Keeping our Immune system UP...keep bugs & disease OUT!

Okay ladies. We all know, or are beginning to know, that as we age...grow older...whatever we want to call it, our bodies begin the slow decline and deterioration of time. We then become more susceptible to injuries and sickness and disease.

So I am going to focus this blog article on one part of that issue which is building our immune system up to withstand the bugs and disease that can and will come our way...but with a stronger immune system we can send them on their merry way down a different path than ours! My next blog article will tackle the injury side of the equation.

So, how do we build our immune system and why? Let's tackle the why first, because if we don't understand the why and how important that is then we won't even try the how.

Here is the why: I read somewhere recently a wonderful analogy as to what the Immune system IS and how it functions. That will help us understand the WHY!

Consider for a moment that our bodies are castles. Put on your visualizing hats and here we go...make your castle as high as you want with sheer walls and lots of different armament such as catapults, arrows, boiling cauldrons, cannons if you want..think of the Lord of the Rings Movies and all the warriors and weapons they had...layer upon layer. And then surround yourself with a wonderfully deep, nasty, murky and wide moat. With meanies in the water like alligators? Sea snakes?? You get the idea. There is your immune system. An intricate but well choreographed plan to defend the body. As long as everything runs smoothly.

If things deteriorate inside the castle; such as people not manning the catapults because they are sick or tired, or sick from being tired and lets throw in lack of good food then our defenses in that section of the castle wall are down...a hole in which disease and "bugs" get in..or the enemies.

So what internal things can cause a breach in our castle walls?
*Hormonal changes
*Stress
*Lack of rest
*Lack of proper diet
*Lack of excercise
*Not enough Water
And that's just to name a few! Once your castle walls are breached your defenses are down and your body has to expend energy to re-build. If something else comes along as a threat, were in double trouble!

So let's try and keep our Immune system in a state of BALANCE. Here are a few tips:

1. Hormones

In women the immune system is especially affected by hormone levels and is a good example of the important role that hormones play in immunity. The key to female immune strength is the family of hormones known as estrogens. But a woman's immunity varies directly with her estrogen levels. The higher her estrogen levels, the stronger her immune response. And if were going through the "change" then our hormones are all a mess and shutting down. What's a gal to do?? See your doctor...decided together to either pursue western medicine or alternative medicine but DO something about it.

2. Diet
Eat a diet rich in good carbs such as whole grains and vegetables that stabalize blood sugar and glucose. Incorporate lots of omega-3 and flax which have anit-inflammatory inflammatory hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which help safeguard the immune system in them. Eat more quality proteins, such as low-mercury seafood (perch, haddock, shrimp), poultry and soy which are all high in amino acids which our immune system needs to make disease fighting anti-bodies. And lastly don't eat SUGAR! Cancer loves it!!

3. Excercise
Get your heart pumping with exercise at least 30 minutes 6X a week. Walking, jogging, biking are all good choices. Add in weight bearing 3X a week and your good to go!!

4. Stress
Stress is a HUGE immunity depleater!! Try to create a life that reduces it. Try relaxation therapy such as massage, which actually reduces the amount of stress hormones in the brain. If your upset, depressed, anxious...these all will affect the immune system negatively. Anything that lifts your spirits - music, art, comedy, a long-abandoned hobby - is super for creating balance in your emotions and your immune system.

5. Rest
Did you know that if you are not getting enough rest, your immune system is suffering?? It can't function correctly. With all that we put into our bodies daily such as coffee, soda, coffee, more soda all high in caffeine it's a wonder we know WHEN we are truly tired. Try and get at least 6 - 8 hours of sleep each night and if your body is tired...REST!!

6. Water
Our bodies are made of water...did you know?? Yep! 90% of our body is water. How much have you put into your body today?? We should be replenishing our stores with 2 glasses in-between meals...that figures out to be...yeah, at least 8 glasses a day!!

There are so many more things we can do to support and balance our Immune systems. Meditation (stress reduction), taking a day off (stress reduction and resting), adding good for your supplements and herbs, alternative health treatments such as detox, acupuncture and the list goes on.

My challenge to you: Pick a few now and incorporate them into your life...then pick a few more. Don't overload yourself as that is when we throw in the towel and get stressed...and that's what we are trying NOT to do , right??!!

In Wellness,
Kathleen