The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body. The cells involved are white blood cells, or leukocytes, which seek out and destroy disease-causing organisms or substances. The immune system is your body’s defense against disease. Therefore it is important to keep it in top-notch condition.
Some common lifestyle habits can have a detrimental effect on your ability to fight off infections like colds and flu – as well as your overall resistance to chronic illness. Making some lifestyle modifications can improve your immune system.
Immune System Boosters
Staying Active: Regular exercise helps keep the body in tip-top shape. Studies show moderate exercise helps increase the level of leukocytes to fight infection. Non-exercisers have an increases risk of infections, like colds, compared to those who exercise. A daily 30 minute walk will help you body’s defense against disease.
Eating a Healthy-Balanced Diet: Consuming too much sugar and fat suppresses immune system cells responsible for attacking bacteria. Avoid processed or refined foods. Eat whole foods whenever possible and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Opt for whole grain alternatives to white flour, bread and pasta.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight: Carrying extra weight puts you at risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Excess fat cells trigger the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals in the body, leading to chronic inflammation. When the inflammation is ongoing, the immune system can suffer.
Getting Adequate Quality Sleep: Our body needs to re-charge. Little or poor quality sleep can make us more susceptible to disease and other disorders. Aim to get 6-8 hours of sleep to keep your immune system in good working order.
Managing Stress: Stress is a normal part of life. Short-term stress may actually boost the immune system to get ready for the “fight or flight” response. However, chronic stress has the opposite effect. It makes you more vulnerable to illness, from colds to serious diseases. Chronic stress exposes your body to a steady cascade of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which suppress the immune system. The key to successful stress management is to recognize your individual stressors and learn how to manage them.
Practicing Good Hygiene: Stop potentially harmful cells from entering the body. Wash hands regularly, cover your mouth when coughing, keep your kitchen clean, use hot soapy water to kill germs, don’t share food/cups/utensils/wash cloths/towels, and practice safe sex.
Focusing on Prevention: Equip your body with all the tools to slow down the aging process and prevent illness. Always takes steps to improve your lifestyle and take a good multi-vitamin (Active Nutrients or Active Essentials) and fish oil (Omega Pure or Omega MonoPure) supplement.
Supplements to Consider:
D3 5000 – our favorite preventive vitamin! See the Grassroots Health Vitamin D Prevention Chart.
Specific Immune Boosters:
Body Guard is an herbal formula a our office favorite! We take this at the first sign of a cold, tickle in throat, runny nose and we can often prevent further development. Great with children. It is bitter so mix with juice or be brave and shoot it with a little water and follow with a glass of water.
Immune PRP Spray contains naturally extracted polypeptides from bovine colostrum. These support the body’s balanced production of cytokine
Blister Free – Herpes? This unique natural formula uses homeopathic, botanical and biological processes to help strengthen specific weaknesses in the immune system responsible for most herpes outbreaks. Restoring strong immune function can dramatically reduce both severity and frequency of outbreaks, as well as improve prodromal symptoms related to outbreaks such as depression.
ProbioMax Daily – They say your immune health starts in the gut! our daily probiotic is the ideal solution for individuals with a variety of gut-related issues that cause inflammation and discomfort.
Liver Protect – a liver and hepatic protective formula which can play a significant for in detoxification, support antioxidant activity regenerate other antioxidants and promote healthy immune function.
28 Day Detoxification Plan – this is not a bowel cleanse but a “metabolic” cleanse to help your body’s systems re-align and start working the way they were intended. You’ll feel the difference!