Tired of Wildfire Smoke? Lawmakers Hoping to Clear the Air

The most well-known, surefire way to boost your immune system and overall health is drinking plenty of water. Sufficient hydration (best indicated by, at minimum, light yellow urine) means blood is oxygenated, toxins will be flushed, and vital organs and muscles will function their best.

It’s essential to supplement a diet with vitamin C since the body cannot make it. Vital to tissue growth and repair, heart health, bones, teeth, and cartilage, vitamin C can be found in fruits and vegetables (oranges, broccoli, strawberries) or supplement form.

While no science suggests vitamin C helps in the treatment of COVID-19, and there is nothing to show taking vitamin C will increase immunity to the coronavirus, taking vitamin C supplements are still considered a good way to boost overall immunity and health.

This mineral plays a very similar role to vitamin C in cellular repair and growth, as well as immune strength. Getting zinc into your diet—whether from meat, seeds, nuts, or whole grains—means boosting your body’s ability to fight infection.

WebMD calls the bad-breath herb a “low-cal immunity-boosting superstar” and “elixir.” In addition to being delicious, garlic helps battle colds and toxins and is potent enough to counter bacteria and infection. It is most beneficial in its raw form.

In addition to improving mood and reducing stress, regular exercise is key in maintaining immune health. The CDC highlights its ability to lower the risk of chronic disease and recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise and two days of strength training.

Exposing yourself to extremely hot, dry temperatures for short periods is a natural immune-boosting method. The sauna is your friend when considering the benefits of “environmental conditioning”—that is, forcing your body to adjust to extreme heat or cold.

Failure to get sufficient sleep increases the likelihood of illness and weakens the body’s ability to recover (deprivation can reduce the circulation of white blood cells), according to the Mayo Clinic. Get the recommended amount (seven to 10 hours) to keep your immune system in top shape to fight infection.

Chronic stress produces a similar detrimental effect as sleep deprivation. While reducing and managing it may be particularly difficult right now, focusing on its reduction with the same emphasis as diet and sleep is important to avoid suppressing your immune response. Utilize key tools like exercise and deep-breathing.

This natural immune-boosting method is only for those self-quarantining with romantic partners (not a recommendation to find new partners). By having sex, you can both improve your enjoyment of each other’s company (i.e. have fun, exercise, reduce stress) and support your overall health. WebMD mentions its effects on producing an antibody and lowering blood pressure and heart attack risk.

Probiotics play an important role in balancing the gut biome and bacteria. Among their several health benefits (digestion, allergy reduction, heart health), these bacteria can support immune health. They appear naturally in sources like fermented dairy (yogurt) and food (kimchi, sourdough bread).

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants—nutrients with numerous health benefits. WebMD says to favor colors like yellow, orange, red, blue, and purple when incorporating the three notable antioxidants: beta-carotene (in carrots, apricots, asparagus), vitamin C, and vitamin E (avocado, mangoes, spinach).

Nicotine is an immunosuppressive in cigarette smoke and e-cigarettes. Negative effects of smoking include inflammation, increased cortisol levels, decreased T cells’ response, and impaired immune response, making it more difficult to fight infection.

Alcohol disrupts the microbiome (previously mentioned regarding probiotics), thus throwing off the balance of bacteria and leading to inflammation that could ultimately damage the liver. You actually give your body more work to do when you drink excessively, forcing it to focus its response on detoxification—to the detriment of immune system function. Your best bet is to practice moderation.

Thorough handwashing with soap and water is an immediate preventative measure for the spread of bacteria and viruses. Influenza and gastrointestinal infections are just two communicable examples from contaminated hands. 

The body can produce vitamin D (unlike C), though you can maximize intake through supplements, food sources like mushrooms, eggs, and cheese, and of course natural sunlight. Vitamin D helps to reduce virus and bacteria spread.

B12 is essential to a healthy immune system, as well as a healthy brain, robust red blood cell count, and DNA maintenance. Decreased levels of B12 in the body can severely limit immune responses. Foods naturally high in B12 include meat, milk products, poultry, and fish, as well as nutritional yeast, fortified cereals, nori seaweed, and tempeh.

