Immune System
The body’s way to defend against infections, cancers, viruses, and foreign substances is to identify, destroy, inactivate or eliminate them.
Getting the occasional cold or flu is a normal way for the body to strengthen its immunity to the new varieties of pathogens we encounter.
Here's some ideas to keep your immune system functioning optimally.
HOUSTON, TEXAS NOVEMBER 29, 2007 -- The American College of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine and Department of Health & Human Performance at The University of Houston teamed up to perform a five-week study into the effects of acupuncture on the body’s natural killer cell response to strenuous exercise in endurance athletes, and found that the basal activity in these cells, which are key to overall immune health, increased significantly in response to acupuncture treatments.
Natural killer cells are a part of the innate immune system that are responsible for eliminating cancerous cells and cells that have been infected by viruses. They provide an initial line of defense from infection.Chinese herbs
protect points of entry with anti-virals, medicinal mushrooms, qi tonics and digestive restoratives.
Dietary variety and organic whole food
A varied diet of whole foods is the best source of nutrition and provide the most complete sources of vitamins and minerals. Un processed foods contain the necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other micronutrients that the body needs for proper nourishment and optimal health.
Dietary supplements made from whole foods contain not only recognizable vitamins and minerals, but many more micronutrients that are essential for physiological functions in the body. More than 25,000 different micronutrients have been discovered in whole fruits and vegetables alone.
Vitamin D
Adequate levels of vitamin D are required to maintain the integrity of the immune system. It is fundamental to the development and control of important immune cells, including lymphocytes and macrophages. Vitamin D is key in the defends against respiratory system viruses. It has been said that vitamin D delivers what vitamin C has promised.
Rest
Lack of sleep blunts a body’s response to flu by 50%.
Brighten your outlook
Quiet Rejuvination
Humans benefit deeply from the quiet spaces in life. Even with the busiest of schedules one can find time to take 3 slow deep breaths between activities. Consider adding slow quiet practices into your day or week...meditation, prayer, observing nature, tai chi, qi gong, restorative yoga etc...Reducing stress hormones increases immunity.
Reduce sugar Intake
Ingesting 100g of refined carbohydrate reduces immunity by 90% within 15 minutes lasting 2 hours.
Wash hands completely and often
10-20 seconds, with warm water and soap. Cough into elbows, not hands. Rub hand sanitizers until dry. Dress warmly.
Maintain regular moderate
exercise
During moderate exercise immune cells circulate through the body more quickly and are better able to kill bacteria and viruses. After exercise ends, the immune system generally returns to normal within a few hours, but consistent, regular exercise make these changes more long-lasting.
According to professor David Nieman, Dr. PH., of Appalachian State University, when moderate exercise is repeated on a near-daily basis there is a cumulative effect that leads to a long-term immune response. His research showed that those who walk moderately for 40 minutes per day had half as many sick days due to colds or sore throats as those who don't exercise.
However, there is also evidence that too much intense exercise can reduce immunity. More than 90 minutes of high-intensity endurance exercise can make athletes susceptible to illness for up to 72 hours after the exercise session. During intense physical exertion, the body produces certain hormones that temporarily lower immunity. Cortisol and adrenaline, known as the stress hormones, raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels and suppress the immune system.
Drink fresh water
The human body is made up of 55-75% water and is in need of constant water replenishment for optimum cellular function.
Each day your body looses about 2-3
litters of water through elimination, urination, perspiration and
respiration. However, this may increase during illness, exercise, high
performance, pregnancy and nursing. While water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables supply some hydration, a substantial amount of pure water needs to be consumed every day.
Before, during and after exercise, always replenish with more water. Whenever possible, drink pure, high quality water.
How much?
Many health experts are now recommending that you drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day.
200 pounds=100 ounces of water=12.5 cups=3 quarts, 4 oz of water.
Sipping small amounts of water slowly throughout the day is the best way to effectively hydrate your body. Large quantities of water at once may actually cause your kidneys to excrete more water.
