How to Strengthen Your Immune System
Here’s how to strengthen your immune system.
Your immune system defends you against sickness every day. Lower immune system function opens the door to colds, viruses, upper-respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Did you know that there are actually steps you can take to significantly strengthen your immune system?
Daily Diet
What we eat – and we we don’t eat – plays a significant role in immune function.
What not to eat
Avoid Refined Foods
One of the most important steps you can take to strengthen your immune system is to avoid all forms of refined foods. What are refined foods?
Refined foods are foods in which fiber or other nutrients have been removed. For example, when sugar cane goes through a refining process, fiber is removed and the result is sugar – a refined food.
Some common refined foods are white flour, oil, stevia, juice, and foods made with these ingredients.
Sugar
The number of germs a white blood cell can destroy in a given amount of time can be reduced by over 50% simply by eating cereal with sugar in it.
The problem is that sugar is hidden in so many foods. The average American eats 152 pounds of sugar a year. That’s 152 pounds more than the amount needed for a healthy immune system.
Try eliminating sugar from your diet and you may be amazed at how healthy you feel!
Check out my sugar-free recipes.
Juice
What about juice? Contrary to what most people think, juice is also a refined food (like sugar) and has been shown to decrease the ability of the white blood cells to destroy germs.
Oil
Oil has the same effect as sugar on white blood cell activity. The more oil that is consumed, the fewer germs a white blood cell can destroy. In addition, oils also inhibit the oxygenation of tissues.
Here’s are some delicious oil-free recipes and a tutorial for how to sauté onions without oil (no water-sautéing here!).
What to eat
Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Those who eat a whole-food, plant-based diet have double the natural killer cell activity compared with those who do not.
Raw fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients that strengthen the immune system. Asparagus is especially helpful as it has been shown to have antiviral qualities. Onions and parsley also boost the immune system.
Here is a delicious power salad recipe – full of immune strengthening ingredients.
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And some delicious dips and dressings to help you eat more raw veggies.
A whole-food, plant-based diet offers many naturally-occurring chemicals that strengthen the immune system.
Get a little extra help with healthier eating from my weight loss program.
WATER
Drink plenty of pure water between meals. One should drink enough water so that urine is almost clear in color. Water is a cleanser and a healer.
Drink at least 32 ounces of water when you wake up in the morning. This is the time of day that your body needs water most and also the time when your body can most efficiently use water. Wait at least 30 minutes after drinking water before eating breakfast.
GARLIC
Garlic is a great immune booster and is especially helpful at preventing sickness.
Garlic contains a compound called alliin. When garlic is crushed or minced and exposed to air, the alliin transforms into other compounds that have strong medicinal properties. Those naturally-occurring compounds significantly boost the virus-fighting ability of your white blood cells.
The strength of these medicinal compounds can be diminished by too much heat, so it’s best to eat garlic raw or only lightly cooked. However, allowing garlic to sit for 10 minutes after crushing it (I use a garlic press) helps it to retain more of these beneficial properties even when cooked.
How much garlic do you need to eat to strengthen your immune system?
Two fresh cloves at mealtime offers a healthy amount of protection.
My favorite ways to eat garlic:
New Potatoes and Summer Squash with Fresh Herb Sauce
Green Beans with Garlic and Pistachios
DIGESTION
A lack of good digestion and regular, healthy bowel movements can cause toxic chemicals to be produced in the digestive tract, which can inhibit the activity of the white blood cells.
How to have a healthy digestive system?
Eat slowly and chew well.
Good digestion begins in the mouth.
Eat foods high in fiber.
Fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut and it promotes healthy bowel movements. Avoid refined foods (such as sugar, juice, white flour, white rice, oil, etc.) as these food contain little (if any) fiber.
Eat on a regular schedule.
When we eat on a regular schedule, the body learns to prepare for food ahead of time and this promotes excellent digestion. However, when we eat on an irregular schedule, the system is unprepared for food and cannot digest it as well.
Avoid eating between meals.
Studies have shown that eating between meals delays stomach emptying by many hours, which causes stagnation and fermentation of food in the stomach, which leads to incomplete digestion and overproduction of acid and the development of gastritis.
For good digestion, the stomach needs to rest and recharge after it finishes digesting a meal. To give the digestive system its needed rest time, eat a hearty breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a very light supper and avoid eating anything in between meals.
Studies have demonstrated that individuals who avoid eating in between meals not only have stronger immune systems, but they also have much less degenerative disease than those who snack or who eat more than three meals a day.
Cook grains and legumes thoroughly.
Under-cooked grains and legumes are difficult for the body to digest. I often use a slow cooker (Crock-Pot) to cook my grains and legumes.
Eat a whole-food, plant-based diet.
The fiber and phytonutrients in whole, plant-based foods helps promote healthy gut bacteria and a healthy digestive system.
