Despite recent advice from the federal, state, and local governments about what they believe is best for your health, the reality is:
Your health is entirely your responsibility.
Your immune system, the body's in-built department of defense, is where this all leads.
Our immune system is always defending our body against potential threats.
We frequently come into contact with pathogens, which are things like viruses, bacteria, and parasites that can make us ill. A strong immune system responds to these interactions by attempting to eliminate the pathogens.
The same is true for our body (especially our immune system), much as military defense organizations are aware that no defense is complete without information of the enemy.
When our body comes into contact with a pathogen that may lead to sickness or illness, it records information about that germ so that it will be prepared to combat it in the future.
But did you see the most important detail there? This lovely procedure takes place within a sound immune system.
So, how can you be certain that your immune system is in good shape and working effectively?
1. Feed your body nutritious nutrients.
It is advised to eat foods high in zinc, protein, vitamins A, C, and D, and vitamin B6. Lean meats, eggs, fish, poultry, and a range of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds would all fall under this category.
Avoid partially hydrogenated oils, processed foods, simple sugars, refined carbohydrates, and deep-fried fast food. These would comprise items like frozen pizzas, margarine, ice cream, white flour, drinks, candy, pastries, and numerous breakfast cereals.
2. Avoid smoking
The immune system is known to be compromised by smoking. Additionally, it might result in chronic inflammation, which is the cause of numerous immune-related diseases.
3. Make body movements
You must exercise for good health. Sedentary behavior is linked to chronic inflammation, which might impair the body's immune response.
There are several hypotheses as to how exercise can support a strong immune system. According to certain research, physical effort can aid in clearing microorganisms from the lungs and airways.
Others claim that increased body temperatures during and after exercise can generate a climate unfavorable to the growth of bacteria.
4. Management of Stress
The immune system's capacity to defend against foreign pathogens is hampered by stress.
Additionally, the immune system is prevented from functioning correctly by the hormones that the body releases when it is under stress.
Look for methods of reducing stress in your life, such as writing in a journal, taking walks, incorporating prayer or meditation, or engaging in other self-care activities.
5. Sleep well
Your body creates and releases a protein that actively acts to prevent disease and infection as you sleep.
Lack of sleep reduces the immune system's ability to fight off infections.
Adults should get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night, while kids should get between 10-11 hours.
6. Hydration
When someone is ill, it is frequently advised to drink lots of fluids.
What about the prevention of illness, though?
For it to work, our immune system need nourishment. And since our bloodstream, which is largely composed of water, transports these nutrients throughout our bodies, optimal hydration is essential for ensuring that our immune systems receive the nutrition it requires.
7. Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Weight
We’ve often heard words like comorbidity in these regards. This simply refers to a person having multiple conditions or diseases that their body was battling at the time of their contracting Covid-19.
So, why have we often heard that obesity is a primary risk in both contracting and experiencing complications from this illness?
What about other illnesses?
Why is obesity cited as being a risk factor for other diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even some cancers?
Does obesity contribute to comorbidities?
How does obesity affect the immune system?
We briefly learned in the above section of how maintaining a healthy body weight can facilitate a healthy immune system. So, what really happens to the immune system in cases of obesity.
Like other body systems, the immune system is dependent upon nutrients for optimal function. Obesity actually causes a disturbance in the way these essential nutrients are carried throughout the body.
Obesity also causes chronic inflammation in the body, and this is where things really go downhill.
Obese individuals have more visceral fat cells. This kind of fat accumulates in your midsection, and around your organs.
The body sees these visceral fat cells as dangerous and sends white blood cells to those areas.
The longer someone remains obese, the longer these visceral fat cells remain in the body.
And, the longer this inflammation response persists, the more damage is caused to the body as a whole.
Chronic inflammation is at the heart of multiple diseases such as:
- Asthma
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Stroke
- Lupus
Can you see where these comorbidities surrounding Covid-19, and the findings of obesity being the number one risk factor for complications, now connect?
The thing with obesity is that it is rare that it singularly affects an individual. For those struggling with excess body fat, there are multiple complications that arise.
While obesity directly affects the immune system, the chronic inflammation that it causes contributes to a chain reaction of chronic illness (everything from skin conditions to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer).
Each of these illnesses also work against a healthy immune response to the pathogens our bodies encounter.
Your health is still in your hands
As we stated earlier here, you alone are responsible for your health.
And, while the picture concerning obesity, its role in Covid-19 risk, and its effect on the immune system is pretty grim…there’s good news!
Just as excessive body fat can have such negative effects on immunity, studies show that even a moderate amount of weight loss can begin to show signs of immune system repair and improvement.
And, remember all of those practices we mentioned earlier for maintaining a healthy immune system?
They also facilitate a healthy body weight (managing stress, proper sleep, hydration, regular exercise, eating nutritious foods and avoiding unhealthy foods).
When you take responsibility for your own health, it’s a win-win!
Check out this next story below if you want an innovative new way to lose weight:
Do THIS 1 hour before bed to pee out stubborn fat in the morning
Recent studies show how one simple pre-bed ritual dramatically shrunk fat tissue and reversed key signs of premature biological aging during sleep.
Lisa did it.
What happened?
She finally lost 62 lbs of pregnancy weight. She reversed her Type 2 Diabetes.
And she went on a shopping spree for new, “skinny clothes”!
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