5 Tips to Boost Your Natural Immunity

The recent swine flu deaths have again brought to light the importance of developing strong immunity within our body.  Most swine flu deaths around the world have happened in highly polluted cities or to people who have had a weak defense mechanism.  We all have an inbuilt defense mechanism within us called immune system.  It is this immune system that prevents us from catching common cold, flu or any other common illnesses on a regular basis.  The strength of the immune system in our body decides how resistant we are to diseases.

In simple terms;  Toxins are free radicals in our body that slowly kill our immune system & antioxidants are our friends that kill these free radicals.  Thus to improve our natural immunity, we need to consume lots of antioxidants mainly present in vegetables & fruits.  A well balanced diet is also vital, as any deficiency of nutrients in our body also reduce our immunity.

Other than these general tips, this article will focus on specific natural immunity boosting tips which are easy to understand & simple to follow.

5 tips to boost immunity naturally:

1. Consume more ‘Vitamin C’ Food: One of the best ways to fight microbial invaders is to increase the production of white blood cells. Vitamin C is not only rich in antioxidants but also responsible for increased production of white blood cells. We can easily find natural Vitamin C in food sources like papaya, strawberries, lemon, etc. However, my favourite source of Vitamin C remains the “Amla/Gooseberry”.  This is the most potent source of Vitamin C.  Amla also helps in absorption of other nutrients from food & increase good quality cholesterol (HDL).  The best time to have Amla is in the early morning, on an empty stomach.
2. Reduce intake of Refined Sugar: When the blood sugar level goes up, our body releases insulin to counter that. Insulin suppresses the release of growth hormones & this leads to depressing the immune system.  Sugar also alarmingly raises the level of free radicals in our body & causes havoc in our gastrointestinal tract.  So, in more ways than one, sugar is harming our resistance power.  I have stopped having sugar for the last one month & can already feel the benefit.  And an indirect benefit is that I am forced to adopt other good habits too :  since I can no longer drink aerated drinks or eat biscuits, I consume much more water & eat healthier snacks.
3. Consume Probiotic Food: Probiotic food like yogurt increases the good bacteria in our body & improves the digestive system. Probiotic food prevents build up of toxins by digesting food. This is also the best natural food source to clean the intestinal tract through proper bowel movement.  Probiotic food is even good for short term benefits as it known to prevent infections & reduce inflammations. This yogurt article will give more insights to the benefits.  Almost all fermented uncooked foods are rich in Probiotic.
4. Dietary Supplement: Passive smoking, pollution, processed foods etc., keep adding toxins to our body at a faster rate than we can flush them out.  Good quality natural food supplements are a safe bet to keep our body nourished with nutrients & with sufficient amount of antioxidants.  Click here to read tips on selecting proper dietary supplement.
5. Exercise: Movement of lymph is required to transport immune cells throughout our body.  Lymph is a yellowish liquid, which we sometimes see when we cut our tissue.  Movement of lymph throughout our body is a vital part of our immunity system.  Lymph is like a filtering net that cleans fat, bacteria & other unwanted matter in its path.  For effective movement of lymph, we need to exercise regularly. Exercise also makes us breathe better.  More oxygen cannot be bad for white blood cells .  Click here to read tips on exercising without sacrificing on your daily routine.

It is estimated that an average individual catches cold twice a year.  Other than this, new scares like bird flu, swine flu, etc. keep lurking in the air.  During the recent swine flu outbreak, three layered masks were a hit & almost a fashion statement!  Here is my three layered free natural mask for you.

1^st layer protection:  lots of antioxidants.

2^nd layer protection:  Lots of white blood cells.

3^rd layer protection:  Good old lymph movement.

You will never again need to spend on any other mask!