Immune Health Tips

What is an Immune System?

• It defends you against disease-causing microorganisms and other foreign bodies.

• When functioning properly, the immune system identifies a variety of threats, including viruses, bacteria and parasites, and distinguishes them from the body's own healthy tissue.

Building Healthy Immunity Through Lifestyle

3 Main Points:

• Your body cannot fight off every invader

• There are diseases we have no control over

• There is no magic pill or supplement to “boost” your immune system

Building Healthy Immunity Through Lifestyle

• Your body cannot fight off every invader– Your immune system will break

down from time to time– Bacteria, viruses, or toxins can

overwhelm the body, deplete the immune system and make you sick

Building Healthy Immunity Through Lifestyle

• There are diseases we have no control over– However, lifestyle factors are very

important– Having a poor lifestyle can lead to

having a weakened immune system and therefore make you more susceptible to illness etc.

Building Healthy Immunity Through Lifestyle• There is no magic pill or

supplement to “boost” your immune system

– You must adapt healthy lifestyle habits long term

Top Lifestyle Tips for Building a Healthy Immune System

• Using content from the Student Wellness Centre Facebook Group, we have a guide on how to bring all these things together for a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Top Lifestyle Tips for Building a Healthy Immune System

• Visit our Facebook group or follow the links to the specific documents on our website.

• Start to incorporate these tips into your habits– See Ashlee’s Healthy Habits Wellness

Challenge– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2020/04/Healthy-Habits-Challenge.pdf

Keep Fruit and Veggie Intake HIGH

• Check out our Nutrition Tips Unit and Recipe Unit on our Facebook page

• OR Nutrition and Recipes headings on our website – http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/programs-and-

services-fitness-fitness-and-nutrition-tips/?fbclid=IwAR03AleKJH2wRveCdElwTCh3xzf0kMr8QIzQu_QlqmDy57sSNku5oFm_YXM

Keep Fruit and Veggie Intake HIGH• Many “veggie loaded” recipes and other healthy options

including:

– Veggie Loaded Naan Bread Pizzas

– Veggie Loaded Lasagna

– Veggie Loaded Spaghetti

– Veggie Loaded Tuscan Soup (Vegan friendly)

• Canned and Frozen Produce

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SWC_Canned-and-Frozen-Produce.pdf

Make Informed and Healthy Nutrition Choices Often

• Eating Before Bed and Sleep Health

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Eating-Before-Bed-and-Sleep-Health.pdf

• Eating During Isolation Tips

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Top-5-Eating-During-Isolation-Tips.pdf

Make Informed and Healthy Nutrition Choices Often

• Fiber– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2020/04/Fiber-Friday-1.pdf

• Meal Prepping for Beginners – http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2020/04/Meal-Prep-Where-Do-I-Begin.pdf

Reduce Sedentary Behaviour

• Take stretch breaks (see Jodi’s stretch exercises)

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Working_From_Home_Stretch_Series.pdf

Reduce Sedentary Behaviour

• Take part in our Physical Activity Bingo Challenge to become more physically active

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/April-BINGO-Challenge-Instructions.pdf

• Check out our Workout Unit on our Facebook page – revisit workouts time and time again!

Get Outdoors & Increase Vitamin D

• You can still go for walks, bike rides, walk the dog, or jog (always check for current virus advice and laws).

• Check out Alex’s Learn To Run program in the Fitness Tips unit on our Facebook page!

Be Aware of Alcohol and Substance Use

• Check out our Alcohol and Substance awareness PDF – http://studentwellnesscentre.

ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Did_You_Know.pdf

Make Sleep a Priority • Eating Before Bed and Sleep Health

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Eating-Before-Bed-and-Sleep-Health.pdf

• Progressive relaxation techniques – http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2020/04/Progressive-Relaxation.pdf– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2020/04/Progressive_Muscle_Relaxation.pdf

• Sleep presentation – http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2020/03/Sleep-Presentation.pdf

Manage Stress and Anxiety• Take stretch breaks

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Working_From_Home_Stretch_Series.pdf

• Try a yoga or meditative practice (see Kelly’s outdoor yoga)

• Working From Home Tips

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Working-from-Home-Tips1.pdf

Manage Stress and Anxiety• Maintaining good mental health while working from

home

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Maintaining_Good_Mental_Health_While_Working_From_Home-1-2.pdf

• Isolation schedule tips

– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Isolation-schedule-tips.pdf

Self Care and Mindfulness

• Self care presentation – http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2020/03/Self-Care-Presentation.pdf

• Self-Care and Self-Discovery Prompts– http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2020/04/Self-Care-and-Self-Discovery-Prompts.pdf

Self Care and Mindfulness

• Mindfulness Challenge – http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/w

p-content/uploads/2020/03/Mindfulness-Challenge.pdf

• Decluttering Challenge–

http://studentwellnesscentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Decluttering-Challenge.pdf

• Stay tuned for further reading on each of these topics and how they relate to immune health!