Covid-19: Support Your Immune System
During the ongoing Covid-19, it is vital to support your immune system as we become accustomed to self isolation.
Here are some self help tips to help you stay as healthy as you can in your new routine:
Eat a Balanced Healthy Diet:
– Eat more vegetables, salad and fruit – up to seven servings a day
– Limit intake of high fat, sugar and salt in food and drinks
– Size matters: use the Food Pyramid as a guide for serving sizes
– Increase your physical activity levels, small changes can make a big difference
Improve Your Physical Wellbeing:
– Children and young people (2-18): all children and young people should be active, at a moderate to vigorous level, for at least 60 minutes every day
– Adults (18-69): at least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity on five days a week or 150 minutes a week
– Children and adults with a disability should aim to be as active as their disability allows, and aim to meet the guideline for their age group if possible
– Adults aged 70+ are strongly advised to rigorously follow cocooning measures in order to keep themselves safe.
Look after your Mental Health:
– Going for a walk or run can help get rid of pent-up energy and can leave you feeling much calmer.
– Make contact with out with family or friends by email, phone or video-calling.
– Taking some deep breaths and try meditation — deep breathing can help to relax the body.
– Trying to avoid smoking, alcohol and caffeine, especially in the evenings.
Maintain a good Sleep Routine:
– Getting some good sleep, as a lack of sleep can affect your general well-being.
– Keeping your usual sleep routine is vital, get up at the usual time and retire to bed when you feel tired.
– Limit the amount of caffeine in the evenings as stimulants will keep you awake and disrupt your pattern.
– While we sleep, our bodies use this time to rest and repair so good sleep hygiene is vital to strengthen your body’s immune response
Hopefully these tips help you to support your immune system, remember there is no right or wrong as we take each day as it comes, you can only try the best you can in the circumstances…
We are all in this together. Stay safe and don’t forget to wash your hands!