Keeping your immune system strong is more important than ever in recent years. What you eat, how much sleep you get and how stressed you are have a big impact on the health of your immune system. In my experience with patients, stress, a high sugar intake and nutrient deficiencies are usually the biggest factors that weaken one’s immune system. The problem is, a lot of people don’t realise they have nutrient deficiencies.

Even patients of ours who eat well typically have nutrient deficiencies when we give them a blood and urine test. This is usually because modern soils are quite nutrient depleted, thus foods don’t contain the nutrient levels they once did. Also, if you are stressed, your body uses up nutrients at a faster rate.

I have included the most up to date strategies on keeping your immune system strong in my new book Corona and other dangerous viruses.

The following strategies should help make your immune system more efficient:

Get sufficient sunshine if you can

Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common in most parts of the world due to factors such as indoor jobs, excessive use of sunscreen (which prevents the production of vitamin D), and the lack of dietary sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D strengthens your immune system by effectively fighting off invaders before they can develop into a full-on infection. Vitamin D also reduces inflammation throughout the body, and it is very common for people with autoimmune disease to be lacking in vitamin D.  If you suffer from autoimmune disease, I recommend reading the book ‘Healing Autoimmune Disease’. The easiest way to obtain vitamin D is through sun exposure. To increase vitamin D levels, aim to get brief yet frequent sun exposure between the hours of 11am and 2pm.

Adequate sleep is essential

Not only is sleep good for our physical appearance, but adequate sleep can reduce our risk of infections, boost immune function, increase energy levels, improve heart health and support a healthy weight. This is likely because loss of sleep increases the production of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and decreases the production of leptin, the satiety hormone. Thus, not getting enough sleep can cause us to eat more, leading to weight gain. Lacking in the sleep department suppresses immune function, making ourselves more susceptible to cold and flu infections. If you struggle to get to sleep or stay asleep, read the book ‘Tired of Not Sleeping’. You may benefit from taking magnesium, a mineral which helps to promote healthy sleep.

Minimize sugar and refined carbohydrates

Having the opposite effect of vegetables and fruits which are bursting with antioxidants to boost immunity, sugar and refined carbohydrates reduce immunity and are very inflammatory to the body. Foods like white bread, white pasta, most cereals, crackers, baked goods and candy are the types of foods you should be minimizing or avoiding altogether, as they do not do your body any favors. These foods are the ones that are often addictive, but after avoiding them for 3 weeks you will find your cravings have greatly lessened, like the expression ‘Out of sight, out of mind’.

You’re probably not getting enough selenium or iodine

Selenium is a powerful mineral that is lacking in many individuals due to the deficiency in soils. It can be difficult to obtain sufficient selenium through diet alone, however the highest dietary source of selenium is Brazil nuts. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant to fight free radicals, support healthy immune function and exert anti-inflammatory properties. Iodine is found in the oceans, thus seafood and seaweed are a good source. A lot of people don’t eat seafood often enough, and most seafood is farmed, which is a poor source of iodine. Both of these nutrients are found in Thyroid Health capsules.

Your liver is part of your immune system

Your liver cells are called hepatocytes. They are responsible for the production of 80 to 90 percent of the circulating immune proteins in your body and the liver contains many immune cells inside it. A type of immune cell called Kupffer cells live inside the liver. They are a macrophage, meaning a white blood cell that engulfs and destroys foreign matter, toxins and worn out old cells. Another type of immune cell called Natural Killer cells also reside in the liver. The liver is perfectly suited to detect, capture, and get rid of bacteria, viruses and large molecules that do not belong in your bloodstream. It is an ideal barrier between you and the outside environment.

Try to minimize stress

I’m sure we all know stress isn’t good for us, but did you know being stressed weakens your immune system? If you are constantly stressed, your body will be secreting large amounts of cortisol which lowers your immunity, increasing your chances of infection. Have you ever noticed that people who are stressed frequently catch colds, the flu and other illnesses? Cortisol suppresses lymphocytes, powerful immune components that defend against harmful substances. Great ways to manage stress include yoga/meditation, spending time in nature, reading a relaxing book, deep breathing exercises and discussing your troubles with a close friend/family member. You may benefit from taking magnesium, a powerful mineral which helps to improve the physiological response to stress and helps to promote relaxation.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.