This article was publised first in 2010, but the advice the author gives always is relevant this time of year. To help boost your immune system, she suugests the following:
1. Pop a Probiotic
"The buzz around gut-friendly probiotics just got a little louder. Not only do some of the microorganisms combat gastrointestinal woes, but they can also influence your body's T cells, the crucial white blood cells that help power your immune system."
"According to recent research published in the journal Postgraduate Medicine, women who downed daily probiotics saw their T-cell count skyrocket, making them much less vulnerable to infections."
2. Raise Your D Levels
"Supernutrient vitamin D also helps fight infections."
"In a national study, people with low D levels were 36 percent more likely to catch respiratory ailments. Other current research shows that, when people with ample D do get sick, they may recover faster."
"Vitamin D helps your body produce a protein called cathelicidin that fights bacteria and viruses," says Carlos Camargo, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School."
3. Get Pampered
"Regular 20-minute, moderate-pressure rubdowns decrease the body's level of cortisol, a stress hormone that can take a toll on your immune system, says Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine."
"Massage stimulates your nervous system to slow the production of cortisol, she explains. And by lowering cortisol, you're increasing your immune response."
4. Cut Some Calories
"Even slightly overweight people who slashed their caloric intake by just 10 percent ended up with heartier T cells, according to the Journal of Gerontology, possibly because a little extra weight can prompt the body to release a certain immune-suppressing hormone-like compound."
5. Clock In Face Time
"People with the most types of relationships—everything from close friends to neighbors—have a greater resistance to infectious diseases, according to Health Psychology."
"Conversely, that same research shows that loners' immune systems suffer. Lonely people often have high stress levels, which can have a negative effect on the immune system," says Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D., a psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University."
So which of the aforementioned suggestions are you adding to your current nutrition plan?
Please let me know by hitting the "Add Comment" button below, and thank you in advance for doing so.
Finally, please let me know if you have any questions, or problems copying & pasting the link below into your browser so you can read the entire article.
http://health.yahoo.net/rodale/WH/never-get-sick-again