Back to school = back to sick? Part 1: Food and fitness tips to keep you healthy!
Students are notorious for passing around germs, so how can you fortify your defenses? Here are some food and fitness tips to fight illness this fall.
Eat a Balanced Diet
1. Students must take fruits and vegetables with their meals, so why not make a "rule" like that for yourself? Shoot for 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. They're full of vitamins and minerals to keep your immune system in top shape.
2. Incorporate probiotics from yogurt and other fermented foods. Good gut health can help you fight off infections.
3. Focus on key nutrients like vitamins A, C, D, and zinc. These all play important roles in immune function. Here are good food sources of each:
- Vitamin A: Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, fish, eggs, dairy products
- Vitamin C: Fruits and vegetables
- Vitamin D: Fatty fish, whole eggs, mushrooms, dairy products
- Zinc: Meat, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy products
Stay Active
Getting regular physical activity is an immune booster! How? Being active can help calm your mind and lower stress levels (stress is known to decrease immunity). Exercising also increases your body temperature. This small rise in body heat can help prevent germs from taking hold.
Although you may be on your feet much of the day, it's important to carve out some time for physical activity -- even if it's just 10 minutes. Choose activities that you enjoy! Here are some ideas:
- Walk while listening to a podcast, audiobook, or some music
- Go for a bike ride
- Lift weights (bonus - getting strong will help when putting away orders!)
- Play a team sport
- Dance around at home to your favorite songs
Thank you to University of Illinois dietetic intern, Madelyn Blandford, for her assistance with this post!