A healthy immune system can ward off bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other infections. But by constantly engaging in careless practices that gradually damage your immune system, you are susceptible to an increasing amount of illnesses.
So, what do you do in this case? One way to dodge unhealthy eating habits is to subscribe to a reliable meal delivery service for timely and freshly packed healthy meals.
But what are some issues that result in a weakened immune system, and how do you tackle them?
4 Practices Capable of Damaging Your Immune System
A plethora of our daily routine practices ends up damaging your immune system. Here are some of them.
1. Insufficient Fibre Intake
Have you ever wondered why an apple a day keeps the doctor away? Well, it isn’t just a saying to trick you into eating healthy.
In essence, an apple is a fibre-rich food, and fibre is tasked with producing billions of ‘good’ bacteria in our gut that are tasked with keeping our immune system intact.
Fibre also helps you lose weight, fend off chronic diseases, reduce inflammation, improve gut health, and so on. Therefore, ensure that you consume a minimum of 21 to 25 g of fibre every day if you are a woman, and around 30 to 38 g, if you are a man.
You can opt for customised meal plans while subscribing to a meal delivery service and include sufficient fibre-rich foods to compensate for the deficit in your diet.
2. Insufficient Consumption of the Right Nutrients
Along with fibre, vitamins such as A, C, D, and even Zinc are essential for maintaining your immune system. Insufficient consumption of vitamins can significantly lower the ability of your immune system to ward off harmful diseases and infections.
Reliable sources of Vitamin A are generally foods like shrimp, salmon, sweet potatoes, eggs, leafy greens, carrots, etc.
Vitamin C can be obtained from food sources such as bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. Obtaining Vitamin D from food sources can be tedious, but it can be found in vitamin D-fortified milk, egg yolks, UV-fortified mushrooms, and salmon.
3. Consuming Too Much Sugar
There is nothing wrong with consuming minimal amounts of sugar every day. But, in case of excess sugar intake, the cells of your immune system that are responsible for fighting off the harmful bacteria are repelled.
Therefore, the integrity of your immune system takes a dip, leaving you susceptible to sickness.
According to WHO, healthy sugar intake doesn’t supersede 10% of your overall daily energy intake. Always remember moderation is vital with sugar.
4. Consumption of Alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption is another practice that can completely shatter your immune system. This directly results from damage to the gut microbiome, which comprises billions of healthy bacteria responsible for warding off diseases.
As a result, harmful bacteria levels in your bloodstream increase drastically, leading to an inflamed liver. An inflamed liver won’t be able to filter out the environmental toxins in your body effectively, including virally-infected antigens.
The only way to navigate this issue is to reduce overall alcohol consumption.
Conclusion
Therefore, you must keep a check on your daily food intake to keep your immune system intact.
If you have a busy schedule, cooking your food might not be an option. In this case, you can subscribe to a reliable meal delivery service with food customization options to fulfil your daily dietary requirements and protect your immune system from harm.
