It’s tough to stay healthy during winter, when viruses run rampant, but it’s even tougher when you spend an entire week with sixty other teenagers, sharing waters, makeup, and clothing, like some students experienced the week of “Singin’ in the Rain.”
Whether it’s sharing a water bottle at a sports game or using a friend’s lipstick before going onstage, germs spread quickly. Although this type of behavior is not encouraged, most teens share these items every day. The best way to combat the germs is keeping the immune system strong. According to a health article on msnbc.com, eating foods cooked with olive and canola oil “improves flexibility and communication between the cells, which promotes immune function.”
Eating lean protein, such as fish and poultry, is also an important part of protecting your body from bacteria, viruses, and germs. “One of the reasons is that the antibodies that help fight disease are actually made of protein … Many foods high in protein also contain other immune-boosting nutrients,” according to the health article on msnbc.com.
In addition to getting protein, it is also important to get vitamins. According to msnbc.com, some important vitamins to make sure are in your body are vitamins A, C, and E.
Vitamin A can come from foods like sweet potatoes and carrots, and “helps white blood cells fight off infections more effectively.”
Vitamin C is found in foods such as citrus fruit, bell peppers, and broccoli. This vitamin helps the body absorb iron and helps protect the immune system from diseases.
Lastly, vitamin E can be found in nuts, seeds, and turnip greens. This helps “combat flu and upper respiratory infections.”
It can sometimes be tough to try to fit all of these things into your diet, so other options are daily vitamin supplements in gummies, pills, and chewables. There are numerous pills, chewables, and gummies that contain a number of vitamins and some that have a specific vitamin, such as vitamin D, or iron.
These vitamin supplements and multivitamins are a great way to get the vitamins you need while only having to remember to take a small pill each day.
Making time for exercising every day also helps boost your immune system. According to msnbc.com, “Exercise gets antibodies and white blood cells moving through the body faster, so they may detect illnesses sooner.”
All of these methods can keep your immune system strong and improve your health in general during the season when you need it most.
Ashley Beyer is a Lifestyles Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.org.