Avoid drinking liquids with meals.
Liquid with meals dilutes the digestive fluids, making them less effective. Drink water between meals instead of with meals.
EXERCISE
Regular exercise, especially in the fresh air, significantly increases the activity of natural killer cells, the body’s front line of defense against invasion by viruses.
A brisk, two mile walk outside in the fresh air can cause the white blood cell count to rise by one to two thousand cells per cubic millimeter. (However, avoid exercising to the point of exhaustion as this will weaken the immune system.)
In addition to an increase in white blood cells, exercise promotes the production of endorphins – hormones that fight infection and promote a sense of well-being.
It probably goes without saying, but avoiding the gym is also a good way to avoid other people’s germs too. Outdoor exercise in the fresh air is the best option.
SUNSHINE
Sunshine promotes the production of an antimicrobial peptide called cathelicidin which the immune system uses to fight infections.
And sunshine is a natural disinfectant.
During the 1918 flu pandemic, medics found that those who spent the most time outdoors in the sunshine avoided contracting the illness more than those who spent most of their time indoors. And of those who did come down with the flu, individual who obtained the most sunshine recovered from the illness better and quicker than those stayed indoors.
Go outside often. Pull back curtains and open blinds to expose rooms in the house to the sunshine.
FRESH AIR
A shortage of oxygen in the blood can be the starting point for failures of the immune system. When the immune system is compromised by a lack of oxygen, the body is more susceptible to opportunistic bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
“We can look at oxygen deficiency as the single greatest cause of all disease.”
Dr. Stephen Levine, molecular biologist and respected nutrition researcher
The body needs a CONSTANT supply of fresh air. Breathing an abundance of fresh air enables white blood cells to circulate better and bring healing to the body.
Avoid air pollution such as chemicals, motor exhaust, smog, tobacco smoke, hairspray, etc. Air the bedrooms thoroughly every day by opening the windows wide to the fresh air. Spend as much time as possible outdoors. Practice good posture to allow for full expansion of the lungs.
There is more benefit to filling one’s lungs with fresh air than most people realize. In fact, done correctly, this deep breathing exercise has been shown to actually stop the development of viruses – such as colds and the flu – for some people. At the first sign of a cold or the flu, do the following:
1. Take a very deep breath (as deep as you can) of clean, fresh, outside air.
2. Slowly exhale over 10 to 20 seconds, emptying the lungs as much as possible.
3. Repeat 40 times.
This exercise will bring healing components of the blood to the tissues of the nose, throat, and chest and toxic materials and viruses will be cleared from these tissues.
SLEEP
In 1910, the average American slept an average of nine hours every night. Now we average less than seven. This lack of sleep is having an impact on our health. Research shows that insufficient sleep lowers the percentage of natural killer cells, suppresses immune response, and an increases susceptibility to viral infection.
Deep sleep is especially important for the immune system. One study revealed that as the body goes into the deep sleep cycle there is a corresponding increase in levels of lymphocytes and natural killer-T cells that defend the body against infection. This surge does not happen if one does not experience the deep sleep cycle.
And for the immune system to operate at full strength, you’ll need to go to bed early and sleep solidly – straight through the night (without the use of sleeping pills or alcohol which prevent proper sleep cycles). This has been shown to produce the highest levels of natural killer cells – the part of your immune system that attacks viruses.
MASSAGE
In addition to increasing the body’s natural killer cells, which help your immune system to defend against illness, massage also causes a favorable change of the cellular pH and stimulates the release of endorphins (natural chemicals in the body that help reduce stress).
Massage also increases circulation of both blood and lymph, which bring healing.
DRUGS
Drugs (including alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine) interfere with the enzyme systems of the white blood cells, which reduces their ability to destroy viruses.
Even aspirin is a concern because it irritates the stomach and causes viruses to be shed more abundantly in the nasal secretion and mouth droplets, making the user of aspirin more infectious to those around him.
HYGIENE
Take a bath or shower once or twice a day. A shower increases the circulation, stimulates white blood cells, and cleanses the skin (which allows it to more effectively rid the body of toxins). Briskly frictioning the skin with a coarse dry towel after the shower will also stimulate the immune system.
Keep your living conditions clean. Change bedding often. Wear a clean change of clothes daily.
KEEP EXTREMITIES WARM
There are white blood cells located in the skin that have the job of fighting illness and removing toxins that cause illness. Allowing the hands or feet to get cold, reduces the body’s ability to circulate blood perfectly into the skin of the extremities and thus reduces the function of these white blood cells.
While the body should not be overheated and hot, stuffy rooms should be avoided, it is important to keep the extremities warm.
MUSIC
Research shows that certain types of music increase an antibody (immunoglobulin A) that plays an important role in immunity of the mucous system.
