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Improve your immune
system
by Shannon Leavitt
Our immune system is our defense system against potential illness. A healthy immune
system gives our bodies the ability to ward off illness, heal quickly and age slowly.
Genetics and fate aside, much of the health of your immune system is in your hands.
To begin, ask yourself some important questions. Are you overly committed in your
life? Are you stressed out, run down, burned out, moody, weary, or slow to recover
from illness? Is sleep and relaxation a commodity for you? If you've answered "yes"
to any of these questions, here are seven ways to help you balance your life. You
can tune up your immune system for life, and for the upcoming cold and flu season.
« Exercise in moderation -- Exercise reduces stress, elevates mood and detoxifies
your body, all positive effects on the immune system. Exercising too much, however,
stresses the body and weakens the immune system. Indicators of overdoing include
excessive soreness, weariness, poor performance and proneness to injury. Allow your
body to recover between exercise sessions by varying the type of activity and allowing
rest days.
« Practice Yoga -- Partaking in regular yoga sessions is truly preventive medicine.
Yoga's holistic health approach unifies the body, mind and spirit. Most avid yogis
will contend that yoga works on all levels by helping to balance and purify the mind,
body, and spirit systems.
« Meditate -- Meditation has the immediate benefit of relieving stress and the long-term
benefits of promoting personal and spiritual growth. Meditation is a proven stress-reliever.
Most forms of meditation involve breath awareness. Deep, rhythmic breathing soothes
the nervous system and calms the whole being. Deep breathing also stimulates lymph
circulation, which removes toxins from tissues and organs. You can start by being
aware of your breathing throughout the day.
« Eat in balance -- Ideally a balanced diet provides the biochemicals, or building
blocks, necessary for good health. An "immune boosting" diet includes a
variety of fruits, vegetables, unrefined grains, nuts, seeds and lean proteins, all
preferably organic. The addition of a few choice supplements, an occasional dessert
and perhaps a glass or two of wine makes the diet balanced and livable. In contrast,
an immune-depleting diet usually contains an excess of refined sugars and grains,
highly processed foods, fast foods, and/or alcohol.
« Supplement wisely -- In conjunction with a healthy diet, supplements provide additional
nutrients offering some health insurance. Instead of waiting to get sick to supplement,
be proactive. Support your immune system all year long with a high quality multivitamin
and/or anti-stress B-complex with vitamin C. Supplementing with probiotics like acidophilus
and bifidus is also a good practice. These friendly strains of bacteria, also found
in live culture yogurt, promote healthy immunity in the intestinal tract which is
thought to comprise a large portion of the body's immune system.
« Decrease stress -- With the increasing real and perceived demands of modern life,
most of us are stressed out. We rush from one task to another with a Herculean mentality.
Stress of any type activates the fight-or-flight response that primes us to deal
with a stressful situation by increasing our awareness and endurance. Chronic stress
ultimately depletes the body's defense systems causing various illnesses from fatigue
to colds to heart attacks. Balance your action energy with relaxation energy. Rest,
get a massage, take time for yourself and live your priorities.
« Think positively -- It is thought that negative mental states suppress immunity
and positive mental states build immunity. Practice mindfulness by being aware of
the quality and content of your thought to discover what types of thoughts are self-defeating.
Practicing positive affirmations is powerful tool to changing your thought patterns
and to building self-esteem.
« Get Adequate Rest -- The importance of sleep is often underrated in our do-more
society. Studies show that most of us are sleep deprived. Sleep is restorative to
the mind, body system, and getting enough of it is basic self-care.
Begin your immune enhancement program by examining what factors in your life compromise
and what factors enhance your immunity. Prioritize changes you want to make. Don't
stress out about having to do it all at once. Take baby steps if necessary and remember
that every little bit helps. Honor yourself by allowing your system to integrate
changes at your own pace. You'll feel healthier, happier and more relaxed in no time!
Shannon Leavitt, NASM, is a personal trainer and registered dietitian and holds
a master's degree in nutrition science. She recently released YogaLift, her first
fitness program on DVD and VHS. It is a true inner and outer strength workout, and
was recently named by Mpls/St. Paul Magazine as the "number one resolution to
make for New Year's in 2004." More information is available at www.yogalift.com
Copyright © 2005 Shannon Leavitt. All rights reserved. |
| January 2005 |
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