Our Immune System Knows How To Fight Illness

Our bodies are born with an immune system in place. It knows what is okay to have inside us and what is not. Some of the structures that are part of our protective system are:  skin, mucous membranes in our mouth, nose and throat, stomach acid, cells such as white blood cells, along with the chemicals they produce called antibodies.  

Our temperature control mechanism is also part of the immune response as are diarrhea and vomiting.  For example:  If you ate food that tasted fine, but two hours later you are vomiting, it doesn't mean you are sick. It means that your body has recognized that particular food as spoiled and is not allowing it to be absorbed. This is a good thing, even though it does not feel like it at the time.

"Catching a cold" is when you are exposed to a virus and it is able to get through your body's barriers such as skin and mucous membranes. This is when the next level of your body defenses will kick in. Your white blood cells will rush to those viruses, recognize them and start to produce antibodies to combat them. This "war" will trigger another immune response - fever. The increasing of your body's temperature is another way your body tries to destroy the invader. Bacteria and virus have a certain temperature they like to live in.  Raise or lower that temperature and they won't survive for very long! So, sometimes a fever is a good thing so let it run its course, unless it goes over 101 degrees, despite the fact you may not feel well.

The best way to prevent the symptoms of our body having to protect itself is to do the best we can to maximize our ability to stay healthy. Drinking plenty of water keeps our mucous membranes hydrated and improves that barrier. Certain vitamins and minerals are important in the body's ability to manufacture the white blood cells and enzymes critical in destroying the invaders before the dramatic immune responses can occur. Vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, along with B complex builds these cells and strengthens the immune system. Zinc can be important as wll, but more than 80 mg daily can actually depress the immune response.

It is most important to get as much REST as possible to hasten the recovery.  Sleep and rest is an extremely important component of maintaining health. Sleep is when you body repairs itself and if not given enough hours of solid rest; your body will not be able to fight off the invaders.

Our bodies are designed to be strong, healthy, and able to deal with negative and positive challenges. Our immune systems are complex to be able to detect and eliminate the invaders. Help it with proper diet, good habits, reduce stress, and rest. This will go a long way in keeping you in the best health possible!

Internal Health Specialist and founder of Healthy Directions Center, Beverley Blass welcomes you to your personal path to wellness! Click here to contact us for your first visit to our New York wellness center today!