How to Increase Immunity in Old Age
Having any form of illness is bad enough at any age, but for the elderly, getting sick can be a very serious matter. Even a mild case of the flu can easily turn into pneumonia for elderly patients, and that can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.
Whether you are caring for an elderly loved one in your home or just trying to keep them happy and healthy, it is important to take a proactive approach in strengthening their immune system. While getting age appropriate vaccinations and having regular physicals is a good start, those are not the only things you can do to protect your loved one from the discomfort - and the danger - of falling sick.
Here are some simple tips which shall help you in boosting immunity of your loved ones.
- Avoid simple sugars in any form
- Limit alcohol as it suppresses the functioning of immunity when consumed in excess.
- Avoid processed foods, microwaved foods, canned foods and foods with preservatives as they are very difficult to digest.
- Don’t serve ice water.
- Always include spices into cooking, such as turmeric, black pepper, cumin, coriander as they boost the functioning of immune system.
- Serve hot water or fresh ginger tea throughout the day to boost the digestion.
- Use clarified butter (ghee) for cooking.
- Do not overcook your food.
- Serve food on fixed timings every day ant fixed intervals.
- Irrespective of age, 30-40 minutes of physical activity, may be simple walking is a must along with spending 20 min in sunlight for the daily dose of vitamin D
- Ayurvedic supplements that increase the power of digestive fire and support strong immune function can also be included in daily diet.
Immunity can also be improved by consuming natural immunity boosting foods regularly. Visit our immunity blog to learn how to increase immunity and the top home remedies to improve immunity power.