This article is from the Fall ’10/Winter ’11 issue of The Wellness Advisor® magazine.
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We are constantly exposed to various “bugs”: bacteria, viruses, fungi and other invisible invaders. They are in the food we eat and the air we breathe. They’re on everything we touch and in everything we smell. Despite this onslaught, many of use rerely catch a cold or get sick because of the strength of our immune system.
A strong immune system keeps use safe from attack by all but the most virulent microorganisms. Even if infection does gain a foothold, it’s usually just a mtter of time before out immune systems mount an effective couterattck. When working properly, the immune system has a remarkable arsenal of weapons that have an enormous capacity to fight off microorganisms that have the capacity to infect us and do us harm.
THE INFECTION EQUATION
The infection equation is like a mathematical equation where one plue two equals three. In the infection equation, the interaction of your body’s immune system with the infecting organism determines the outcome. When our immune system is stronger than the “bugs” trying to make us sick, we remain healthy. If the “bug” is extremely powerful, or our immune system is compromised, an infection can occur.
Modern conventional medicine has been primarily focued on the nature of the “beast,” the infecting agent, rather than the condition of our bodies and natural defenses. The importance of our immune systems and its health has been largely ignored in the infection equation.
Key Steps to Tuning Up Your Immune System
Enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Maintain your appropriate body weight and get enough sleep.
Take steps to manage your stress. Stress lowers immunity. Practice techniques to activate the relaxation response, such as breathing exercises, visualization, or meditation.
Eat Healthfully. Diet is vital for supplying your body with the nutrients it needs to build disease-fighting cells and proteins. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables by thinking color. Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients. If you consume sugars and fats, do so in moderation. Make sure you get plenty of protein and essential fatty acids.
Consider taking a high-quality vitamin and mineral supplement. Vitamins C and E, B vitamins, zinc, and selenium are especially important. It is also a good idea to take extra vitamin D.
Stay active. Light to moderate exercise may produce greater overall benefit to the immune system than heavier exercise.
Smile. A postive attitude and laughter are powerful immune system boosters.
GIVE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM A TUNE UP
Your first goal is to make sure that you provide your immune system with all of the vital ammunition by consuming a health promoting diet and utilizing proper nutritional supplementaltion. A deficiency of virtually any single nutrient can significantly impair immunity.
Next, follow a healthy lifesytle that includes getting enough sleep and engaging in a regualr exercise program. Supplying optimal nutrition and learning to effectively deal with stress will help you keep your immune system functioning in peak condition. Tuning up your immune system not only increases your resistance to colds, flu and other infections but also helps you protect youself from cancer and other potentially deadly diseases.
VITAMIN D TO PREENT THE COMMON CLOD AND FLU
In addition to the known postive effects of vitamin D on bone health, there is a growing body of science correlating low levels of Vitamin D and influenza. It appears that vitamin D may help prevent viruses from infecting our cells.
Since we can make vitamin D in our skin when it interacts with sunlight, there is obviously a natural tendency for many people to make less vitamin D during the winter months. Supplementing our diets with vitamin D can help prevent this wintertime drop in vitamin D levels. In addition, there is growing evdience that many people may not consumre enough vitamin D to maintain needed levels in the body. Consulation with your physician can help determin if you are at risk of low energy levels of vitamin D and recommend a supplementation strategy if you are at risk.
ONE FINAL RECOMMENDATION
Laugh long and often to boost your immune system. Detailed scientific investigations have shown that laughter is without question the most powerful immune enhancer available. In addition, the use of guided imagery, hypnosis and other meditative states have been shown to enhance immune system function. Obviously, if you want to have a healthy immune systems, you need to laugh often, view life with a postive eye, and put yourself in a relzed state of mind on a regular basis.
Barliv™
CoroWise®
