Part 1: 14 Ways to Boost Your Immune System
During this time of year, we are all looking to boost our immune systems. There are many things we can do to support our immunity and to experience a life of vibrancy and color.
In this 3 part blog series, we'll give you 14 total ways to build your immune system. Here are the first 6:
- Avoid processed sugar
- Get your exercise
- Choose whole foods over processed ones
- Buy local or grow your own garden
- Solve your food cravings
- Meal prep
Without further ado, let the health games begin!
Avoid processed sugar
While munching on a little sugary morsel every now and again isn’t going to break the health savings account, processed sugar is highly inflammatory and known to compromise your immunity.
Studies show that spikes in sugar levels suppress your immune system. So, while that donut might sound delicious (we get that!), if you eat foods high in sugar you are more likely to get sick and you could be reducing your body’s ability to fight disease.
On top of that, white sugar is hard on the gut, which impacts brain function. Sugar is also highly addictive, which can make you feel a little nuts!
We don’t want you to experience any of that, which is why we don’t include any processed sugar in our products. It’s just whole fruits & veggies - that’s it.
Avoid sweeteners like white sugar, corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, go for natural sweeteners like coconut sugar, raw maple syrup, or raw honey - all of which have many micronutrients that are beneficial for the body, unlike processed sugars.
Nature gave us sweeteners that are complex and beneficial - sugars made in a lab or factory cannot compare. When we consume natural sugars, such as those in fruit, they come with many other components, such as fiber and vitamins, that help our body process the sugar properly.
Get your exercise
Getting your daily exercise has a significant impact on the function of your immune system.
Your life is filled with so many responsibilities, and sometimes exercise can be tough to fit in. It can feel like you don’t have the time or the energy. But to get results and experience the benefits of exercise, do you have to become Aarnold Schwarzenegger and get “pumped up”?
While that image is certainly funny, you don’t need to go all out to experience benefits.
How about just a 15-minute walk? Some quick calisthenics? A HIIT workout? What if you didn’t need to go to the gym, but could do something at home?
If this sounds doable to you, check out these workouts from our 15-minute workout series below. Whether you’re a beginner or expert, there is something for everyone:
15-minute HIIT workout with Wendy Iglesias
20-minute yoga routine with Tedi Searle
15-minute at-home full body workout with Tedi Searle
15-minute at-home full body workout with The Bearded Trainer
15-minute at-home core workout with Melanie Webb
Choose whole foods over processed ones
Let’s be rea, processed foods taste amazing. Seriously, how do they make those things? It’s like they’re designed in a lab or something.
Oh, wait...they are.
Here’s the problem with processed foods. Your body and brain run off of whatever you give them. Your body is like a play - you have a plot, characters, writers, a stage, etc. But not all plays are created equal.
Do you want a cheap show with junior high kids playing in it? Yes, some of those shows are good, it's true. But compare those to Broadway.
Both plays - completely different experiences.
Processed, packaged foods contain ingredients that are hard on your gut, brain, and the whole rest of your body. These foods can cause you to feel tired, lack focus, and experience a negative mood.
Compare this to the feeling you get after a healthy meal filled with vegetables, good fats, whole grains, legumes, probiotics, etc. Does it feel different?
Heck yes it does! It feels amazing!
Junior high plays are easier to organize, pay for, and rehearse. Broadway plays take far more effort and money.
Eating healthy isn’t as easy as going out and grazing on earth’s foliage. We aren’t steers on a pasture!
Fresh, wholesome foods are much harder to prepare than prepackaged, premade ones. But when done right, they can lead to a fulfilling, positive experience. They can taste great, but most of all they can make us feel great.
We created Ruvi to make this choice easy. Ruvi is nothing but whole fruits and veggies - just tear, pour, shake and you have 4 servings of whole fruits and veggies right in the palm of your hand.
One of our favorite blends for supporting the immune system - due to its high antioxidant, vitamin C, and phytonutrient content - is Ruvi Boost. It’s eight whole fruits and veggies in a blend optimized to boost your immunity.
Solve your food cravings
We’re happy to say that eating whole foods makes a serious difference for food cravings. If you struggle with these, it is due in large part to the fact that your body feels robbed of nutrients you should be getting from your food. But society and food culture has made that hard to do!
When you eat processed foods that are nutritionally deficient, you don’t give your body what it’s craving - all the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and more. So, your body keeps craving. In addition, this is hard on your immune system.
You need whole, nutritionally dense foods in your diet in order to overcome food cravings and build your immunity.
Meal Prep
One thing that can help you get more whole, satisfying foods in your diet and boost your health is meal prep. Meal prepping is making food ahead of time so that you can simply grab-and-go.
You can, for instance, take time to cook a huge batch of something healthy before the new week begins. You can make a meal filled with whole grains, veggies, and a protein, and then divvy it out into separate containers that you can simply pull out of the fridge the day of and bring with you to work/school to eat for lunch that day.
All this is a major support for your immune system and overall physical and mental health.
We hope you enjoyed this article! As always, make sure to eat your whole fruits and veggies every single day! Ruvi contains 4 servings of 8-10 whole fruits and veggies in every single packet. Nothing added, nothing taken out - just the real stuff! All you gotta do is pour, shake, drink. Mother Nature’s medicines in the palm of your hand!
Keep an eye out for Part 2 of this blog series, 14 Ways to Boost Your Immune System, coming soon!