Say what you will,
there is nothing like being healthy in a world that
is
swimming in sickness and woe! This is one time that being
the odd
man out works in one's favor. After all, who
likes to be sick? Never-
theless, how do we avoid succumbing to the curse of
ill health and
modern-day diseases? Can they be prevented, and if
so, how?
Contrary to popular
opinion, there are ways to avoid sickness, pain, and
disease. There is a way to prevent suffering of all
kinds be it physical,
emotional, mental or spiritual. Surprisingy, the key
to circumventing
potential health risks/problems is a natural
approach, being based on
life principles that build up rather than tear down
the body. Working in
harmony with the body by applying time-tested,
natural methods to
boost the immune system proves its worth by
protecting the body from
pathogens: microbes, bacteria, viruses, parasites,
and fungi.
The
Immune System: What is it?
The body was designed with a defense
mechanism that protects it from
potential harm. It is called the immune system. Much
like a soldier on
watch or a home security system, the immune system
acts as a shield,
defending the body against foreign invaders. It is a complex network of
cells, proteins, chemicals, and organs that fights
against foreign invaders
that cause infection/disease. The immune system is comprised
of
- white blood cells
- antibodies
- complement system
- lymphatic system
- spleen
- bone marrow
- thymus.
These
components work synergistically to
- detect a wide
variety of pathogens and distinguish them
from the
body's own healthy tissue.
- keep a record of
every germ (microbe) it has ever defeated so
it can recognise and destroy the microbe
quickly if it enters the
body again.
- fight some
infections, like the flu and the common cold,
that need
to be fought many times because so many
different viruses or
strains of the same type of virus can cause
these illnesses.
Catching a cold or flu from one virus does
does not mean
immunity from others.
Other defenses that
work in concert with the immune system include:
- skin
- has a waterproof barrier that secretes oil
with bacteria-killing
properties
- lungs
- mucous in the lungs (phlegm) traps foreign
particles, and
small hairs (cilia) wave the mucous upwards
so it can be coughed
out
- digestive
tract - the mucous lining contains
antibodies, and the
acid in the stomach can kill most microbes
- body
fluids- skin oil, saliva and tears
contain anti-bacterial
enzymes that help reduce the risk of
infection. The constant
flushing of the urinary tract and the bowel
also helps.
The
Immune System: suppressors
An immune system that is not functioning
properly leaves the body
defenseless against attack which invites sickness and
disease. A
weak immune system is largely attributed to unhealthy
lifestyle
choices such as
- Poor diet
- Lack of exercise
- Lack of adequate
sleep
- Smoking
- Drinking
alcoholic beverages
- Obesity
- Stress
- Exposure to
radiation (EMF, etc.)
- Exposure to
environmental toxins
- Negative thinking
The
Immune System: boosters
The best way to boost the immune system
is by natural means.
A weak immune system is a sign that the body lacks
the nutrients
that it needs in order to function well. Supplying
these nutrients is
largely solved by making lifestyle changes.
1.
Improve your diet.
Eat a more natural diet, one that is at
least
85% living foods- fruit, vegetables, seeds,nuts,
sprouted whole
grains in their raw state. Avoid refined, processed,
and animal-
based foods (dairy, meat, seafood), all of which
suppress the
immune system. Consume foods that are rich in
- vitamin C- citrus fruit
-oranges, grapefruits, tangerines,
etc, strawberries, bell peppers, spinach,
kale and broccoli.
Vitamin C is one of the biggest immune
system boosters
because it fights infection.
- Vitamin
B6- supports biochemical
reactions in the
immune system. Vitamin B6 is found in
green vegetables
and in chickpeas.
- Vitamin
E- a powerful antioxidant that
helps the body
fight off infection. Foods rich in
vitamin E include nuts,
seeds (sunflower and almond), avocados,
and spinach.
Incorporate other
immune system 'super boosters' into your diet like
garlic, ginger, turmeric, moringa, green tea, Chaga
tea, and fermented
foods. These foods contain a wide range of
nutritional properties that
support the immune system. Likewise, only drink
filtered, purified, or
naturally-sourced water (well, spring) instead of tap
water.
2.
Exercise daily Exercise increases the flow of oxygen to
cells which
promotes good circulation, improves cardiovascular
health, lowers blood
pressure, helps to control weight, and protects
against a variety of ills
such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and some
cancers. Good
circulation allows the cells and substances of the
immune system to
move through the body freely and do their job
efficiently. A thirty minute
routine of stretching, rebounding, swimming, cycling,
etc. charges the
immune system. Walking is one of the best and
simplest ways to exercise.
3. Get adequate sleep A good sleep pattern of 7-9
hours improves
the function of white blood cells that protect the
body from respiratory
infections, colds, and the flu. For maximum rest,
wake up and go to bed
at the same time every day. Avoid eating, drinking,
exercising, and
exposure to blue light (computer screens, cell
phones, TV, etc.) for
several hours before bedtime. Establish a relaxing
evening routine
before bedtime by taking a warm bath, listening to
relaxing music or
drinking a mild nervine tea such as camomile,
peppermint or lemon
balm before bedtime to help promote sleep.
