Everything we do puts a burden on our immune system. Stress from work, lack of sleep, too much to eat, not enough to eat, etc.. We are constantly trying to balance ourselves and our immune system is the first man at the battle scene to attempt to maintain our good health.
There are foods and supplements that can help protect against cancer and other diseases. Check them out:
~Shiitake mushrooms are high in a powerful antiviral agent called beta-glucan. This can protect against tumor growth. You can take this in a capsule and those contain several types of mushrooms and other immune supportive goods! You can always go the traditional route and brew tea from whole mushrooms too.
~Zinc is a vital component in the development and activation of T-cells. These are very important to the immune system and even a mild deficiency can impact the natural killers of bad in your system. Zinc tablets are easy to find and not a bad idea to take one every now and then.
~Brazil nuts have a mineral called, selenium, this is a powerful antioxidant that improves your immune response. You can eat these alone, but watch your intake because like all nuts, the calories can add up quickly. Another option of course is to take a supplement.
A few top things that can really take a toll on your immune system are:
~Sugar suppresses the immune function. So logic tells you that the more sugar you eat, the less healthy you are. Drinking sugary drinks depresses the activity of your white blood cells that fight infection by 50 percent. So for us lower carbers, we already know to really limit the sugar intake for many reason.
~Sleep deprivation can really hurt your immune system. Lack of sleep can decrease your amount of T-cells and increase inflammation. So when you children will not let you sleep, let them know your T-cells are lowering and Momma needs to stay healthy!
~High stress levels leads to super high levels of cortisol, which can really lower your immune defenses over time. So chill, when possible. Find time for yourself to decompress. It is needed for not only your mental health, but your immune system really needs this too!
What tips can you share to keep your immune system kickin’ in high gear?
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