Strengthening Your Immune System 

I’ve got a hot topic here.  And if you ask me, it hasn’t gotten enough attention over the past couple of years.

 

It’s the immune system, and here’s why I think it needs more attention.

 

The immune system is basically like a person's very own Marvel superhero universe, working hard to protect their body 24/7 from invaders.

 

Here’s the overlooked part:  the actions that are required for a person to strengthen their immune system, actually have the knock-on effect of creating a fitter, stronger, leaner, and healthier body.

 

Strengthening the immune system goes hand-in-hand with health & fitness improvements.

7 Steps to Strengthen The Immune System:
1. Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Studies repeatedly show that not getting enough quality sleep makes people more susceptible to getting sick.
2. Get enough PROTEIN every day. The immune system is made of the various proteins that our DNA is programmed to code for and create.  Not having enough protein building blocks (and I unapologetically say that animal proteins have the best bio-availability) means that our body may prioritize something like keeping our internal organs in good shape over keeping us from being able to recover quickly and easily from the latest head cold.  Visit my FREE Body Fat Calculator to quickly see for yourself how much lean mass you need to support with your daily protein intake.
3.  Get FIBER from green leafy stuff. The gut microbiome is a big part of the immune system – healthy bacteria in the gut can improve immunity while keeping pathogens from getting into your body through your digestive tract.  Green leafies also give the best amount of fiber for the least amount of extra calories when compared to grains.
4.  Crowd out refined sugar and starch. This one is a one-two punch.  First, added sugars contribute to disease-causing inflammation. (It's helpful to remember that starches immediately break down to sugar as soon as they get mixed with saliva ... and the more refined they are, the faster that happens.)  And second, they contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, all of which can affect the immune system.
5.  Moderate daily exercise  This can cut inflammation plus promote the turnover of immune cells in your system.  Aim for 150 minutes a week (5 x 30-minute sessions of exercises like brisk walking, swimming, jogging, biking, etc.) 
6.  Stay HYDRATED  Dehydration can cause headaches and cause problems for physical performance, focus, mood, digestion also with heart and kidney function.  These problems can increase susceptibility to illness.  In general, drink only to thirst.  Heavy exercise, outside work, or living in a hot climate will make adding salt to water more necessary ... lots of plain water in these contexts will throw off a person's electrolyte balance ... never a good idea. 
7.  Make time to DESTRESS  Build stress management into the daily routine.  This could be yoga, meditation, journaling, exercise, or anything else that helps to burn off stress.  Being chronically stressed is linked with inflammation in the  body, plus it can adversely affect immune cell function. 

 

Being proactive about health and wellness matters now and into the future!

 

How many of those 7 steps are you taking today?  Start the conversation with me:  jessica@momentumtransformations.com

Make it an amazing day,

 

 

 

[PS:  Do you know someone who's ready to take the next step in their fitness/nutrition/wellness journey?  My new Group Coaching option might be the perfect fit.  Learn more here on a Discovery Call !

 

REFERENCES:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26118561

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28165863/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28584297/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26477922/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24798553/