Published: 08/23/2015 - Updated: 04/04/2018
Author: MSc. Miriam Reyes
The body’s defense system, or the immune system, is an intelligent and basic system for preserving life. Without this system, we simply could not live, as we are exposed to an infinite amount of external agents and factors that could infect the body, immediately ending life.
One of this system’s primary functions is to defend the body from infections, which is does in several steps: when the aggressive organism enters the body, the defense system is called to action to destroy the invading organism, before infectious organisms that invade the body can cause any damage.
When the defense system functions correctly, you will experience good resistance to harmful microorganisms. When your immune system is very strong, you could even come into contact with individuals that are sick or infected, and never become infected or harmed.
A weak defense system causes a series of consequences in the body, like continual infections, prolonged or chronic illnesses, frequent infections or infections that never go away, etc. A weak immune system leads to not only the flu, coughs, and respiratory illnesses, but also kidney infections, urinary tract infections, liver infections, etc. If your defenses are down, you may also become ill with arthritis, osteoarthritis, skin problems, etc.
Don’t let your doctor fix it all. Using these simple tips you can recover health and harmony within your body. If you just learn to listen to your body and understand it, you will soon be able to learn how to not only heal it, but how to keep it strong.
In order to keep your immune system healthy, you must abide by the following points:
Food: diet is one of the bases of health and a strong, healthy body. Foods that weaken the immune system are any that bring more toxins into the body than nourishing elements, like anything that contains additives, coloring, refined sugars, and anything processed. Refined flour, processed and sugar-sweetened cereals, cow’s milk (undergoing the process of pasteurization, milk is heated to the point that it kills practically all of its nourishing elements), as well as fried foods.
White sugar: this may seem harmless, but it is one of the most destructive foods, and it attacks the immune system. This product caused macrophages to get stuck in the sugar, preventing them from being effective. There is a large amount of foods that contain white sugar, including soft drinks, sweets, pastries, canned foods, boxed cereal, etc. White sugar robs the body of minerals and wears the defense system down. If you or your children frequently get sic, remove sugar from your table, and you will notice that you will get sick less, especially with respiratory illnesses.
Diet: a diet for strengthening the immune system consists of eating foods as raw as possible. Start your day with citrus fruits and boldo or green tea, to purify the liver, intestines and blood. These areas generally produce a lot of accumulated toxins. If you frequently become ill, try to follow a one-week diet, eating just raw vegetables, stews with steamed vegetables, whole grain rice, rye or black bread, fresh vegetable juices and salads, etc.
-
MORE IN THE JOY OF WELLNESSThe importance of Vitamin E in your Diet
Water: Drinking water is a practical and very effective way of increasing the body’s defenses. Fresh water sweeps away toxins and cleanses the body, strengthening its healing properties. A body that has a high level of toxins circulating through it will be very prone to illnesses, because the system’s defenses won’t be in optimum conditions.
Stress: If you often times get sick in spite of eating well, you should also take a look at your stress. This is one of the most common and obvious things that damage and wear down the immune system. If you often feel rushed, like you aren’t where you want to be, if you frequently fight with people around you or if you’re going through financial problems, then you could be under a lot of stress. You could be getting used to living in this state. Try to observe yourself, and if you notice that you are stressed, relax by breathing deeply. Remember that learning to control your thoughts and focusing on things that make you feel good is a good relief for the body.
Being sedentary: not exercising, or being still throughout the day accumulates stress, and also increases the amount of toxins circulating throughout your body. We recommend practicing yoga, tai chi, or dancing, or doing any other sort of activity that you enjoy that moves your muscles, bones, and internal organs.
Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 04/04/2018
About the author