INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — Keeping your immune system in top shape is important during a time like this.
Boosting your immune system is something everyone can do, and there are a number of ways to do it.
The best way is to eat the correct foods. Physician's assitant and fitness expert Kim Goletz suggestd foods like leafy greens and bell peppers, which are loaded with micronutrients to stay healthy.
Goletz said another important thing for adults and kids to consider with their immune system is getting enough sleep and keeping your stress levels down.
It's a bit of a vicious cycle, of course: The more you stress about the virus, the more likely you are to suffer from it.
"When you are under a lot of stress your body activates its fight-or-flight reaction," Goletz said. "If you are stressed out, you are in a fight mode, which activates your stress hormones. That can affect your immune system, so how you deal with the stressors is very important."
Kim also tells her clients to start a gratitude practice, either when you wake up or go to bed.
"Write down one or two things that you are grateful for. This can really help change your perspective," she said.
Breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are other ways that can help reduce stress.
Parents should know if you they're stressed, their kids will feel it, too.
"Keeping yourself in the right place mentally will also help those around you, who may also be feeling very stressed," Goletz said.