4. Maintain
a healthy weight Given proper
diet and exercise, the body
finds its natural weight. Excessive weight (obesity)
and being underweight
weaken the immune system. Weight issues are largely
solved by
improving lifestyle choices, especially in relation
to diet and exercise.
5.
Minimize stress Chronic stress depresses the
immune system by
triggering the body to produce a higher level of
certain hormones that
ultimately make the body more susceptiblbe to
allergies, colds, flu,
viruses, and respiratory problems. Fight stress by
resolving and/or
eliminating toxic relationships, improving diet,
exercising, deep
breathing, and learning to relax.
6.
Avoid alcoholic beverages and
drugs Alcoholic drinks and drugs
(pharmaceutical, recreational, and vaccines) are
foreign substances that
the body cannot recognize/process and therefore
suppress the immune
system. Because they are toxins/poisons, they place
an undue burden
on the body's filtering system (liver and kidneys)
which threatens the
body's well being. Eliminating these substances
releases the immune
system to effectively do its job.
7. Reduce
exposure to EMFs All electrical
devices emit Electro-
Magnetic Fields that change body frequencies.
Altering these
frequencies suppresses the immune system. Tech
devices such as
TVs, cell phones, iphones, smart meters, microwave
ovens, WiFi, 5G,
and other smart technologies that rely on radio
frequencies to operate,
emit radiation levels that disrupt the body's natural
electrical charge(s),
causing harm.
8. Practice
good hygiene Wash hands
properly as well as frequently:
after using the rest room, handling money, a shopping
cart, before
handling food, touching public door knobs, touching
pets, etc. Likewise
keep fingers/hands out of/away from the mouth, ears,
eyes, nose. Cover
a sneeze with a handkerchief.
9.
Avoid
exposure to chemicals Man-made
chemicals are unnatural
substances that disrupt the body's natural
eco-environment and thus
over burden and/or compromise the immune system.
Chemicals are
commonly found in a wide range of commercial products
such as
personal care products (shampoo, deodorant, soap),
household
cleaning products (dish soap, laundry detergent,
furniture polish,
floor cleaners, dryer sheets), paints, fertilizers
(garden, lawn), insect
sprays, bedding, clothes, upholstery, etc. Replace
chemical-based
products with natural alternatives.
10. Stop
smoking Smoking suffocates/kills body
cells by robbing them
of essential nutrients (especially oxygen and vitamin
C) and deposits toxic
chemicals such as cadmium, lead, and ultramarine in
body tissues. This
slow poisoning weakens the immune system. Smoking can
be stopped
by improving lifestyle choices that revolve around
proper diet and
exercise.
11.
Elevate
your thoughts Avoid
entertaining thoughts of resentment,
bitterness, hatred, jealously, envy, strife, fear,
etc. as they create a
negative force-field in the body which suppresses the
immune system.
Elevate your thoughts to a higher, healthier level by
choosing to express
love, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, mercy,
etc., all of which
have a positive effect on the immune system.
12.
Cleanse
your body Clean out toxic residues that
have accumulated
in the body due to poor lifestyle habits as a way to
strengthen the immune
system and enhance overall wellbeing. Consider a
juice fast or natural
approaches that clean the liver/kidneys, intestines,
lungs, etc.
Immune
System: Supplement Support
Depending on the individual, age, and
personal environment, the
healthiest lifestyle possible may not be enough to
support a strong
immune system. In this case, supplementing may be
necessary. Filling
in nutritional gaps proves to strengthen the body's
defense mechanism.
Consider these natural immune system boosters:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B-12
- Vitamin B Complex
- Iodine
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Oregano oil
- Zinc
- Sulfur
In
conclusion
Living healthy in an increasingly
unhealthy world is possible, though it
can be challenging. Since the body is a living
organism, it needs living
resources to sustain itself, substances that are
natural-occuring rather
than man-made. Weakness, sickness, and decay are
signs that the body
does not have sufficient nutrients to support its
many functions. In this
case, the body's first line of defense, the immune
system, acts as an
alarm to arrest our attention in the hopes that we
will rescue it from
potential harm.
While
signs and symptoms of a weak immune system are
commonly
known and experienced, repairing the body's defenses
by natural
methods remains largely unfamiliar to most Americans.
Nevertheless,
the body is self-healing in design and therefore
responds favorably if
not remarkably to solutions that are found in nature.
Boosting the
immune system is thus within the reach of those who
seek to safe-guard
their health by applying natural, affordable methods
that prove to be safe
alternatives to sometimes-risky/costly conventional
medical modalities.
It is
a proven fact that the best health care is self-care.
Though learning
how best to care for our bodies is a science and an
art, educating
ourselves toward living a better quality of life is
well worth the effort.
In a world where sickness and distress of all kinds
abound, having a
strong immune system can mean the difference between
life and death.
This
day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses
against you that I have set before you life and
death,
blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that
you
and your children may live- Deuteronomy
30:19 (NIV)
He said, "If you will diligently listen to
the voice of Yahweh
your Almighty, and will do that which is right in
his eyes,
and will pay attention to his commandments, and
keep
all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases
on you,
which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am
Yahweh who
heals you."- Exodus 15:26 (World
English Bible)
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References
and Resources
