Our bodies are incredibly intelligent.
They'll signal to us when something is wrong and as long as we acknowledge and tend to the imbalanced area(s), we can keep our bodies feeling strong, resilient healthy and operating at its optimal.
In order to feel that way, you have to take care of it.
What areas should we focus on to do so? Let's go back to the basics.
Chronic Stress
We’ve come to (hopefully) now understand that stress is the driver for 99% of chronic illness and it significantly suppresses the immune system. Learning what our stressful triggers are and finding ways to taper and manage our triggers will support your bodies immunity and longevity.
Nutrient Deficiencies
When our immune system is compromised either with a cold, flu or greater compromises such as dis-ease, looking at what nutrients are deficient is a great starting point to combating. The most common deficiencies amongst those with compromised immune systems are: vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin C, iron and vitamin B12. This is why having a variety of foods in your dietary intake is crucial, to make sure that you’re having a robust assortment of vitamins and minerals and keeping your body properly nourished.
Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Alcohol affects the way health gut microbes interact with the immune system. Alcohol can also disrupt the gut barrier, allowing more bacteria to pass into the blood. These bacteria can cause inflammation in the liver and may lead to liver damage. Research shows that acute binge drinking also affects the immune system.
Poor Diet
A diet consisting of foods that are processed, GMO, full of sugar or salt, additives, coloring will wreak your health and greatly suppress your immune system. Opt for foods from fresh whole real foods - fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, herbs.
Poor Personal Hygiene
Keeping your body clean helps prevent illness and infection from bacteria or viruses. Simply washing your hands regularly is an effective way to keep germs from spreading.
Environmental Toxins
Toxins such as those from pesticides, heavy metals, and endocrine disruptors have been shown to affect the reproductive, respiratory, and nervous system function. Limiting our exposure to these toxins should be a priority amongst all, especially those with an already compromised immune system.
Lack of Sleep
You can do everything else right - eating healthy balanced foods, staying physically active, meditating - but if you’re not getting adequate sleep each night, you’re doing more harm than good. Sleep is crucial and even just one night of poor sleep can have a significant affect on your body and your immune system. Having a routine and consistent sleep schedule is key.
Physical Inactivity or Excessive Exercise
Physical activity through exercise actually changes antibodies in our bodies and increases our white blood cell count. White blood cells are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before.
And for some, they push their bodies too much by over exerting on exercise and not allowing their bodies to rest when it is needed. Listen to your body’s cues and take rest dayS!
Impaired Microbiota
Imbalances in the gut microbiota may dis-regulate immune responses and lead to the development of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune dis-eases.