How to Build Up Your Immune System (Source – ImmuneSystemRemedies.com & eHow.com)
It is necessary to strengthen your immune system in order to meet the challenges that our body encounters on a daily basis. The good news is that you can still enjoy optimum health as long as you provide your body with the necessary tools. We can virtually heal, repair, regenerate, and restore optimal health without the use of expensive prescription drugs. A properly functioning immune system is equipped to deal with common illnesses, such as the common cold or influenza. It may also help prevent more serious illnesses like catching the swine flu H1N1 virus or cancer.
1. Eliminate all sugar and allergens from your diet.
Just a small amount of sugar has been proven to impair white blood cells up to 50% for very short periods of time. By discovering what our personal food allergies are, then eliminating or desensitizing them will help strengthen your immune system. By removing these triggers, our immune cells are strengthened in order to combat other invaders such as influenza rather than the allergen. The elimination of sugar from your diet can also strengthen/improve the immune system.
2. Eliminate or reduce exposure to dangerous toxins in your environment.
Air Pollution, smoking, cleaning products will stress your immune system with frequent exposure. Many common household cleaning products contains toxic and poisonous chemicals that are harmful to your health. There may not be much you can do with air pollution, but we can help reduce our exposure by purchasing cleaning products that are safe and non-toxic.
3. Learn how to properly deal with stress
Acute (short term) stress will positively strengthen your immune system function. On the other hand, responding wrongly to chronic (long term) stress will suppress your immune system function.
4. Regular, moderate exercise will strengthen your immune system, while intense or extreme exercise may suppress immune system function.
It appears that regular physical activity might contribute to ridding the lungs of the types of airborne bacteria and viruses that are linked to common upper respiratory tract infections, while also cleansing the body of certain carcinogens (cancer-causing cells) and waste products through increased output of urine and sweat.
An increase in blood flow associated with moderate exercise helps to circulate antibodies along with white blood cells necessary to fight infection more quickly. As a result, this provides our bodies with an early warning system to ward off potentially damaging germs. In addition, the increase in body temperative as a result of physical activity may aid in inhibiting the growth of bacteria; thus allowing the body to fight infection more effectively.
Finally, moderate exercise has been shown to reduce the secretion of stress-related hormones thought to contribute to the onset of illnesses such as the flu and the common cold, and give a temporary boost in the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria.
5. Sleep Helps Strengthen Your Immune System
During deep sleep, our body release potent immune-enhancing substances that strengthen your immune system function. By not allowing our body sufficient rest, the immune system will sputter, and as a result, not function at full capacity. We then are more likely to become ill with common illnesses. A healthy, deep sleep allows our body to release a significant amount of growth hormone that boost the immune system and aids in the growth and repair of the body.
6. A Body Detox Will Strengthen Your Immune System
Body cleansing is essential because our bodies need to properly eliminate the toxic build up that has formed in our intestines (colon), which may lead to sickness and disease. Our body organs and tissues must be free of toxins for the immune system to function optimally thus enabling our bodies to receive the essential nutrients our bodies need.
7. Drink plenty of Water
Water is essential for all living things and keeps our immune system operating optimally while improving the way we feel, look and live. Without sufficient amounts of water, you may experience routine fatigue, dry skin, headaches, constipation, and a decrease normal bodily function which may lead to your body unable to fight off diseases. Without water we would literally dehydrate which could result in the shutting down of vital organs and ultimately end in death.
8. Strengthen Your Immune System By Eating A Nutritious Diet
Quality food plays a major factor in keeping our cells healthy and our immune system strong. Food not only provides energy to your body, but all the nutrients that are essential for a healthy immune system.
Increase…..yogurt, ocean fish, broccoli, sea greens, ginger, fresh fruits & vegetables (especially spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots), whole grains, & cayenne pepper.
Add garlic and onions to your meals. Cooked garlic and onions retain their antibacterial qualities. These two are great immune builders and natural antibiotics. Omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish and flax oil increase the production of white blood cells that eliminate bad bacteria in the body.
9. Supplement Your Diet with Immune Boosting Herbs, Minerals, Vitamins, and other foods.
Immune System supplements are needed because our bodies cannot produce the nutrients necessary to maintain optimum health. There are many nutrients needed in order to maintain a strong immune system. It is very challenging in the world we live in to obtain sufficient nutrition with the foods available to us. They are over processed and void of many essential nutrients. Additionally, food is grown in soils that have been over-planted and saturated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Vitamin and mineral deficiency subjects us to more diseases, aging, sickness, and the weakening of our immune system.
Find a multi-vitamin that has the following, plus the balanced A to Z concept = Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta carotene, Bioflavenoids, Zinc, Magnesium, and Selenium.
10. Wash Your Hands to limit the risk of "catching an infectious disease "
It may sounds simple but maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene care is one of the most effective ways of avoiding infection and keep your immune system strong.