While more studies are needed, research does suggest the kind of music matters. Heavy metal, techno, single-frequency monotones, and new age music tend to lower immune system function. Calm and soothing classical pieces as well as hymns seem to have the greatest benefits.
Some good choices:
Hymns such as in the collection I Cling to Christ by the Wilds, I Lift My Praise also by the Wilds, or Heritage of Hymns by the Haven Quartet
ATTITUDE
Your emotional well-being significantly affects the strength of your immune system. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. A cheerful and peaceful spirit produces endorphins – hormones that fight infection and promote a sense of well-being.
Begin each day and end each day with a quiet hour or so alone with God in prayer and Bible study. Come before Him with thanksgiving, ask for forgiveness for sins, and place your cares, needs, sorrows, and fears before Him (and leave them there). Have faith that your heavenly Father knows your needs and cares for you.
Research shows that a meaningful religious experience is one of the most effective means in strengthening the immune system.
NATURAL REMEDIES (which can be used to prevent and treat illness)
Many people want to skip over healthy lifestyle practices and go straight to the remedies. This may work at times, but natural remedies work best when used in conjunction with the healthy practices listed above.
“The main distinguishing character between humans and the lower animals is the desire to take pills.” Mark Twain
In addition, you can find a lot of so-called natural remedies on the internet that are either ineffective or have enough negative side effects (especially to the digestive system) that make me want to find alternatives to those alternatives.
Here are natural remedies that are safe and healthy options that I use personally.
Herbs
Echinacea, goldenseal, and licorice root, all have been shown to boost immunity. A good quality dried herb (made into a tea) tends to be more effective than capsules or pills. The brands that I use are linked below.
To make immune boosting herb tea:
Place one to two heaping tablespoons of the one or more of the dried herbs in one quart of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes. Remove from heat and allow tea to steep for twenty minutes.
Strain dried herbs out of tea. I use a mesh strainer.
Drink two cups first thing in the morning and the remainder 45 minutes before lunch.
Do not use sweeteners in the tea, as herb teas are most efficiently used by the body when nothing is added. In addition, sweeteners can weaken the immune system.
It is best to make the teas fresh daily as they tend to lose potency after twenty-four hours.
Oregano Oil
Oregano oil has antiviral properties and is especially effective at treating viruses and respiratory infections associated with the flu.
Note: Pure oregano oil is very strong and must be diluted before using!
When I feel a sore throat coming, I mix 1 drop of pure oregano oil with about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and rub a very, very tiny amount of oil mixture on the very back of my throat several times a day and that usually prevents the sickness from developing.
(Note: The amount of olive oil needed to dilute the oregano oil depends on the strength of the oregano oil. There are usually recommendations on the bottle. Avoid using oregano oil if you are on medications that alter blood clotting or if you have a bleeding disorder. Be sure follow instruction on the bottle.)
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Studies show that grapefruit seed extract can also boost the immune system. Simply drop 10 drops into a glass of water in the morning and drink it. The taste is mild.
Eucalyptus oil
Studies show that eucalyptus has a stimulating effect on innate cell-mediated immune response.
How to use eucalyptus oil:
Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a vaporizer and deeply inhale the steam vapor for five to 10 minutes (take care not to burn yourself).
or
Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a warm bath.
or
Drop a few drops of oil onto a warm, damp washcloth, hold washcloth over nose, and breathe deeply. (It will make you cough, but that means it’s doing its job!)
or
Massage a few drops of diluted eucalyptus oil behind your ears or into your chest.
Aromatherapy
One study showed that citrus fragrances improved immune functions.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal powder – a remedy recommended by the Poison Control Center for treating certain accidental poisonings – can also be used to treat viruses and sore throats. Activated charcoal adsorbs viruses and reduces inflammation.
How to use activated charcoal:
1. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of activated charcoal into a glass or ceramic bowl or cup. (Activated charcoal can stain plastic.)
2. Stir in water a few drops at a time until a thick paste develops.
3. Spoon the paste into the back of the throat and hold it there for at least 20 minutes, allowing some of it to trickle down the throat. Lying down on your back can make this easier.
4. Either spit charcoal out or swallow it.
5. Repeat as often as desired.
Activated charcoal is messy and can stain clothing, so be careful when using it.
Saline Water Gargle
If used at the earliest sign of a sore throat, a warm salt water gargle can prevent infections (including upper respiratory infections) and even open up congested ears.
How to gargle with salt water:
1. Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt in 1 quart of very warm water.
2. Take a mouthful of the solution.
3. Gargle the salt water in the back of your throat for as long as possible, but for at least 30 seconds.
4. Spit out salt water.
5. Repeat until solution is almost gone.
6. With the final mouthful of the solution, swish it around in the mouth and then spit it out.
The gargle should be repeated every one to three hours until sore throat is gone.