Whether it's carrots for beta carotene or broccoli for vitamin C, plants are filled with nutrition that helps to support a healthy immune system. To maximize the nutritional value of the plants you cook, try to avoid boiling the foods. Best bets are steaming, grilling, or roasting.

We all know sugar isn’t good for us, but sugar also inhibits our immune-system response to bacteria for several hours following excessive consumption. To prevent an overload of sugar, stay away from syrupy sodas and processed foods in general. Quick tip: If you see a food item marked as fat-free or low-fat, there’s a high probability it’s loaded with sugar to make up for the lack in flavor.

Social interactions—even virtual—provide much-needed boosts to our immune systems. A 2016 study from researchers at the University of Virginia found socializing can actually activate the immune system—and that conversely, a desire to socialize decreases when the immune system is compromised.

Processed foods are loaded with calories, which in turn can increase inflammation in the body, making it more difficult to fight off threats. These types of foods also lack nutritional value; in other words, if you fill up on processed foods you may not be consuming the foods that can help boost your immune system, like fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean forms of protein.

Excess body fat, which increases inflammation in the body, negatively affects the immune system. A 2010 study by Australian researchers published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism discovered that losing even 10 pounds could help people struggling with obesity balance their immune system.

Indoor air, germs included, gets cycled through air vents, making outdoor air cleaner. If you live in a home without a yard, it may be harder than usual to get that breath of fresh air with much of the country quarantined or on lockdown right now. Even cracking a window when you’re stuck inside can help circulate fresh air within your environment and give your immune system a slight rest.

Electrolytes is a buzzword frequently used in marketing sport and wellness drinks, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t beneficial. Calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium are all common electrolytes, which are minerals responsible for regulating the balance of fluids in the human body. Magnesium in particular can boost the immune system. When people sweat or become otherwise dehydrated, they lose electrolytes vital to a high-functioning body. Make sure to pay attention to the nutritional labels of electrolyte drinks, as these products can sometimes have a great deal of added sugar.

Various types of mushrooms have been touted for their medicinal properties for centuries—and it’s more than an old wives’ tale. Edible mushrooms are full of protein, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals, and there is evidence that certain types of mushrooms, such as turkey tail and shiitake (among others), can support and strengthen the immune system. Beware of products that market magical cures from mushrooms: They are likely too good to be true.

A diet without enough protein could lead to a weaker immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off both bacterial and viral infections. The amino acids—aka the building blocks of life—that make up proteins stick around after digestion and help repair body tissue among carrying out countless other bodily functions.

By: Abby Monteil
From: Famous TV locations in every state

In the OWN reality series “Love and Marriage: Huntsville,” three affluent African American couples work to transform the growing town of Huntsville, Alabama. Stars Marsau and LaTisha Scott opened a cigar lounge there called Blaque Cigar Lounge, which you can visit.

Although a lot of the action in the Discovery show “Deadliest Catch” takes place on the open seas, the show is based in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The harbor is located on Amaknak island, and is the largest fishing port in the United States.

Nickelodeon’s hit Western comedy “Hey Dude” follows the misadventures of a group of teenage friends, who work at an Arizona dude ranch called the Bar None Ranch. While the exact place doesn’t exist in real life, filming took place at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch in Tucson, Arizona.

In “True Detective” season three, the action moved to Arkansas as state police detective Wayne Hays, played by Mahershala Ali, investigates the disappearance of two local children in 1980. Much of the show was filmed around Fayetteville, Arkansas, including an old-fashioned restaurant called Herman’s Rib House, where fans can grab a bite to eat at the same table where Ali sat.

Much of “Parks and Recreation” took place within the fictional town of Pawnee, in an Indiana city hall building, but the exterior is actually located in Pasadena, California. Fans can pose on the steps of Pasadena City Hall, which stands in for the iconic Pawnee location.

You may also like: 100 best TV episodes of all time

Robin Williams starred in this “Happy Days” spinoff as Mork, an alien who studied human behavior in Boulder, Colorado, with the help of his friend Mindy, played by Pam Dawber. The pair’s house from the show can be found at 1618 Pine St., a few blocks away from Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall.

