Eating healthy

Eat three healthy square meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Eat foods that are low in saturated fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars. Your diet should mostly consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products.

A healthy diet should consist of: poultry, fish, lean meats, beans, eggs, and nuts

Ever heard of portion control? Eat only portions that can satisfy your hunger and do not out of greed.

If you must snack, go for healthy snacks like fruits, whole grains, or nuts. Ensure you wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly with clean water before eating.

Stay off caffeinated and sugar-enhanced drinks. They are high in calories. If you must have a drink, go for water or natural fruit juice.

Avoid eating heavy meals before going to bed to avoid weight gain.

Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat. Make sure you cook your foods especially meats (above 165 F). Doing so destroys most harmful bacteria and other pathogens.

SLEEP TO STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNITY

According to an article from sleepfoundation.org, sleep plays an important role with regards to your health. While more sleep may not necessarily prevent you from getting sick, withholding on it could have negative side effects on your immune system, thereby leaving you vulnerable to a bad cold or case of the flu.  Here is what you can do to keep yourself free from falling ill.

Sleep, so your body fights for you

When you sleep, your produces what is called cytokines- a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation, effectively creating an immune response. With insufficient sleep, your body makes fewer of these fighting proteins. The flu vaccine will be less effective on your body if you do not get adequate sleep.

Fill the missing gaps with short naps

It is very important to get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep a night. This will help keep your immune system in fighting shape, and also protect you from other health issues including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.  If you should miss your sleep schedule for whatever reason (it could be work, emergency meetings, etc) try to make up for the lost time with naps (siestas). Research shows that taking two naps no longer than 30 minutes each —one in the morning and one in the afternoon—helps decrease stress and offset the negative effects that sleep deprivation has on the immune system.  If you can’t seem to get that 30 minute nap, try catching a 20-minute siesta during your lunch hour, and another right before dinner.

Other Healthy Tactics

Yes, getting a good rest and shut-eye can boost your immunity and guard against illnesses. But it is also important to practice good personal hygiene like washing your hands regularly with soap, and avoiding close contact with people who are obviously under the weather.  Even if you do come down with a case of seasonal flu, you should be able to bounce back faster if your body is well rested.