Maintain a healthy immune system

Thursday, April 30, 2009

The best way to keep from getting sick may be boosting your immune system. A healthy immune system is a more reasonably approach than trying to systematically destroy or protect yourself from all the germs in your world. That being said, it's good to wash your hands and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. But, a healthy immune system should be cornerstone of staying healthy and your first line of defense.




One thing to keep in mind with the immune system, is that more isn't better. An overactive or underactive immune system means trouble. When the immune system is weak the body is more susceptible to to an intruder like a virus or bacteria leading to an infection. A critically underactive immune system can also lead to cancer if the body cannot rid itself of these cells at the onset. An overactive immune system leads to trouble as well. An over active immune system starts to attack itself. At low levels this looks like allergies, asthma, and particularly eczema. At more intense levels, it leads to autoimmune disease, where the body begins to attack itself. In this case, the immune system has power to stop the bad players, but has trouble recognizing the good from the bad agents. So, we want a healthy immune system that knows the good from the bad and deals effectively with bad agents.


The immune system is very complex and difficult to understand, but let's take a look at some of the key factors that contribute to the effectiveness if your immune system.

1. Good Nutrition - Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole foods
2. Regular exercise - 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day
3. Enough Sleep - It is recommended to get 8 hours of sleep a day
4. Reduce Stress - Stress hormones reduce effectiveness of the immune system
5. Stay Hydrated - Decrease caffeine intake and drink more water
6. Eat less sugar - Elevated blood sugar levels reduce the effectiveness of the immune system
7. Maintain a healthy weight
8. Live in harmony
9. Laugh