Saline Nasal Irrigation
A warm saline nasal irrigation is a very uncomfortable treatment, but it can effectively stop a viral infection if caught early enough.
How to do a saline nasal irrigation:
1. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt in 2 cups of very warm water.
2. Stand over a sink.
3. Use a clean (preferably new) water pick or bulb syringe to irrigate one nostril. Be sure to stand over the sink so the water running out of the nose goes into the sink.
This is very uncomfortable – but extremely effective!
HYDROTHERAPY
Hydrotherapy – the use of water for the treatment of disease – is an incredibly powerful stimulant for the immune system. Hydrotherapy not only increases the number of white blood cells, but it also increases the activity of the white blood cells and assists in the removal of wastes and toxins which cause the illness.
Here are two very effective hydrotherapy treatments.
Foot Bath
One simple and effective hydrotherapy treatment is an alternating hot and cold foot bath. Used at the first sign of illness, this treatment (along with other immune-boosting measures) is super effective and can often mean the difference between succumbing to the illness or not.
Here’s how to do the hot and cold foot bath:
Note: Hydrotherapy can have a pronounced effect on the body; be sure to consult your physician before doing hydrotherapy. For those who are under the age of 7 or over the age of 60, for those with diabetes, heart disease, arterial disease in the legs, or other serious illness, only a well-trained hydrotherapist or a physical therapist or physician who understands the mechanisms of hydrotherapy should perform this treatment. Even for healthy persons, a second person should assist with hydrotherapy treatments and extreme care should be taken to prevent hot water from burning skin.
1. Be sure the room is warm and free of drafts.
2. Fill one large container (a 12- to 18-gallon Rubbermaid tote works well) with very hot water – as hot as can be tolerated (usually about 110°F).
3. Fill a second large container with ice water.
4. Sit in a comfortable chair, wrap upper body in warm blankets, and carefully place feet in the hot tub. Water should come at least half way up calves.
Keep feet in tub for 20 minutes.
Be sure to have enough blankets to avoid chilling.
Have the second person carefully add hot water as needed to keep feet as hot as tolerated. (Place hand between the feet and the drizzle of hot water to prevent hot water from being pour directly on feet.)
5. After 20 minutes, quickly transfer feet to ice water. Keep in ice water for 20 to 30 seconds.
6. Have the second person briskly rub feet, ankles, and calves with a dry towel.
7. Follow by thirty minutes of bed rest.
8. Repeat as often as every four hours.
Used in the earliest stage of the infectious process, hydrotherapy can often prevent the infection from developing.
Fever Treatment
A fever is very, very effective at fighting a virus – especially if used in the beginning stages.
How to do a fever treatment:
Note: Hydrotherapy can have a pronounced effect on the body; be sure to consult your physician before doing hydrotherapy. For those who are under the age of 7 or over the age of 60, for those with diabetes, heart disease, arterial disease in the legs, or other serious illness, only a well-trained hydrotherapist or a physical therapist or physician who understands the mechanisms of hydrotherapy should perform this treatment. Even for healthy persons, a second person should assist with hydrotherapy treatments and extreme care should be taken to prevent hot water from burning skin.
This treatment requires a second person. Do not attempt to do this treatment alone. Do not use for children.
1. Fill a bathtub with hot (108°F to 112°F) water. Have more hot water available to maintain the temperature of the water or increase the temperature as needed.
2. Have individual recline in the bathtub so as much of the body as possible is covered by the water.
3. Check heart rate and body temperature every few minutes. Aim for a body temperature of 102 to 103°F orally. Add more hot water as needed to get to goal body temperature.
Abort the treatment if the heart rate rises above 160 in a person under 50 years of age or above 140 in a person over 50 years of age.
4. When the oral temperature goes above 100°F or the individual begins to sweat, keep the face and head very cool with a cold cloth or ice.
5. Keep the bath water hot enough so that oral temperature is 102-103°F. Do this by draining off some of the cooling water and adding hot water.
6. Maintain body temperature of 102 to 103°F for 20-40 minutes, as tolerated.
7. End treatment by draining hot water and pouring tepid water over individual, then rubbing skin briskly to dry. Work quickly and be very careful to prevent chilling.
8. Individual should immediately go to bed for one hour of bed rest. Place a cold cloth or an ice pack wrapped in a towel on the forehead.
Prevent chilling after the treatment.
EFFORT PAYS OFF
Strengthening the immune system takes effort, and natural remedies are not as easy as taking a pill. But with a healthy functioning immune system the average person can withstand a barrage of germs and still stay healthy. And natural remedies? They require a bit of effort, but, done properly, they are just as effective as drugs, without any of the serious side effects.
Disclaimer
All content on this website is for informational purposes only. We do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any medical information on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice; before taking any action consult with your healthcare provider.