Understanding & Boosting Your Immune System

Your Body’s Natural Defender

Imagine your immune system as a fortress defending you from harmful invaders, or even as a super-smart bodyguard squad. Their job is to keep out nasty intruders like viruses, bacteria, and other troublemakers that try to mess with your health. They’re always on the lookout, like soldiers on the front line, prepared to identify and neutralize any threat that comes their way.

Having a strong immune system helps prevent infections and keeps you healthy, and hopefully avoid all the nasty colds and flus that are going around.

Everything we eat or apply to our bodies—whether it’s food, water, antibiotics, supplements, or products like moisturizer, makeup, and sunscreen, is recognized as a foreign substance by our immune system.  So even everyday things, especially food, are treated as potential threats. 

Our immune system acts as a defence, distinguishing between what’s beneficial and what’s harmful. It has to figure out what’s safe, what’s dangerous, and even what’s part of your own body. This is crucial because it helps manage allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions) and protects us from bacteria and bugs in our food, keeping us healthy in the process, and prevents infections or allergic reactions. Your immune system isn’t just a single thing—it’s a whole system doing its best to keep you healthy and feeling good. 

Your immune system is constantly monitoring your body for signs of trouble. Here’s how it works:

Maintaining a strong and healthy body is super important to stay away from colds and other illnesses. Here are some ways to boost your immune system:

• Eating the rainbow of fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins provides your body with essential vitamins and antioxidants that helps fight off harmful germs. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which can cause cell damage, and potentially lead to heart disease and cancer. For instance, the yellow-orange fruits like peaches and nectarines supports our immune function, while purple-red foods such as pomegranates, plums and berries help reduce inflammation.  Additionally, various foods can further decrease inflammation, including green leafy vegetables, broccoli, certain fish, fruits, nuts, oils, seeds, spices, and tomatoes.
• Drinking plenty of water and engaging in regular physical activity – whether incidental like dancing, walking, jogging, or choosing stairs over escalators—also supports your immune system. This helps your body flush out toxins and keeps everything running smoothly.
• Make sure to sleep enough every night (7-9 hours) so your body can rest, and make new cells that protect you from getting sick.
• Relax with activities like yoga, reading or meditation to keep stress low, which helps your body stay strong.
• Wash your hands often and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze to keep germs away.
• And if your immune system needs an extra boost try taking vitamin C or D.

This whole process helps prevent infections and keeps you feeling good.

Taking care of yourself every day helps you stay strong, healthy and happy!

If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about the immune system, check out New Age Naturopathics (Terrie Beresford) article on The Secret to Healthy Immunity.