. Changing some of your habits and incorporating some proactive measures into your personal care routine can help you avoid getting sick. Here are five things that you can do to prevent sickness in 2020 and beyond.
1. Take a Superfood Supplement
Much of your immune system’s activity is regulated in your gut, so it’s extremely important to keep your digestive working well and give your body the nutritional fuel that it needs. Taking a green superfood supplement is one of the best ways to optimize your digestive health while giving yourself vital nutritional content. This type of supplement contains digestive enzymes and probiotics that can keep your digestive tract functioning like it should and free of excessive unhealthy bacteria. In addition, the supplements antioxidant content can help your digestive system eliminate free radicals that may impede digestive function or cause digestive irritation. Lastly, a supplement that’s made from organic or all-natural greens is one of the best ways to give your body vitamins and nutrients that are essential for supporting all of its systems. Nutrients derived from greens boosts cell-surface proteins that help to fortify the individual cells in your immune system.
2. Get the Rest That Your Body Needs
When you’re not getting adequate sleep, your immune system won’t be able to work to the best of its ability. Your immune system’s T-cells are its frontline fighters when a virus invades your body. Studies have shown that these key cells work more effectively when you’re asleep; they can adhere to the foreign cells that they’ve targeted more easily, which makes these tiny fighters much more lethal when they take on a virus. Sleep aid supplements have also been proven to help one’s body relax and obtain healthy rest that it may struggle accomplishing on its own.
3. Limit Your Consumption of Alcohol
According to a study published in a medical journal dedicated to Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, drinking an excessive amount of alcohol can cause damage to your immune system. Specifically, alcohol can inhibit the function of dendritic cells which are key components of your immune system’s arsenal against illnesses. Some doctors cited the study as a clinical explanation for why vaccines don’t always work as effectively for people who drink a lot of alcohol as they do for people who refrain from drinking a lot of alcohol.
4. Practice Good Hand Hygiene
It may be hard to keep your distance from people in order to insulate yourself against sickness. You may not be able to exert a lot of control over your environment, but you have a lot of control over your individual person. Maintaining good hand hygiene can go a long way in protecting yourself against viruses that are transmitted on surfaces. Make it a point to wash your hands right away when you come home before you touch anything. Throughout your workday, wash your hands frequently. Be extra mindful about hand washing after you’ve touched frequently touched surfaces, and always wash your hands before you eat. When you wash your hands, don’t just give them a quick rinse. Wash your hands for at least twenty seconds and use an antibacterial hand soap.
5. Remember Your Oral Hygiene
Cavities are not the only potential predators roaming in your mouth, but sickness-causing bacteria also like to hang around -- in hundreds. It’s no surprise that the mouth is one of the most contaminated areas of the body, given everything that goes in from food to air droplets to your fingers. It’s practically the drop-off for viruses. It’s important to maintain a consistent schedule for brushing and flossing, even if you get a cold. That means you should brush at least twice-a-day with fluoride toothpaste, and keep floss in your glovebox.
No matter how busy you are at any given time, staying healthy should always remain among your highest priorities. When you’re sick, it makes all of your other priorities so much harder to manage. Staying healthy is well worth some conscientious choices and behavioral changes. Not only will you be less likely to get sick, your overall well-being may improve.