NHS Student Blog 12/4/2020 - Nehir Aran

Health is one of the most important possessions a person has. Especially at the moment, our health and well-being are keeping us standing, and they give us the means to keep on living. Health consists of physical and mental health. Although they are equally important, physical health is more in the spot at the moment considering the global COVID-19 pandemic. With this extremely contagious virus spreading rapidly throughout the world, our immune system has become significantly important to keep us alive and healthy. To keep our immune system strong, we need to be aware of what we do for our bodies each day. One of the key aspects of having a strong immune system is taking in lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and micronutrients, which means eating healthy, nutritious, and beneficial foods. This includes a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains. Some great foods that include necessary micronutrients are citrus fruits, garlic, ginger, yogurt, nuts such as almonds, sunflower seeds, and turmeric. Another beneficial step to take would be significantly reducing or completely stopping smoking and alcohol consumption. These substances inhibit your body’s ability to fight bacteria and germs, therefore weakening your immune system. A very significant factor affecting your immune system is sleep. The time during sleep is when your body gets to replenish itself. When you deprive yourself of sleep, your body does not get enough time to prepare itself adequately for the next day, and therefore you are more susceptible to diseases. In more scientific terms, too little sleep lowers your body’s infection-fighting antibodies and makes your cells more likely to get sick. Adults should get at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep while children should get a minimum of 9 to 10 hours a day. Exercise contributes greatly to a strong immune system. During exercise which increases your heart rate, therefore increasing the blood circulation throughout your body, antibodies and white blood cells flow through the body at a faster rate and possibly detect infections sooner than no exercise. The recommended rate of exercise is at least 30 minutes of physical activity at a minimum of 3 to 4 days a week. Moreover, excessive stress is a substantial setback to a strong immune system. Excessive amounts increase the production of the hormone cortisol, which can suppress the immune system and also decrease the likelihood of getting good-quality sleep. Even though you cannot cut stress factors out of your life completely, it would benefit you to try to manage them effectively. Don’t forget, your body has been there for you since the moment you were born, and it is sure to be there until the moment of your decease, so treat it the way you want it to treat you!