OZH WELLNESS
Maintaining a Healthy Immune System in a Pandemic
BY DWAIN HEBDA T
he body’s immune system is responsi- ble for mounting a defense against infection and disease, including pathogens from influenza and the
novel coronavirus. The stronger an immune sys- tem, the stronger and faster its response. It is cru- cial to a person’s health to develop and maintain a strong immune system during normal times as well as during flu season and a pandemic. “Immune systems help us stand against disease,” states Dr. Jennifer Lambert succinctly. Originally from New England, Dr. Lambert has spent her 11 years of practice serving rural Missouri families. She has been with Ozarks Healthcare family practice in West Plains for the last five years. Her recommendations for devel- oping a strong immune system include sleeping well, eating healthily, exercising regularly, continuing rou- tine care and quitting smoking, if applicable. Sleep improves immune health. Adults generally
need 7–8 hours of sleep and children more. Not only is the length of sleep important, but so is the quality. Better sleep can be had by abstaining from caffeine, avoiding electronic screen time prior to bedtime and
18 | OZARKS HEALTHCARE | SPRING 2021
creating a relaxing environment to sleep in. Those who struggle with falling asleep or remaining asleep should consult their doctors. A nutritional diet promotes the normal function- ing of the immune system. The basics of nutrition, Dr. Lambert says, is a balanced diet of fruits, vege- tables, beans and whole grains. These provide minerals, vitamins, pro- tein and fiber. In general, Dr. Lambert considers the greatest benefit to most people could come from simply cleaning up their diets of overly pro- cessed foods. “Those are things that you want to avoid,” she explains, be- cause they are often high in sugars and fats that ham- per and harm the body, and low in useful nutrients due to processing. In addition to striving for a bal- anced diet, supplementing with a multivitamin and vitamin C will help build a strong immune system.
If you’re dealing with underlying depression, that’s
going to have a huge impact on your ability to fight disease.
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