Your immune system is there to protect you from anything nasty and to repair damage. The environment we live in has harmful viruses and bacteria lurking in many corners! Even the common cold could kill you if you didn’t have an immune system. It is made up of many different cells with different functions. Some elements are genetically programmed and some are an adaptive response which can learn. How we choose to live our lives can have an influence on the health of our immune system.
The gut
Our gut micro-flora is an important line of defense as it is the barrier and can help fight off harmful bacteria. The balance of bacteria in our guts is therefore a foundation to a healthy immune system. There are things we can do which influence what balance we have inside. Our diets play a big part in what bacteria live in our intestines. High sugar foods may encourage the wrong kind of bacteria which is not helpful to us increasing the likelihood of ill health and disease.
Stress
Increased and prolonged stress can cause your body to produce and release hormones into the blood stream. These hormones communicate to the body that is in increased danger and can put the immune system function on the back boiler while it deals with more immediate threats. Meaning your immune system can have a reduced function. It is important to factor in relaxation time to encourage the body to rest and repair and reduce release of stress hormones. Take some time out for yourself. If you find it hard to know where to begin, take just 10 minutes for a walk in the fresh air and 10 minutes to sit and down in a comfortable position and focus on just slowing your breathing, 4 counts in and 4 counts out.
Sleep
Adequate sleep is vital to a healthy immune system. While we sleep, the immune system is hard at work performing tasks which only occur when the body is in sleep mode. Hormone levels in the body change when we are sleeping, allowing certain parts of the immune system to become active. Lack of adequate sleep is also linked with increased inflammation, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Aim for 8 hours a night of quality undisturbed sleep and try to keep your sleep patterns the same throughout the week.
Help
Make sure to include the following foods into your diet to give your immune system everything it needs to function at its best.
Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yoghurt and kombucha contain bacteria which may help to encourage a healthy balance of gut bacteria.
When it comes to carbohydrates, try to consume sources with less simple sugars and higher fibre content such as beans a pulses, brown rice, oats and whole fruit and vegetables. This will not only help keep your blood sugar in check but also help to keep things moving through the gut and keeping the bad bacteria population down.
Make sure to include foods containing zinc, iron, vitamins A, B6, C and E and selenium such as spinach, pumpkin seeds, kidney beans, brazil nuts, sardines, turkey, beef, chicken, eggs, squashes, sweet potato, carrots, oats, brown rice, papayas, lemon, peppers and broccoli.