For years, Martha Stewart’s iconic first home was featured on her popular lifestyle show, “The Martha Stewart Show.” Although it switched ownership in 2007, the famous farmstead can still be found at 48 Turkey Hill Road South in Westport, Connecticut.

DIY Network’s “Big Beach Builds” follows host Marnie Oursler as she restores dilapidated beach houses, which often sit in Delaware beach towns such as Dewey Beach, where the team worked on an abandoned home in season one, episode six. Delaware has historically struggled to attract TV shows and movie production companies to film in the state, but the nonprofit Film Delaware is working to change that.

Undercover Miami police detectives James “Sonny” Crockett, played by Don Johnson, and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs, played by Phillip Michael Thomas, often frequented this open marketplace throughout the popular action-comedy series. Bayside is still open in Downtown Miami today, featuring an array of local vendors.

When main characters of “The Vampire Diaries” weren’t dealing with messy vampire love triangles or saving their town from other supernatural forces, the Mystic Grill was a popular hangout spot over the seasons. If you’re ever in Covington, Georgia, and have a hankering for southern cuisine, you can visit the restaurant of the same name.

You may also like: Best 'Simpsons' episodes of all time

“Lost,” simultaneously hailed as one of the best TV shows ever made and reviled for its ending, takes place on the remote beach where the plane that the ensemble cast of survivors were on crashed. It’s actually called Police Beach, and lies on Oahu, Hawaii’s North Shore.

An episode of the A&E show “Ghostbusters” filmed at this supposedly haunted Idaho high school. The building has a history of spooky occurrences, with the show capturing security footage of a shadowy figure moving into one of the school bathrooms.

In the Fox drama “Prison Break,” the brother of an innocent man put on death row devises a plan to break him out from the inside. The series was primarily filmed at the Old Joliet Prison, which stopped operating in 2002 and now offers guided tours.

Most of the Indiana-based “Parks and Recreation” wasn’t actually filmed in the state, but it was home to some memorable moments. During Ben’s bachelor party in the season five episode “Two Parties,” the Pawnee guys ate their fill at Indianapolis’ St. Elmo Steakhouse. They also visited Lucas Oil Stadium there.

For nine seasons, the ABC sitcom “Coach” followed Hayden Fox, played by Craig T. Nelson, the fictional head coach at Minnesota State University. The establishing shots of the college’s football stadium are actually the University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, and creator Barry Kemp is an alum of the school.

You may also like: Film and TV-themed bars and restaurants to visit

This standout location from “Queer Eye” season three is owned by sisters Deborah and Mary Jones, two of the only Kansas City pitmasters in a city famous for barbecue. With some help from the Fab Five in season three, episode three, Jones Bar-B-Q got a sleek update and began selling barbecue sauce online.

In “Hatfields and McCoys: Bad Blood,” Confederate sympathizers Jim Vance, played by Tim Abell, and Ellias Hatfield, played by Dylan Vox, seek revenge upon discovering that one of their neighbors is fighting for the Union Army. Much of the drama was filmed in Kentucky, particularly at the recreated 1800s mining town Copper Canyon Ranch.

“American Horror Story” fans will recognize Buckner Mansion as Miss Robicheaux’s Witch Academy, which was featured on “American Horror Story: Coven” and “American Horror Story: Apocalypse.” The antebellum mansion sits in New Orleans’ Garden District, and is believed to be haunted.

In the HGTV series “Maine Cabin Masters,” pro builder Chase Morrill and his team work on renovating abandoned cabins located in the state’s woods. If you ever find yourself needing some cabin TLC, you can find the Cabin Masters’ official headquarters at the Kennebec Cabin Company in Manchester, Maine.

Baltimore often stood in as Washington D.C. when Netflix’s “House of Cards” was filmed. Frank and Claire Underwood’s house is no exception, and the exterior of their home can be found at 1609 Park Ave. in the Maryland city.

