Are you a “germaphobe”? Do you know the minute you shake hands with a snotty nosed person that you will be the next one to get sick? Are you constantly lathering on hand sanitizer and washing your hands 20 times a day so that you don’t get sick? Are you, or your children constantly missing hours of work and school, or feeling miserable while you are there?
If any of these scenarios sound familiar, there’s help! The question that I always ask is, “Why?” Why is it you are getting sick all of the time? Many times people are overworked, stressed, with poor diet and very little sleep. The combination is a recipe for poor immune function. Chronic colds and flu’s may seem like a temporary problem, but poor immune function can lead to depression/anxiety, chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life.
So, what should you do about poor immune function? The first line of choice for poor immune function is often times antibiotics. Although, sometimes necessary, antibiotics deplete the population of helpful bacteria in the intestines, that help absorb immune boosting nutrients and prevent pathogenic “bugs”, from entering. Therefore, often times, those who have a history of antibiotic use, get sick even easier!
Here are some simple steps to “Keep the bugs at bay”!
- Relax! Deep breathing! Life is about balance. Our bodies heal best and our immune systems are “on their game”, when we are relaxed. Bring into your life things that nourish you! Listen to your body.
- Water. The quicker your body is, to flush out toxins, the easier it is to focus on immune function and the less work your immune system has to do. Water is purifying and one of the cheapest ways to support health. I recommend the Multipure water filter (www.multipureusa/agoss ).
- Eat whole foods with lots of colorful veggies.
- Cook with Herbs- thyme, garlic, rosemary and ginger, are all incredible immune and flavor boosters.
- Probiotics. Incorporate fermented foods into your diet on a daily basis. If you are unable to do this, add a probiotic supplement. 70% of your immune system resides in your intestines! Probiotics replenish supportive bacteria for better immune function.
If you struggle with immune function now, don’t wait for chronic disease, such as diabetes, heart disease, autoimmunity, and cancer to present itself before getting help! Your body is telling you now, using colds and flu’s that something needs to change! If you like this article, please post your comments below, or share it on Facebook.
Dr. Abrianne Goss, ND.
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