It is the season of flu and some of you are sending me messages, asking: “How could I strengthen my immune system?”. That’s why I decided to share with you some thoughts and passions, as well as the methods, that I personally use, when I feel that the flu is trying to intrude in my otherwise healthy and strong body.
First of all, I’d like to note that the immune system I s a complicated system of organs, tissues, cells and cell products, which neutralize potential pathogens. Or in other words, without playing it the cool geek- this is “the defensive system” of our body, which keeps us safe from foreign intruders, which seem suspicious for our health and the proper functioning of our bodies.
The immune system could be divided into three types:
1.The anatomic barrier– this is the skin and the mucous.
2.The innate- non specific immune system– this is the common response of our body to bacteria, which made it through the anatomic barrier. This system is not specific, in terms that it treats all intruders the same way.
3.Adaptive immune system- the specific immune system- this is the most supreme type, because it has a memory. This means that your body memorized different kind of bacteria and flues, that it has encountered before.
I guess that this is the immune system, that contemporary medicine and its “babies”- anti flu inoculations are targeting- they inject you a small “dose” of the flu, so your body could find the mechanisms, to cope with it, i.e. to adapt to it.
Then, later on, when the flu is trying to attack you, your body will have the mechanism to knock it down, because you already have a pre-build barrier to this kind of intruders.
If I have to be honest, the best way to strengthen your immune system is by giving up the desperate try to avoid nature and everything that has to do with it! What do I mean?
The contemporary life, is something like a desperate try to avoid nature and its cyclical pattern.
If we start from all kind of commodities- cars, air conditioning, indoor places for socializing, recreation and feeding; go through all kind of contemporary medicines and our fragile bodies, that we tamed to break down, even during the slightest cold.
Then add the desperate try to get back on our feet, by taking a handful of pills, even for the slightest pain, has transformed our bodies, from extremely capable and resistant “machine”, to a fragile, unstable “machine”.
Personally, I think that when it is an emergency, we should take advantage of the progress in contemporary medicine. But when the situation is far from emergency, we should restrain from taking pills. As it is said “with or without antibiotics, you always get better in 7 days.”
In nature, there are a lot of cures, that we could use as a preventive measure or as a way to give a solid shoulder to our immune system. And here are my top 5:
1.Healthy eating
And before you go ahead and press the “X” and close the window, I will be quick to tell you that I realize the fact, you are already tired of me, telling you how you should eat better. I hope that the fact, I am realizing it will strengthen your sympathy towards me and you will keep on reading ( 😉 ).
Food is what gives our bodies, what they need in order to be healthy and function properly. When our bodies get the micro and macro nutrients they need, they are more likely to be strong enough to cope with intruders.
Just think about it! If you are feeling weak and tired, if somebody poured you a little poison and then attacks you, you are hardly gonna resist the attack. But if you are feeling energetic, strong and satiate, the aggressor has no chance to beat you!
It is the same with the body! Crappy food is literally a poison for it and it takes our body’s strength away.
And let’s not raise the topic about anti nutrients and the foods that contain them… like my “favorite” grains, which are great at torturing your body, and forcing it to fight in peaceful time. But you could read more about this in my previous posts about grains.
The Truth About Grains! Why They Make You Sick?
Part 1: Why Grains Are Not Healthy?
Part 2: Why Grains Are Not Healthy?
Grains: How Are They Slowly Killing You!
That’s why you better get yourself together and start eating real food. After all we had an agreement that we won’t avoid nature, but instead we will take advantage of the abundance it has to offer us!
2.Bone broth
This is something like a magic drink, that we could all drink on a daily basis. I wrote a post about the advantages and the need to add bone broth to your nutrition, and you can read it HERE.
I just want to add, that the fact, our grandmas insist on us eating soups is no coincidence. Some of our traditions have unarguable advantages, that go beyond what is visible.
3.Vitamin C
I could write a lot of things about vitamin C; about the way it acts in the body- about the way it decreases inflammation; the way it helps your body produce anti bodies; about the way it helps your body increase the number of white blood cells and so fort. But today I am not in a mood for playing it a geek, so I will skip the strict scientific part and I will tell you that taking vitamin C on a daily basis will make you immortal!
I think, that this is the only supplement, that I manage to take on a daily basis, because tell you the truth I am not really consistent when it comes to taking vitamins. Everything lasts for a day or two and then I start procrastinating. I take about 1-2 grams of vitamin C on a daily basis. When the flu is trying to attack me, I up my dose to 4-5 grams and no bacteria dares to approach me.
The other thing I do is add a solid amount of fresh lemon in my tea.
4.Garlic
This is another secret weapon of mine. The best thing about garlic is that bacteria can not build a barrier to it. Something that often happens with synthetic antibiotics- bacteria just become resistant to them.
The garlic you take should be fresh- i.e. do not buy powdered garlic.
As a person who heals every flu with garlic, but a person who is still vain ;), I will tell you how to get rid of the “garlic breath”. Don’t worry, I won’t make you drink olive oil, chew coffee bean or parsley.
I’ve tried everything and the best thing you could do is cut the garlic clove in half. Then remove the stem in the middle. It is the main reason for “the garlic breath”.
If you eat a clove or two at night, without the stem in the middle, I guarantee you that on the next day, nobody will understand you ate garlic ( besides the bacteria).
Because after all, your friends will start to avoid your presence, if you constantly have “the garlic breath”, no matter the fact that you’ve build a strong immune system.
5.Vitamin A and vitamin D
Fat soluble vitamins, as a whole are really important for the proper functioning of your body and if you follow the recommendation to eat real food, and emphasize on eggs, red meat, avocado and fish, this means you are doing a lot in order to strengthen your immune system.
During the winter season, it would be good if you take vitamin A and D as a supplement. And what could be better is if you could find fermented cod liver oil. This is the best supplement you could take.
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And one picture from yesterday 🙂