You may also like: Best TV Show released the year you were born

For 11 seasons, Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson; Diane Chambers, played by Shelley Long; and a whole host of quirky characters made the Boston bar Cheers their home-away-from-home. The real bar that inspired the series was originally called the Bull & Finch, but was eventually renamed Cheers Beacon Hill. It’s still open today, serving burgers and beer to fans.

The long-running National Geographic show “The Incredible Dr. Pol” follows the life and work of veterinarian Jan Pol, who owns his own business in Michigan. The series has had 17 seasons, and the clinic is open for business in the small town of Weidman.

While much of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was filmed on a soundstage, the house that stood in as the exterior of Mary’s top floor apartment in the first five seasons still exists in Minnesota. It can be found at 2104 Kenwood Parkway in Minneapolis.

In the short-lived Cinemax series “Quarry,” retired Marine Mac “Quarry” Conway, played by Logan Marshall-Green, is drawn into a criminal underworld while struggling to readjust to civilian life after serving in the Vietnam War. The show is filmed in numerous locations around Mississippi, such as Rust College in Holly Springs.

In between transforming the lives of each episode’s “heroes” in seasons three and four, “Queer Eye’s” Fab Five hung out at their own Kansas City loft, located in the Midwestern city’s historic Firestone Building. It has some personal touches, since the show’s resident design expert, Bobby Berk, designed the space himself.

You may also like: Ranking the best 'MASH' episodes of all time

Featuring Hollywood A-listers like Kevin Costner and Wes Bentley, the Paramount series “Yellowstone” follows the conflicts that unfold between rival neighbors on a Montana cattle ranch. Much of the show is filmed at a real ranch—more specifically, Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana.

For 12 years, the character of Dr. San Guinary, played by John Jones, hosted a late-night horror film series called “Creature Feature,” which aired across Omaha from 1971 to 1982. The show was rebooted with new skits in 2012, and is now filmed at the city’s Scottish Rite Masonic Center.

Las Vegas’ strip has been used in establishing shots for a number of shows, such as the Vegas-set episodes of “Friends.” At the end of season five, the gang travel to the city to visit Joey after he books a big role there, which results in Ross and Rachel having a drunken Las Vegas wedding.

You may also like: 50 best 'Friends' episodes of all time

NBC’s "Running Wild With Bear Grylls," a survival skills reality show, in 2018 filmed an episode in New Hampshire’s gorgeous White Mountains. The episode prominently features the Frankenstein Trestle, spanning cliffs by the same name.

Yep, the famous final scene of “The Sopranos” takes place in a real ice cream parlor, which has been open in Bloomfield, New Jersey since 1939. After the show’s star James Gandolfini died in 2013, the shop placed a “Reserved” sign on the table in which he filmed his last scene as Tony Soprano as a sign of respect.

AMC’s award-winning drama “Breaking Bad” centers on Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher who begins making meth to support his family. The exterior of the White family’s home can be found at 3828 Piermont Drive, but be warned—the house’s actual resident has built a fence around the yard to keep fans at bay.

The globally popular comedy “Friends” has lots of iconic locations, and one of them is undoubtedly Monica and Rachel’s unrealistically big New York City apartment. The exterior of their building is located at the intersection of Grove and Bedford streets in Manhattan. It houses a Central Park-inspired café called Little Owl, which fans can visit.

What “One Tree Hill” fan could forget the iconic moment when Nathan gave Haley a Cracker Jack bracelet during their first tutoring session? Viewers can actually find the bench where the two studied on the Wilmington Riverwalk in North Carolina, and fans of the show have decorated the exact table with famous quotes from it.

A modern-day “gold rush” is drawing people to this region of North Dakota, where a recent oil boom has created thousands of new jobs. However, this also means that living costs and the number of people living in Bakken has drastically surged and created unique conflicts, which are captured in the Smithsonian Channel reality show “Boomtowners.”

In the CBS comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati,” a young director tried to save a Pennsylvania radio station by recruiting young disc jockeys and playing more hard rock, to the chagrin of several long-time employees. The exterior of the station is Cincinnati’s Flimm Building, which is now a Homewood Suites/Hampton Inn.

