It’s hit you again. Another cold, flu, virus, rash, fever, you name it. Just stuff going around, right? Can’t avoid it, right?
But did you ever wonder about the people who don’t seem to catch everything going around? What is the difference? Are they just purely lucky? Blessed with naturally healthy systems?
Could be. But it also could be they are more protective of their immune systems. You protect your immune system, and it protects you. You tear it down on a daily basis, and it lays there, damaged and defenseless.
It’s a choice. Oh, sure, you can do all the right things and still catch something. But it most likely will be less severe and happen far, far fewer times.
What your immune system does:
Your immune system defends you against millions of bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites. What this means is that your immune system, working properly, prevents these health-issue-causing items from taking hold in your body. Or, if they slip past, it goes to work to eradicate them, restoring you to good health.
In addition, immune system cells retain a memory of diseases they successfully knocked off, keeping you protected against them in the future.
How you damage it:
Poor health habits knock down your immune system wall of protection, brick by brick. Some of these habits include not handling stress effectively, eating too much sugar or processed food, not exercising, depriving yourself of enough sleep or drinking too much.
What to do instead:
- Address that stress! However works for you. Better you spend moments in mindfulness each day than wait years to figure out time for a meditation practice. Laugh, listen to good music, stop and breathe, get out in nature. All those pieces help lower stress.
- Lower your sugar consumption – or eliminate it. Sugar makes your immune system defenseless. Eat a morning donut; catch that cold at the office.
- When you feel ill, eat immunity boosting foods. These include the well-known chicken soup, green tea, and eating more veggies and fruits – particularly broccoli and blueberries.
- Take vitamin C regularly. A supplement is easy and inexpensive, but you also can fortify your vitamin C consumption by eating some fruit, especially citrus fruit and berries.
- Eat – or take (some of these are really only do-able as a supplement) mushrooms, particularly Reishi, shitake and maitake. However, I’ve recently read that good, ol’ white button mushrooms enhance immunity just as well.
Ready to get healthier now? Aim your sights at one change in the list above. Get that as part of your natural lifestyle. Move onto the next. Over time, you’ll get healthier and healthier. And spend more time enjoying life instead of groaning in bed! And not in a good way 😉
