Supporting Your Immune System

Your immune system is a powerful system that forms a natural barrier against possible pathogens, which are causes of illness and disease. You can compare it with an army of soldiers that defends your body against possible invaders. At the same time, this army monitors a variety of situations to ensure that your remain healthy. In other words, it is ultra-important to keep this system in balance.

But how?

What does your immune system do?

Your immune system reacts to pathogens and it does so in different ways. The first line of defence is your non-specific or innate immune system. This focuses its attention on every foreign substance it encounters in your body. Indiscriminately and therefore quickly.

The second line of defence is your adaptive or acquired immune system. This type of resistance acts on pathogens that have been in the body for some time and have not been dealt with by the non-specific defence mechanisms. Your acquired resistance makes use of specialised defence cells, known as immune cells. In this phase, your body makes antibodies. The advantage? When we come into contact with the same invader for a second time, our system instantly recognises the pathogens and can react faster and more specifically. In this way, we build up an immunity to certain illnesses and diseases.

How to bring the immune system into balance?

If you want to live a healthier life, you need to take good care of your immune system. And that is not the same as trying to stimulate it. The to for success is balance: a weak immune system needs to be strengthened. Otherwise, you run the risk of infections. At the opposite end of the spectrum, if your immune system goes into overdrive, you need to calm it down and bring it back into balance. Otherwise, chronic inflammations may develop. This can lead to other serious medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, auto-immune diseases, and so on. What we really want is to activate our immune functions in the right manner when we need them and then shut them down when the risk of infection has passed.

To ensure the right balance in your immune system, you need to think in terms of long-term solutions. Solutions so easy and so obvious that everyone can do them. The answer in a nutshell? A healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet. With the following six tips, you can give your immune system a serious and well-deserved boost!

Hydrate.

Drink sufficient water. This means at least eight large glasses per day. Why? Because water purifies your body, by removing toxic substances and waste products.Water also helps to transport nutrients and oxygen throughout your system, as well as keeping your mucus membranes sufficiently moist and reducing the risk of inflammation.

Eight glasses per day is manageable if you follow these tips:

• Start your day with a large glass of water, preferably mixed with a twist of lemon, since this improves detoxification and digestion

• Always take a bottle of water with you, wherever you go

• Vary your fluid intake during the day with, for example, some herbal tea

• Keep a large glass or bottle of water at your place of work

  
  

Sleep.

You can help your immune system to recover by doing absolutely nothing! In other words, when you are asleep. Yes, it is really that easy. On condition that you take your sleep seriously and go to bed every night at exactly the same time. Timing here is everything. Why? Because in this way you respect your circadian rhythm. This biological clock follows a 24-hour cycle and regulates not only your sleep, but also your hormones, your body temperature and your metabolism. It is thanks to this rhythm that your body knows precisely when it needs to make certain substances, when it needs to clear away other substances, when you are hungry and when you need sleep.

A good night's sleep also leads to the reduced activity of your stress hormonesand the increased activity of hormones that support the immune functions, such melatonin, a hormone that eliminates harmful free radicals.

But sleep also offers another bonus: it stimulates the formation of antibodies. These are the memory circuits of your immune system and will protect you in the future against pathogens.

Studies have shown that a shortage of sleep can reduce the effectiveness of your immune functions. How much sleep to you need? Adults are advised to get a good seven or eight hours rest. Children and teenagers need even more.

Here are some tips to optimise your sleep hygiene:

• Stop eating at least three hours before you go to bed

• In the period before you go to bed, avoid exposure to the blue light produced by devices like television, laptops, tablets and mobile telephones

• Do something relaxing before you go to bed such as taking an epsom salt bath, reading, meditating, stretching, talking a short walk ...

• Sleep in a cool and dark room

• Try and get some sunshine during the first half hour after you wake up

Mindfulness.

Is there anything positive about stress? Yes, if it is acute stress. This has an anti-inflammatory effect. The worst and most harmful form of stress is long-term, chronic stress. The continual secretion of the stress hormone, cortisol, inhibits the production of anti-inflammatory mediators, such as lymphocytes (white blood cells) and disrupts the communication between the immune system and other cells. Cortisol also suppresses the secretion of IgA. This antibody in the mucosa of the lungs and intestines functions as our first line of defence against pathogens, so that any reduction in its efficiency is harmful.

Stress can be physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, even energetic. Make sure you are aware of each of these areas in your life and make a list of all the things that seem to deplete you or drain you of energy and enthusiasm. Making time for yourself to rest and recharge is essential. Start by making time for

• journalling

• a daily gratitude practice

• a relaxing bath

• reading a good book

• walks in nature

• spending time with loved ones

• meditation

• ...