You may also like: Best TV shows with the worst endings

Although the Oklahoma City-set TNT series “Saving Grace,” which followed a rough-and-tumble detective, was primarily filmed in Los Angeles, exterior shots of the Oklahoma National Memorial were filmed for its pilot episode. Creator and Oklahoma City native Nancy Miller has said that she previously dreamed of setting a show in her hometown.

Many of the iconic sketches from “Portlandia” take place at the fictional Women and Women First bookstore, but those scenes were actually filmed at the Portland feminist community center and bookstore In Other Words. The store closed in 2018, but fans can still visit its exterior.

Throughout the smash-hit NBC comedy “The Office,” characters mention Cooper’s Seafood House in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Later on, Michael, played by Steve Carell, and Holly, played by Amy Ryan, even go on a dinner date there. The restaurant actually exists in the town, and has been open for decades.

In one episode of Showtime’s “The Affair,” protagonists Alison, played by Ruth Wilson, and Noah, played by Dominic West, went on a secret getaway to Block Island, Rhode Island’s popular tourist destination. Many of the scenes are filmed at actual spots around the island, such as the Southeast Lighthouse and Mohegan Bluffs.

The recent HBO comedy “The Righteous Gemstones” focuses on a rich televangelist family that swindles and recruits members around town. Charleston’s North Charleston Coliseum stands in for the family’s megachurch, Gemstone Salvation Center.

You may also like: Best single-season TV shows

South Dakota’s rugged Black Hills have been especially popular settings for entries into the Western genre. One great example of this was the classic cowboy series “Gunsmoke,” which filmed the 1970 episode “Snow Train: Part 2” in the area. During this episode, a dispute over bad whiskey sales broke out on a train.

Many scenes of the country music drama “Nashville” were filmed at iconic locations around the Tennessee city, including well-known Nashville music spot The Bluebird Cafe, where aspiring musicians often perform. This is where Gunnar, played by Sam Palladio, first encourages Scarlett, played by Clare Bowen, to pursue her music dreams, and is the site of many “Nashville” performances.

Much of the action of “Friday Night Lights” takes place on a Texas high school football field. Pflugerville High School’s own football stadium, which is north of Austin, stood in for the show’s Dillon Panthers’ own field in the pilot episode.

After rising to fame as the main filming location of the iconic 2006 Disney Channel movie “High School Musical,” Salt Lake City’s East High School came into the spotlight again upon the release of the Disney+ spinoff show, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” which was also filmed there. The series, which debuted in 2019, follows a group of East High students who prepare to perform the musical version of the movies that made their school famous.

In the long-running sitcom “Newhart,” a New York writer and his wife decide to leave New York City and open a picturesque Vermont inn. The actual exterior of the inn is Waybury Inn in East Middlebury, Vermont, which is still open to this day.

You may also like: 100 best movie and TV soundtracks of all time

The Showtime drama “Homeland” filmed in a number of cities during its nine-year run, and in season seven, the city of Richmond, Virginia, stood in for Washington D.C. For instance, in the season seven premiere, the local Veritas School poses as the Washington Navy Yard.

Snoqualmie, Washington, is the home of many iconic locations from David Lynch’s acclaimed TV show “Twin Peaks.” One of its most well-known locations is the fictional Great Northern Hotel, where FBI agent Dale Cooper, played by Kyle MacLachlan, stayed while investigating the murder of Laura Palmer. In reality, the building is a fully functioning establishment called Salish Lodge & Spa.

West Virginia has played host to a number of reality shows in the last decade, including “Buckwild” and “Coal.” The state’s capital city, Charleston, is home to a handful of TV filming location credits in its own right.

The Hulu dramedy “Battleground” centered on staffers working on a U.S. Senate race, and was almost entirely filmed in Madison, Wisconsin. The show reached out to Madison’s ABC affiliate station, WKOW-TV, for help in ensuring accuracy, and multiple scenes were actually filmed within the studios and building.

In the season three premiere of the hit ABC sitcom “Modern Family,” the Dunphy clan takes an eventful vacation to a dude ranch. The actual location of that ranch is Wyoming’s Lost Creek Ranch, which offers horseback riding, spa services, and more.

You may also like: Award-winning TV shows that ended in controversy