How to boost your immune system to combat Covid-19

With coronavirus infection rates spiking across the globe, keeping our bodies as healthy as possible has become more important than ever.

Experts say a strong immune system is our biggest shield against infectious diseases, including Covid-19. And supporting that natural resistance before you get sick may be our best defense.

While the coronavirus pandemic — and the damage it causes — can make us all feel a little bit helpless, there is still plenty we can do to stay healthy and prime our bodies to fight Covid-19, like eating a nutrient rich diet and regularly exercising.

Spending your days stuck on the couch or shoveling in pizza and ice cream every night isn’t doing your immune system any favors. And while moving more and eating well are two things that are almost universally agreed upon as immune “boosters,” it’s just as important to recognize the risk factors that lead to poor health. Because ultimately, when our immune systems are armed and ready to protect us, we can not only add years to our lives, but life to our years.

In this episode of The Abstract, we discuss how to “boost” the immune system at home to fight Covid-19.

Our first story is about the growing research suggesting a plant-based diet can significantly delay the aging process, disease, and death. With the Covid-19 pandemic bringing various health disparities to the forefront, researchers say the time to load your plate with plants is now.

Our second story looks at the impact working remotely has on our mental and physical health. While sedentary behavior can be a silent killer, a new model designed to show the health consequences of working from home proves yet again how moving more and eating well is our body’s best defense against disease.

Read the original Inverse stories:

• This model of a 'WFH bod' shows what happens if bad habits set in
• One diet can cut the risk of death by over 10% — study

Where to find us:

• Subscribe to The Abstract wherever you listen to podcasts: iTunes | Spotify | TuneIn | RadioPublic | Stitcher
• Follow Ali Pattillo on Twitter
• Follow Inverse on Twitter
• We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos

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Right now, facts and science matter more than ever. That's part of the reason for The Abstract, this all-new podcast from the Inverse staff that focuses exclusively on science and innovation. Three new episodes are released a week, and each covers one theme via two related stories. Each features audio of original Inverse reporting, where the facts and context take center stage. It's hosted by the Tanya Bustos of WSJ Podcasts. Because we're Inverse, it's all true but slightly off-kilter. It's made for people who want to know the whole story. —Nick Lucchesi, executive editor, Inverse