As we navigate life and the health challenges that we might encounter, maintaining a healthy immune system is essential to staying healthy and overcoming potential health challenges in the most efficient and effective way.

Here are 5 proven steps to keep yourself as healthy as possible:

1. Manage stress. Stress impacts us at multiple levels. It has been proven to weaken the immune system and increase the stress hormone, cortisol.  A simple way to effectively manage stress is mindful meditation. Most recent research shows that mindfully spending time breathing for 12 minutes or focusing on a mantra helps mind tranquility. In addition, journal what’s troubling your mind — writing it down, will help you stop thinking about it, and get it off your mind so you can relax.  As we manage and improve our stress level, it will naturally improve our quality of sleep. 
2. Sleep. Sleep is an essential step in our health to allow us total body recovery.  A variety of functions along with neurotransmitters and proteins that are essential for recovery are handled during our sleep.  For a better night’s sleep, I recommend turning the temperature of your home to about 64 degrees, refrain from any screen time an hour prior to your bedtime, take a warm bath, and consider reading book preferably an easy fiction. I would also highly encourage if possible to take a twenty-minute nap during the day. 
3. Diet. Assisting the immune system by eating whole fresh foods along with eliminating sugar preservatives will help optimize your health. Consider starting your day with  lemon juice, squeezing a fresh lemon in a cup of warm water and drink it with a straw.  Augment your diet with natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory foods such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, and kiwi to name a few.  Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi are fantastic sources for healthy bacteria to assist with your immune system.
4. Practice good hygiene. It goes without saying that practicing good hygiene will expose you to less potential harmful elements and organisms.  Washing hands for an extended period of time. Washing your fruits & vegetables especially when you are eating them raw. Wiping surfaces with disinfectant will definitely reduce your exposure to harmful organisms.
5. IV Nutritional Therapy.  IV therapy is a fantastic source of hydration and will boost your system with nutrients. The advantage of IV therapy is the direct delivery of helpful and effective nutrients, minerals and vitamins directly to the system which allows immediate availability and an immediate boost to your immune system.