It seems like winter is almost over but mother nature always surprises us with her winter finale, before rewarding us with happy sunshine and the colorful blooms of spring.
Boosting our immune system is not just for the winter but should be year-round. As we approach spring, if we already have a weak immune system in the winter, it can make us prone to spring allergies.
Our immune system is like a super-efficient and smart team of green berets fighting “invaders”
The immune system is an amazing work of science and art. It is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body from attacks by “foreign” invaders. These invaders are bacteria, parasites, fungi and viruses.
How smart is our immune system?
- It can recognize and remember millions of different “invaders”.
- It produces secretions (release of fluids) and cells to match the invaders and wipe out nearly all of them.
- It smartly launches an attack on invaders while ignoring healthy tissues.
Our immune system seeks out and destroys these invaders. However, when the immune system misses the target, it can unleash disorders, including allergic diseases and arthritis, among others. If our immune system is compromised, other kinds of diseases begin to manifest.
Our immune system is amazing and smart, we can certainly help it.
10 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
- Do not smoke
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Control your blood pressure
- Get adequate sleep
- Wash your hands frequently
- Get regular medical screenings recommended for people in your age group
- Learn stress management techniques
- Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
- Only drink alcohol in moderation
Because our immune systems work tirelessly to protect our bodies, we should also help it through diet and nutritional supplements.
PLANT-BASED FOOD SOURCES TO BOOST IMMUNITY
- KIMCHI, SAUERKRAUT, TEMPEH & KOBUCHA. Fight bacteria with good bacteria found in probiotics.
- MAKE A COLOURFUL PLATE. Eat vegetables rich in color for they are also rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals. Get it from leafy greens like kale and brussel sprouts as well as from beets and bell peppers.
- VITAMIN-D FORTIFIED soy or almond milk, bread and cereals
- TURMERIC is great and commonly found in Indian food recipes
- GREEN TEA
- ONIONS in your stir-fry vegetables or salads
- ALMONDS in your snacks, salads or oatmeal
- OATMEAL
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Research has also found that when you’re deficient in certain micronutrients—zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E—the immune systems can be compromised.
Taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement brings health benefits when vegans are challenged to find them from plant-based food sources.
What the future brings
Although modern science has learned a lot about our immune system, continuing life sciences research is now looking into new technologies for identifying individual immune cells, and how they interact within lymph nodes and other body tissues.
In addition, scientists are studying the genetic blueprints that direct the human immune response, as well as those that dictate the biology of bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
For now, we should be consistent and steadfast in protecting and boosting our immune system on a continuing basis.
Being kind to our body, is being kind to our immune system, so that it can do its job better. Mother nature will make our immune system do its job, we do our part by choosing to live healthy, eating well and adding the appropriate nutritional supplements.
REFERENCES
- https://www.vaccines.gov/basics/prevention/immune_system/
- http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
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