  
  

Above all, do the things that you enjoy doing and do them as often as possible. Even if only briefly. Every reduction of stress, no matter how small, helps.

Movement.

Once again, adjusting to the needs of your body is the best way. You don't want to exercise too much or too little. What is sufficient? Twenty or so minutes each day doing something that increases your heart rate is more than enough. This reduces the likelihood of inflammations and sickness. In addition, exercise stimulates your blood circulation, so that toxic substances and waste products are removed from your system. At the same time, nutrients and oxygen are transported more quickly to the places where they are needed, which keeps your cells and organs healthy.

This acute, short and effort-induced form of stress is known as hormesis and is good for the body. In contrast, too much and too intensive physical effort (overtraining) can have a negative effect. Try to find the right balance by exercising regularly with an average intensity. You don't even need to pull on your sports shoes. Dancing your way around the kitchen while you are cooking will be more than adequate. Or taking the dog for a good walk. Or running up and down the stairs at work. These are all forms of exercise that give you an energetic feeling rather than a tired one. In addition, try and do some relaxing exercises, such as stretching, yoga or pilates.

Nutrition.

You are what you eat. Literally. Or, better said, what you digest! Your cells, tissues and organs are all made up from substances derived from the food and drink that you consume each day. And this applies equally to your immune system. So make sure that your daily diet is healthy and nutritious. This means that you should scrap the following things from your menu: processed food, alcohol, unhealthy fats, artificial ingredients, sugar and refined carbohydrates.

So what should you eat? Organic food, such as meat from grass-fed cattle, fish, healthy fats and, above all, vegetal food that is rich in minerals, vitamins and polyphenols.

In particular, polyphenols are essential for ensuring a balanced immune system. But what are they exactly? Polyphenols are phytochemicals that give plants their beautiful colours, but also support many of the body's internal functions. Examples of important polyphenols include curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, anthocyanin, sulforaphane, quercetin and lutein. Each substance is responsible for producing a particular colour and every colour has a beneficial health impact for your body. In other words, if you want a balanced diet, you need to eat a variety of plants with all the colours of the rainbow! Polyphenols also nourish our intestinal microbiome. This is important, since 80% of the immune system is located in the intestines.

Nutrition supplements.

For a healthy immune system, your daily diet needs to be rich in:

Vitamin D

The superstar of bone health! Vitamin D supports immune functions by reducing inflammation and helping to fight infections. We get most of our vitamin D through our exposure to sunlight. However, foodstuffs like salmon, mackerel, sardines, eggs and mushrooms all contain small amounts of this key vitamin. But because these amounts are small and because we are generally spending less and less time outdoors, it is difficult for some people to get as much as they need. In that case, a vitamin D3 supplement is a good idea. Make sure you take it with K2 and with a magnesium supplement.

Zinc

Zinc supports the growth, development and normal functioning of immune cells. Oysters are the main source of zinc in food. Not your favourite snack? Not a problem: shellfish, meat, beans, hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds all contain reasonable quantities of zinc.

Vitamin C

It has been popular wisdom for many years: 'If you want to improve your resistance, you need lots of vitamin C'. And, like most clichés, it is true! Vitamin C supports the production and functioning of white blood cells. In addition, it also acts as an anti-oxidant that protects the immune system and the body's other cells against possible damage by the oxidative stress caused by the immune response. For plenty of vitamin C, add kiwi, citrus fruits, red bell pepper and guava to your daily menu.

Omega 3

Omega-3 is known above all for its anti-inflammatory properties. To get the amount of omega-3 that you need, it is a good idea to eat fatty fish at least a few times each week.

Quercetin

This phytonutrient is recommended for its anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine effects. The most important natural sources of quercetin are vegetables like onions, kale and broccoli, fruits like apples, dark berries and grapes, herbs like sage and parsley, and even wine and tea. For an enhanced therapeutic effect or when you feel that your body needs a little something extra, consider using a supplement. Natural quercetin is not easily absorbed by the body from food, so that this supplement is based on a super-absorbable form (up to 20 times better!).

Give your immune system the attention it deserves.

As you can see, your immune system needs a lot of looking after! Make sure you give it the care and attention it deserves. Not just when you are feeling tired or sick, but all the time. Living a healthy lifestyle will already get you a long way. If, however, you feel that the above tips are not sufficient, investigate which supplements you might need to give your immune system the extra boost that will allow it to function perfectly.