Do You Think You Have a Strong Immune System?
How to Tell if Your Immune System Needs Help
The body’s immune system and how strong it is can have a big impact on how your body handles Covid or any other condition. If you notice that you’re often sick, feel fatigued, or have other nagging symptoms you can’t figure out, it may mean your immune system is weakened.
It is not a coincidence that you tend to get sick after a big project at work or following an emotional situation at home.
Do You Always Have a Cold?
It is perfectly normal for adults to sneeze and sniffle through two or three colds each year — most people bounce back in seven to ten days. During that time it takes the immune system three to four days to develop antibodies and fight off the germs. If you’re constantly catching colds or have a cold that won’t run its course, that is a clear sign your immune system is struggling to keep up.
Do You Have Lots of Tummy Problems?
If you have frequent diarrhoea, gas, or constipation, it could be a sign that your immune system is compromised. Research shows that 70% of your immune system is located in your digestive tract. The beneficial bacteria and microorganisms that live there defend your gut from infection and support your immune system.
Low amounts of helpful gut bacteria can leave you at risk of viruses, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune disorders.
Are Your Wounds Slow to Heal?
Your skin goes into damage control mode after you get a burn, cut, or scrape. Your body works to protect the wound by sending nutrient-rich blood to the injury to help regenerate new skin. The healing process depends on healthy immune cells — but if your immune system is sluggish, your skin can’t regenerate and your wounds linger and have a hard time healing.
You Feel Tired All the Time
Pushing your body constantly from your job or at home is bound to leave you feeling sluggish — but if you are getting enough sleep and still suffering from exhaustion, it’s worth considering whether your immune system is trying to tell you something.
When your immune system struggles, so does your energy level. That is because your body is trying to conserve energy to fuel your immune system so it can fight off germs.
Long-Term Stress
Long-term stress weakens the responses of your immune system. Stress decreases the body’s lymphocytes — the white blood cells that help fight off infection. The lower your lymphocyte levels, the more you are at risk of viruses like the common cold.
How You Can Improve Your Immune System and Make It Stronger
Simple Ways to Stay Well
Top Tricks to Build Up Your Immunity
Get outdoors (if you can). It’s easy to stay inside in an effort to escape all the germs in our atmosphere — but in fact, hiding could make you more susceptible. Exposing your immune system to a wider variety of beneficial microorganisms from the environment will help keep it strong and healthy. Studies have also shown that getting out in fresh air can lower stress levels.
Exercise in Moderation
Moderate and regular exercise will not compromise your immune system — it will actually help improve immune function by flushing out bacteria and reducing your chances of getting a cold.
Sleep
One of the most important things for your immune system is to get enough sleep. Prolonged periods of not getting enough sleep can have a negative effect on your immune system. Stick to a regular bedtime, avoid blue light an hour before bed, and consider soaking in a magnesium salt bath.
Diet
Balancing your blood sugars is not only key for preventing cravings — it can also stop you suffering from colds and flu. When our blood sugars swing, we overuse insulin, gain body fat, and initiate inflammation. Too much insulin triggers an inflammatory response that depletes the immune system.
It is recommended to have breakfast an hour after waking, eat every four hours, and include protein at every meal, as it slows down the release of carbohydrate sugars into the blood.
What Foods Can Help Improve Your Immune System?
Get your body in the best possible shape by eating a balanced diet and drinking enough liquid. Aim for two litres a day.
Miso
Around 70 to 80% of our immune system is in our gut in the form of beneficial probiotic bacteria. While people talk a lot about yoghurts and dairy probiotics, there are many people who are intolerant to dairy products. You can also find probiotics in fermented soy products such as miso — try adding it to soups, stews, bean dishes, and sauces.
Salmon
Oily fish such as salmon are rich in omega-3, which is vital for supporting immune function. Omega-3 fats help our immune system resist and fight infections such as colds and flu.
Sardines
These oily fish are high in Vitamin D, which is vital for immunity. A group of scientists found that specialised T cells are critical for immune defence and are dependent upon adequate Vitamin D levels in the blood. At low levels of Vitamin D, these T cells remain dormant and can’t attack bacteria.
Sweet Potato
Root vegetables are rich in beta-carotene (Vitamin A), which is important for immune function. Some plant compounds not considered “essential” — such as flavonoids and carotenoids found in brightly coloured vegetables like sweet potato — seem to be helpful for immunity. Eating sweet potato with healthy fats such as olive oil helps with absorption, as beta-carotene is a fat-soluble antioxidant.
Elderberries, Cranberries, and Blueberries
All these berries are high in antioxidants, and eating them in any way you can is going to help your immune system. They are also very high in Vitamin C.
Ginger
Make this your first choice when you’re under the weather. Ginger clears the microcirculatory channels of the body, helping to decongest the sinuses, throat, and nose. Its anti-inflammatory properties can also help aching muscles and joints, making it perfect for flu-like symptoms. Add it to your morning juice or tea.
Juices
Juices help improve your immune system. They are a delicious way to add more healthy fruit and vegetables to your diet and can help restore healthy gut bacteria — very good for the digestive system.
Two Healthy Immune-Boosting Juices:
Beets, Carrot and Ginger Juice (Serves 1)
1 large beetroot, peeled and quartered
2 carrots
1 green apple
1 small pinch of ginger
Green Juice (Serves 1)
2 cups spinach or kale, washed
1/2 large cucumber
1 green apple, washed and quartered
1 green pear
1 lemon, peeled
Try both of these juices — they are great for your immune system and a wonderful way to start the day.
Try a great breakfast to start giving your immune system a boost. One that my whole family loves is smashed avocado toast with soft-boiled eggs — great protein with good fats. Follow it with a healthy juice for a great start to your day.
Looking after your immune system isn’t just about eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising — it is about balance. Do you find it impossible to look away from the stressful 24-hour news cycle? Are there negative people in your life who routinely leave you feeling terrible? Does social media eat up whole chunks of your night? Is gossip a big part of your life?
Maybe it is time to step back and take inventory. You may be able to unsubscribe from some things that cause you agitation. Get away from complainers — they sap your strength. Instead, make it a point to spend time with positive people who inspire and motivate you.
You know the positive people — the ones you walk away from feeling great, feeling enlightened after a conversation.
If someone is running late, be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.
You have the choice in every situation to pursue compassion. It’s an excellent way to age. It will help you get and stay happy — and it draws others to you.