How to Strengthen Your Immune System… Really!
Let’s face it. If your life includes some or all of the following…
- Smoke Cigarettes or Vape
- Constantly Consume Fast Foods
- Sleep Less than 4 Hours a Night
- Drink Alcohol in Excess
- Do Recreational Drugs in Excess
- Do Prescribed Drugs in Excess
- Never Exercise..
- Live Under Continuous Stress
- Maintain Excess Body-Fat 35%+
… then, it’s probably no surprise your immune system is compromised.
Seriously, Just Think About This…
Do you ever ponder how miraculous YOUR body truly is? For example, under your flesh (and including your flesh) are 11 incredible systems, each more complex than a super-computer.
Here they are:
- Integumentary System (hair, skin and nails)
- Skeletal System (bones)
- Muscular System (muscles, tendons, ligaments)
- Nervous System (brain, spinal cord)
- Endocrine System (glands and hormones)
- Circulatory System (heart, blood, veins)
- Lymphatic System (lymph vessels, debris removal)
- Respiratory System (lungs, oxygen)
- Digestive System (mouth, stomach, intestines)
- Urinary System (kidneys, bladder, fluid)
- Reproductive Systems (male, female)
And, these systems are all integrated, synchronized and seamlessly working with each other 100% automatically, non-stop, 24/7. It’s incredible when you stop and think about it.
The Amazing YOU!
It’s hard not to laugh when you hear people gush over how amazing Amazon logistics operate… or, how artificial intelligence is the most spectacular thing on the planet!
Yet, there YOU are. A million times more complex and wonderful.
Here’s what else
- If just one thing goes wrong in Amazon’s supply chain everything stops.
- If just one incorrect digit is input to artificial intelligence it is rendered useless.
- Even your car stops when it runs out of gas or charge.
There is no “second wind” for any of these so called amazing systems.
But, that’s NOT TRUE of your BODY!
Look at all the crazy stuff we throw at it (see the list at the beginning of the article) and yet, it keeps on going. Just like the Eveready Bunny.
It’s AMAZING… if you ever really stop and think about it.
Pushing the Limits…
Of course, there’s a limit. At some point your body will physiologically decline — if for no other reason than the natural process of aging.
However, aging is NOT the main issue or cause of an immune deficiency.
Millions of people put their bodies at risk prematurely for the obvious reasons listed above.
First Lines of Defense
Your body’s first line of defense against disease and infection is your immune system.
Visualize an electric fence surrounding the perimeter of all your bodily functions and systems with the sole purpose of protecting them.
That’s your immune system.
Fighting Off Disease and Other Maladies…
Without going too deep, the immune system is a network of cells, tissues and organs that protect the body from infection and disease.
When invading viruses, bacteria and other microbes try to invade your body, the immune system targets them, specifically, while leaving other healthy tissues alone.
So, your healthy immune system, once activated, will fight off infection and disease.
Conversely, if your immune system is compromised, an infection or disease is allowed to develop to its full potential.
Pretty straight forward. So, it begs the question:
How Do I Keep My Immune System Healthy?
Obviously, an unhealthy lifestyle is a sure fire way to compromise your immune system – which could potentially result in physiological deterioration of all bodily functions and even death.
Keeping with the obvious, it stands to reason, then, that a healthy immune system can ONLY be achieved through healthy lifestyle choices.
And, while some lifestyle choices are more difficult than others, most of it can be boiled down to:
- proper nutrition
- consistent exercise
- sleep
There are no shortcuts. No pills. No drugs. No magic.
Reality Check: COVID-19…
Nothing in recent history has demonstrated the necessity of a healthy immune system than the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clearly, the elderly were, and still are, at the highest risk due to their already weakened immune systems due to natural aging.
Plus, in many cases, a lifetime of unhealthy lifestyle choices layered on top of their age has resulted in premature deaths throughout the world.
And, when you hear the term, “underlying conditions” you can be assured it also means “compromised immune system” resulting in various physiological breakdowns and malfunctions throughout the body.
When a person under age 30 dies from COVID-19, you almost always hear the term “underlying conditions.”
Enter the Hucksters…
Throughout history, the silver-tongued, slick talking hucksters never seem to skip a beat when it comes to exploiting a crisis.
This pandemic is no exception.
Conduct a quick online search and you’ll find hundreds of “Immune Booster” and “Immune Defense” type products including powders, pills and liquids.
It’s always the same pitch: “Just take this — despite your unhealthy habits — and everything will be just fine.”
Nope!
The Real Science
There are literally hundreds of studies and research papers that document this fact:
The absolute best way to strengthen and support the immune system is through nutrient rich foods in combination with consistent exercise and sleep.
Period. Full Stop.
Here’s the simplified logic behind all of these studies.
Your body is much better at absorbing the necessary vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from foods rather than pills, powders or liquids. It’s the way your body is set-up to function.
Next, is your circulatory system. Blood is the “delivery system” that transports all of these nutrients to your various organs, skin and muscles.
But, just like starting your car, this “delivery system” must be activated.
The way to activate your delivery system is through consistent physical exercise.
The pumping of blood through your arteries, veins and capillaries — to and from your muscle tissue and other organs is key to this process.
When you feel your body heating up during exercise you can be sure your delivery system is in full gear delivering the needed nutrients throughout your body — and thus, strengthening and supporting your immune system.
There is a Role for Supplementation
While this may sound hypocritical, there really is a role for supplementation.
But, it is a secondary, supportive role and appropriate protocol for athletes and active fitness/lifestyle enthusiasts.
The physical demand put on an athletic body requires more of everything including the quantity and quality of caloric intake.
No matter how hard you might try, it’s often difficult to optimize a nutrition plan without including some sort of nutritional supplementation in order to fill in the gaps due to over-processing of our foods through technology and industrial farming.
In other words, supplementation is “cheap insurance” that your body is receiving everything it needs to fully recover after a prolonged period of physical stress.
And, a fully recovered body ensures a healthy immune system!
In Summary…
In the final analysis, keeping your immune system is a simple proposition:
- Eat Right – The #1 priority is to optimally fuel your body.
- Exercise – Activate your delivery system through physical activity
- Sleep – Allow your body to recover
- Supplement – Provide your body with some cheap insurance
These four principles will do way more than keep your immune system in a healthy and “ready” state.
It is a holistic approach to healthy living, in general, and will result in a physical, mental and spiritual feeling of wellbeing.
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