Let’s Protect Our Bodies
A few recommendations to give your bodies (big and small) the best chance at protecting and healing themselves.
Between relaxations on lockdown rules and the sporadic sunshine, many of us will be raring to get outside. However, as Monday morning’s snow shower showed us, winter is not entirely gone. None of us want to go catching a cold the moment lockdown lifts, so here are a few tips to help keep your whole family healthy as we head into Spring.
1. Get outside…
Vitamin D is produced in your skin in response to sunlight — and it’s really important for the immune system. Vitamin D regulates our immune responses, and a deficiency in it can make us more susceptible to infection (you can read the science on this here). So try and get out for even just a few minutes of sunshine every day!
2. …But keep warm!
While we may not catch a cold from simply being cold, there is some truth in the name. A 2015 study found that, when the body reaches cooler temperatures, cold viruses can replicate much quicker — partly because our immune responses diminish. So layer up — you can always remove a jumper or two if you get too warm.
4. Up your intake of vitamin C
Vitamin C supports your immune system, and helps to keep nasty microbes at bay (you can read more here). However, vitamin C is also water soluble, so to maintain healthy levels of it in the body, we need to eat vitamin C rich foods, such as citrus fruits, peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants and broccoli.
5. Eat your vegetables
Grandma knew it, and so should everyone else. Vegetables provide us with essential micronutrients for a healthy body, including beta-carotene (which increases disease-fighting cells), vitamin E (to support the body’s natural immune responses) and zinc (which can help to boost white blood cells).
We hope these little tips help to keep your family happy and healthy!
Warmest,
James Bell
Parent Champion at MEplace
ed. Lizzie Corscaden
