Winter is right around the corner and with it comes cold and flu season.
You may think seeing your Chiropractor doesn’t have much to do with getting a cold or contracting the flu, but this isn’t the case!
When the cold weather hits, your Chiropractor is an excellent resource for cold and flu prevention.
Here are a few steps you can take to help support a healthy immune system this winter and how your Chiropractor can help.
Watch What You Eat
On the list of things you need to be wary of eating if you want to help keep your immune system healthy, sugar is at the top of the list. If you eat too much sugar, it can suppress the cells in your immune system that attack invaders such as bacteria.
If you get between 75 and 100 grams of sugar a day – about two cans of soda – then your white blood cells can lose some of their disease-fighting oomph. Instead, make sure you drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet to get the nutrients your body needs to fight off infection.
Keep Stress in Check
You can’t avoid all stress in life, but you do need to try and take steps to manage chronic stress as much as possible. When you maintain a constant level of stress, you are making your body more vulnerable to colds, illness and even chronic disease.
The constant level of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol that flood a chronically stressed body can suppress your immune function. Find a healthy way to cope with stress, such as exercise or meditation.
Get Moving!
Speaking of exercise, it’s an excellent way to help your immune system to stay strong and healthy. As you get your body moving it contributes to flush bacteria out of your system as it gets your lymphatic system pumping. This helps to increase the level of leukocytes in your body that help your body to fight infection. Exercising just 30 minutes a day will have a significant impact!
Chiropractic Care, Of course!
When your body is aligned and functioning optimally, you are helping every system in your body to function at its best. This includes your immune system.
So, seeing your Chiropractor regularly for adjustments is a simple way to help support a healthy immune system that will hopefully keep you healthy all season long!