A great video about immune health

I just found this informational video about great immune boosting foods and what makes them so effective. Click here to view it! I also found this funny little comic. Garlic really is a great immune boosting food!

How to live an immune healthy lifestyle

So I've talked about what the immune system is, what to eat and drink in order to strengthen it, things to be cautious of, and mentioned a great product I found. Today I decided to discuss what lifestyle choices will help you to avoid catching those nasty bugs that assist you in catching a cold. First and foremost, GET ENOUGH SLEEP. As a kid, my mom never wanted to let me have sleepovers because she said "you'll get sick if you don't get enough rest." I always thought that was just a threat and a way to shut me up about having friends over. Turns out my mom was right! (As always.) It is proven that your immune system is greatly compromised when your body is stressed and/or tired. Also, daily exercise can do a lot to strengthen your natural defenses. However, over exercise or stress can have a negative effect so don't go overboard! Finally, the best way to help your body fight disease is to keep disease away in the first place. Proper hand hygiene and disinfecting "germy" areas around your house are the best ways to avoid allowing bacteria into your body. Wash or sanitize your hands before every meal, after using the restroom, after touching pets, and at various times throughout the day. I've started carrying hand sanitizer with me everywhere I go, and by the way, I still haven't gotten sick :) 

Immune Boosting Drinks

Now that I know all about immune boosting foods, I decided to look into what type of great immune boosting drinks are out there. Any drink that contains the same ingredients we look for in foods (vitamin C, vitamin B, Zinc, Omega-3 fatty acids, etc.) is likely to have good effects on the immune system. You can find normal fruit juices easily in grocery stores. Look for strawberry, guava, kiwi, strawberry, and orange juices. These juices will strengthen immune system functions but be careful of high sugar content and unhealthy additives. In many cases it may be healthier to just eat the fruit, rather than drink hundreds of empty calories in sugary fruit drinks. There are also a lot of great supplemental drinks on the market that are made specifically as immune boosters. Sun Dew makes a great immune booster that contains zinc, EpiCor, antioxidant fruits, and many other great things. I've been drinking it daily to see if I can avoid catching a flu this season. So far it seems to be working! 

Immune Boosting Foods

I've started being more conscious about the foods I'm eating, and trying to eat things that will strengthen my immune system and keep me healthy. I found that there are specific vitamins and minerals that are particularly useful immune boosters. These include, vitamin E, Beta-Carotene vitamin C, Omega-3 fatty acids, and Zinc. All of these foods help increase your number of white bloods cells which, as I learned last week, are your body's main defense against the common cold. In order to obtain a good amount of foods, I eat a wide variety of types and colors of foods. Green tea, oysters, red bell peppers, fish, yogurt, pumpkin, oregano, broccoli, garlic, and tomatoes are just a few foods that are great for your body. 

The main thing to look for is a variety of colors in your foods. This doesn't mean get different flavored popsicles or taffy. It has to be the natural occurring color. Assorted berries are one of the best things to eat because their rich colors mean rich antioxidants and nutrients. Cooks in Asia often add ingredients to their dishes strictly for the color. Although they do it for beauty, we should practice the same habit for our immune system health!

So What is an Immune System?

I decided to research first about what the immune system actually is, and I found some information from Jodi Moore:

The immune system is made up of a complex network of cells and organs that protect the body from infection. Its main function is to keep harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses out of the body, or prevent them from negatively affecting our health.  The most important part of the immune system is the leukocytes, or white blood cells. There are B-cells, which recognize intruders, and T-cells, which are sent by the B-cells to kill germs that are harmful to our bodies. The amazing thing about these cells are that they can actually remember the best ways to fight off particular germs! This is why we usually don't get sick with diseases like chicken pox more than once.

Immune System Health?

I always hear about things that boost your immune system health and how to keep your immune system healthy. Frankly, I've never really paid too much attention or thought strengthening my immune system would make any real difference in how often I get the common cold. To me, it seems like everybody has to get their "yearly flu" then you get over it. No big deal. However, with the swine flu scare I decided maybe this year would be a good one to NOT get the flu. So I'll be doing some research on the best ways to strengthen your immune system and keeping you posted on how long I can avoid catching the flu this year.