The sun is shining, it’s warm outside…so you don’t have to worry about your immunity, right?
Not exactly.
While it’s true that chilly weather ushers in what we think of as the “cold and flu season,” you always need to support your immune system, even in summer. Prolonged overheating in people can compromise the body’s immune response, and acute heat stress can impact the ability of the immune system to fight off infection.
Want to improve your chances of feeling good and staying active all season long?
Here are 5 Ways to support your immunity this summer…
- Eat Refreshing Fruits and Vegetables
One advantage summer offers is that it’s peak produce season. The following items should find a place in your immunity-support shopping cart:
- Cucumbers: This popular veggie offers magnesium, potassium and vitamin E. What’s more, cukes are 95% water, making them perfect hydrating agents in high heat.
- Grapes: contain resveratrol, a health-enhancing phytonutrient, as well as vitamins C and K.
- Kiwis: These fuzzy little fruits are packed with a megadose of vitamin C along with key minerals.
- Lemons: Ditch the soda and go with naturally sweetened lemonade; as citrus fruits, lemons are famous for their vitamin C content.
- Mangos: These sweet, juicy treats are loaded with vitamins C and A as well as fiber and iron.
- Oranges: Like lemons, oranges offer vitamin C, along with the phytonutrients hesperetin and naringenin.
- Pineapple: Juicy and flavourful, pineapple supplies vitamin C and a healthful enzyme calledbromelain.
- Strawberries: This fruit is not just pretty but also powerful, full of antioxidants, vitamins C and K, and a number of minerals.
- Watermelon: Like cucumbers, watermelons are more than 90% water; they also supply vitamins B, C and E.
In addition, add fermented foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut to your meal plans for their supply of beneficial probiotics—did you know that the digestive system contains approximately 70% of the body’s immune cells.
- Decrease Sugar
One thing to cut down on in your diet is added sugar.
Over-consumption can substantially decrease the immune system’s ability to attack viruses and bacteria.
Avoiding candy, sweet baked goods and sugary drinks is only part of the solution; sugar can also hide in such unlikely places as pasta sauce, instant oatmeal and salad dressing. Check the Nutrition Facts boxes on your planned purchases, especially the Added Sugars line.
- Exercise Safely
Scientists have long known that there’s a link between regular exercise and proper immune function. Try for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day, early in the day when it’s cooler.
However, if you exercise outdoors in hot weather you will want to take precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses. Certain disorders can become more problematic in hot weather. If you have a pre-existing condition, speak to your healthcare provider.
- It can take up to two weeks for your body to adapt when under high-heat conditions, so ease into exercise once summer hits full force. Be especially careful if you’re just beginning a fitness routine; start slow and take breaks as needed.
- Check weather forecasts and heat alerts so you know how hot it’s going to get; try to exercise early in the morning or late in the evening instead of midday. If it’s really unbearable, exercise at home (if you have an air-conditioned space) or in a gym.
- Dress in lightweight, loose-fitting clothes, including a wide-brimmed hat, and use sunscreen on exposed skin (see below).
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate—it can’t be stressed enough. (Don’t wait until you’re thirsty, either; drink at regular intervals.) For intense exercise, add in a sports drink to replace minerals lost through perspiration. On the other hand, excessively sugary drinks can actually promote fluid loss.
If you are exercising outdoors, pay attention to your body temperature to reduce the risk of serious heat-related conditions including heatstroke.
Signs and symptoms of heat-related illness are varied but may include muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting, fainting, dizziness or headache, excessive sweating, low blood pressure and vision problems. If you feel yourself overheating, stop exercising right away and go somewhere cool. Drink cold fluids and use ice packs to lower your body temperature.
- Stay Hydrated!
More than half your body weight consists of water, which gives you an idea of how important it is to stay properly hydrated. Staying hydrated during a heat wave is crucial for preventing heat illness, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.When the body is exposed to high temperatures, it sweats to cool down, leading to significant fluid loss.
Without adequate hydration, the body’s cooling mechanisms become less effective, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses. Drinking plenty of water helps maintain the body’s temperature regulation, blood volume, and overall function, ensuring that vital organs and systems operate efficiently even in extreme heat.
Moreover, proper hydration supports a strong immune system, which is especially important during a heat wave.
By staying well-hydrated, individuals can better maintain their immune defense and overall health during hot weather conditions.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugary drinks, which are dehydrating.
Try adding fruit or cooling veggies like cucumber slices to your water bottle, it’s delicious!
- Make Sleeping Easier in Hot Weather
Another way to protect your immune system is by sleeping soundly. Studies show that people who don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep are more at risk to catch
Unfortunately, hot weather can make sleeping difficult.
Your temperature normally drops at night when the body releases melatonin, a hormone that plays a key role in controlling your body’s internal clock, and rises again in the morning. However, an overly warm bedroom can interfere with this process, which can increase body temperature and disturb sleep.
Obviously, having air conditioning really helps. If you don’t have central air, the one room you should absolutely outfit with a window model is the bedroom. Running a fan at night, even if you have AC, can improve airflow.
Other ways to make sleeping easier in warm weather include:
- Avoiding mattresses and pillows with thick foams, such as memory foam, which can trap heat, and using sheets and pillowcases made of natural fibers instead of synthetics. Also, avoid thick coverings—a light blanket or coverlet should be all you’ll need.
- Keeping your pillowcase in the freezer during the day and putting it on the pillow just before bedtime.
- Keeping curtains drawn in your bedroom during the day; blackout curtains have been found to be more effective at keeping bedrooms cool.
- Not exercising too close to bedtime, which can raise your body temperature.
- Keeping a cool glass of water on your nightstand.
In addition, you may want to find a way to relax and unwind before bedtime, especially since stress is a real buzzkill for your immunity. Yoga, deep-breathing exercises and mediation can all help.
Click HERE to get Dr. Helene’s Five Delightfully Delicious & Healthy Summer Dinners
Click HERE to get Dr. Helene’s Delicious, Hydrating Fruit Infused Water Recipes e-book
Click HERE to get Dr. Helene’s Summer Immune Supplement Bundle
Here’s to keeping cool and staying healthy this summer!
Dr. Helene