1. Stop eating sugar and simple carbs. Aside from the obvious threats that eating sugar pose, such as weight gain and diabetes, every time you eat some sugar, it cripples your immune system for a few hours after you ingest it. Therefore, to keep your immune system strong, eliminate it from your diet.
2. Supplement with Vitamin D. Recent studies have shown that most Americans are vitamin D deficient. Keeping vitamin D in our bodies at optimal levels helps our immune systems stay strong and ready to combat not only common everyday diseases like the cold and flu, but also many degenerative diseases like diabetes and heart disease. When supplementing, always take vitamin D3 which is the natural form.
3. If and when you get sick and develop a fever, let the fever run its course. A fever is one of your bodies last attempts at combating the disease. Bacteria and virus cannot survive at higher than normal temperatures. If you quickly reduce the fever by taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen, you may feel better, but you handicap your immune system by eliminating one of its strongest weapons. Our immune systems are like our muscular system, they need to be exercised. The more it is able to fight a common ailment, the better equipped it will be to fight off the next invasion. Of course if a fever gets too high, above 104 degrees, a doctor should be consulted.
4. Eat foods that are in their most natural state, which means to stay away from processed foods. This also includes eating more raw foods. Processed foods are loaded with unwanted ingredients like sugar and sodium. For instance, mashing your own potatoes is much healthier than eating the processed boxed type. Also, by increasing your intake of raw food, you are eating foods that are filled with nutrients and enzymes that help in digesting those foods.
5. Get enough rest and sleep. Studies show that getting enough sleep at night not only strengthens the immune system, it also helps control your weight. Another often overlooked aspect of rest is to take breaks throughout the day to clear your mind and let it rest. This can be accomplished with a short 5-15 minute meditation sometime throughout the day, or to just close your eyes and clear you mind to let your thoughts unwind and your mind rejuvenate. It does wonders for your energy and overall well being.
6. Eat dirt. This does not mean to go outside and grab a tablespoon of gritty dirt and put it in your mouth. This means that when you wash and clean things, do not obsess over the cleanliness of the everything. A little bit of unwanted impurities in our systems helps to exercise our immune systems and strengthens them.
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