Immune system

Good health of immune system is a condition for avoiding seasonal diseases like flu or cold. We are especially sensitive for illness during autumn and winter. In the autumn beginning our bodies are attacked by enormous amounts of viruses and bacterias and the phenomenon of autumn weakness make us less resistant than in the summer.

Why are we so vulnerable for diseases in autumn and winter time? There is no straight answer, but many theories. It is known, that day is shorter, amount of daylight decreases, and so we create less vitamin D. Perhaps this decrementation influences the activity of immune system. The second hypothesis is that in cold and dark time we spend more time in houses, tightly closed, with lack of ventilaton, so we breathe the air is exhaled by the others. On the other hand, flu can be dependent on the lower humidity in winter. Moisturized air could bind the viruses in water drops which lay on the ground rather than beeing inhalated to lungs. There is a theory that flu virus lives shorter in water than in dry air and because the disesese is delivered with dripstone, we can be infected when we are in the place with ill person (who is not necessarily to have cough - viruses are active even during breathing). In the flu season we are exposed to viruses in work, school, buses, boarding houses - shortly speaking: everywhere where the people are.

Nevertheless, it’s better to protect ourselves against infections. We often do it with homemade methods when we are ill anyway. We forget, the fight with microorganisms begins much earlier and better is to take care on proper nutrition rich in antigerm substances during all the autumn and winter. It’s far better to protect and take care of everyday body security than to save it from illness. Below are given 6 easy steps to improve your immunity.

Sleep well and long.
Sleeping has big advantage in figthting stress and inflammations. Go to sleep earlier if you have to wake up earlier.

Be active.
Even 30-minutes but daily walking supports immune system and make your sleep better.

Free from the stress.
Stress increases amount of hormones that say our immunity: stop! Go outside, move, meet your friends, give yourself as much free time as you can and stop chasing your exceeded tasks.

Moisturize places where you live.
Humidity over 40% leads to healthy respiratory tract. Dry air destroys epithelium on bronchi and make easier spreading viruses in the air.

Diet is the power.
Our natural habit in the cold climate is a temptation of eating heavy dishes like fried meat, fat soups, sausages, huge amounts of butter and cream. But don’t tempt to it! Fruits and vegetables should be nutrition grounding even in winter (potatoes don’t count as vegetables!). Search for colour fruits - in the winter season it is important to save as much vitamin C as possible.