Boosting your immunity with Dr. Dylan

With plenty of sickness going around this time of year, there are a few ways to help boost your immunity.

Dr. Dylan Wyatt, Emergency Medicine Physician at St. Luke’s Hospital, shares his three most effective ways to help your body fight off the flu, naturally.

Exercise is the first piece of advice. Dr. Dylan says it stimulates your immune system to go find those germy pathogens, while also checking on your overall cells for viruses.

“A moderate amount of exercise, just 20 minutes or an hour every single day can have a massive impact,” says Dr. Dylan. “In fact, that’s the single-most predictive factor for people not getting sick.”

Rest is the second most important thing for your body, according to Dr. Dylan.

“It’s very easy to get caught up on all the things we need to go, while cutting out on sleep. At first, it’s an hour less here, two less there. But studies have shown that people who get six to eight hours a night have a much stronger imune system. They get less respiratory virus infections yearly, by a substantial margin.”

Diet is the third piece of advice. Dr. Dylan says diet is the foundation of our overall health.

“Eating at least three fruits a day- a study in 2011 showed that has another massive impact on reducing respiratory illness in most people.”

Dr. Dylan says none of these are overnight fixes for a cold or virus you’re fighting. But small changes everyday can help get you on a healthier path in life.