Strengthen Your Immune System

...and Quit Getting Sick!

The common cold. It's inconvenient and annoying. And if you have kids in the house, it seems to come around way too often.

You can try to limit your exposure to viruses, but the truth is that most people are exposed all the time. Some folks get sick and others don't. The reality is that your ability to fight off infection has more to do with your own immune system than with who or what you come into contact. Our bodies are made to fight off viruses and other infections. But most people have compromised their immune system through bad nutrition and unhealthy habits.

Some

 practical lifestyle changes ...

can insulate you against the common cold and other viruses and make you healthier in the long run. Now, I say these are practical tips, but not all of them are easy. I've listed them roughly in order of importance.

Quit Eating Sugar:

This one step can make all the difference to your immune system. But let's be honest here; this is a difficult life adjustment. Cutting out sugar in all it's forms (honey, syrup, most fruit, etc.) is kind of a big deal. For starters, sugar is one of the most addictive substances available. For another, there is very little support in our lives for this decision. I quit eating sugar several years ago and I still have friends who are personally offended when I (politely) decline their sugary, homemade desserts. You have to make the leap here and just do it. Commit to it and get over the cravings. You won't be sorry.

I recommend finding information about the evils of sugar in books and on the internet. Keto and Paleo diet websites are a good place to begin. By arming yourself with information on why sugar is a poison to your system, you'll have an arsenal of reasons to stick with this lifestyle change.

Drink Plenty of Water:

Most people live their lives in a perpetual state of dehydration. The general rule of thumb for how much water to drink is calculated by dividing your body weight in half and converting the number to ounces. For example, if you weigh 120 lbs, half of that is 60 - so you need 60 ounces of water each day. If you are exercising or in the heat, you'll need more. 

You shouldn't drink water with food as this dilutes your digestive enzymes. One trick to get enough is to drink a quart or more of water right when you get up. This is easiest to do before you eat or have your morning coffee or tea. 

Water will help hydrate your cells so they work at peak efficiency and also aids digestion. Both of these operations insure that your body is flushing out toxins that can make your immune system sluggish.

Get Adequate Sleep:

Sleep restores the body and mind which accomplishes 2 things. All your organs can detox and reset giving your body tissues what they need to fight off invaders. You also get an emotional break which lowers your stress levels and allows your hormones to be used to keep you healthy rather than to survive emotional turmoils of the day.

Don't compromise on the 8 hour (or more) sleep rule. It may feel like you need to cut your sleep time short to enable you to check everything off your to-do list but in the long run, you'll be more efficient when you get an adequate amount of sleep.

Tongue Scraping:

This is a trick that most folks don't know about. Your tongue catches and accumulates all kinds of toxins to keep them from entering your system. Tongue scraping each morning helps rid your system of pathogens daily. You'll need to purchase a tongue scraper for this and each person in the family should have their own. It's easy to use and pretty easy to work into your morning routine. Just do it before you brush your teeth every morning.

Gargle:

 Gargle with plain water and do it every time you brush your teeth. After your tongue, your throat is the next line of defense against viruses and many bacteria. Tonsils and adenoids are located in the throat for this very reason. Additionally, the throat glands are an exit point for germs and toxins that the body is trying to eliminate. Gargling gently cleanses this area of our body and helps expel what our throats and the back of our mouth have trapped. Be aggressive about this and make a lot of noise doing it to ensure that you get as deep into the throat as possible.

Use a Fingernail Brush

Regular hand washing is good but scrubbing under and around your fingernails once a day. I like to do this in the evening. This way, anything I've picked up over the course of the day gets washed away before I climb into bed. The area underneath your fingernail harbors way more bacteria than the rest of your hand. Regular hand washing with soap is important but, based on bacteria count, scrubbing your fingernails is literally hundreds of times more important!

Use a Neti Pot

A neti pot flushes your nose and sinus cavities. This area, like the tongue and throat, helps stop germs before they enter your body as well as expel toxins from inside the bloodstream and organs. Occasional flushing helps move pathogens out before they have a chance to grow, invade or spread.

You can purchase a neti pot at drugstores or online and there are plenty of instructions online for how to use them. Unless you have a chronic sinus condition, daily use of a neti pot isn't necessary. I use mine every week or two; more often if my sinuses seem congested.

That's it! 7 practices to add to your life. Turn them into habits and you'll be sure to reduce (or eliminate) the occurrence of illness in your home!