Improve Immunity Naturally
Last week there was another stomach virus going around my daughter's daycare. Instead of freaking out, I implemented certain things to enhance the likelihood that she would not get the stomach virus. I supported her immune system. Using this technique, I can honestly say that my 2.5 year old daughter has never had to take an antibiotic- she’s never been that sick. You can build a better immune system, too!
Shortly after I got the message about the stomach virus 2.0 outbreak, I posted an Instagram/Facebook story that discussed immunity. The response I got from that post was overwhelming. It seems a lot of people are interested in improving their immunity overall. That is probably because most of our kids are in daycare or school- the cesspools, if you will.
In this blog post, I am going to discuss what the immune system does, signs your immune system may be struggling, why our immune systems might struggle, and how to build a better immune system naturally.
[DISCLAIMER]: Keep in mind I am not a doctor and this is NOT medical advice. This post may contain affiliate links meaning I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using these links. I only recommend products I love and trust. To see our full disclosure, click here.
What the Immune System Does
Our immune system is supposed to detect “intruders” (sicknesses, antigens, whatever you want to call them) and illicit a response from cells that will attack the intruders from wreaking havoc in our bodies. Thus, antibodies are created. Antibodies should ONLY attack the particular antigen for which it was created.
That’s a longwinded way to say: the immune system fights off sickness.
Yes, our bodies are awesome and that is great that we have a system in place that can do that for us! However, if your immune system is not working properly, it can lead to more bad than good. For instance, allergies are actually an abnormal immune response to a substance (the allergen). I remember when I was younger, if I touched a cat and then touched my eyes, they would swell shut. I also could not sit in the grass as a baby because I was diagnosed as being "allergic to grass" (what the hell)- I’d get a rash.
True allergies never go away, but my “cat allergy” and “grass allergy” did. How is that possible? Because I take care of my immune system now. [Pump the brakes, I am not saying this is applicable to someone with a life threatening allergy like a peanut allergy.] I would consider my reaction to cats and grass to be nothing major. But, this is a great example of how a minor “allergy” can “go away” when properly supporting the system that is causing these types of responses.
Signs your immune system is struggling:
The problem with having a stressed immune system is that it can lead to chronic inflammation. The immune system is designed to create inflammation as a short term response to an issue, whether it be a cut or an illness. However, if the immune system is systematically struggling, that inflammation isn’t going to be short term- it is going to be loooooong term and lead to chronic inflammation. Yuck. This will create even more problems in our body such as:
Chronic pain
Metabolic issues (diabetes)
Arthritis
Heart disease
Depression
Anxiety
ADHD
There are quite a number of ways that your body may be trying to tell you that your immune system is stressed. This could look like:
Swollen lymph nodes
Feeling easily fatigued
Stomach issues
Sensitivity to food
Sensitivity to your environment
Frequently getting sick
Allergies
Now you’re probably wondering- how did this happen to me?!? There’s actually a ton of stuff that can cause your immune system to be stressed! Here’s just a few:
Chronic stress
Gut issues
Food sensitivities
Inflammation
Nutrient imbalances
Imbalanced nervous system
Impaired digestion
How to Build a Better Immune System
The good news is that it is pretty simple to support your immune system. Here’s how we like to support our immune system as much as possible. This helps us fight off sickness proactively while not overburdening our bodies!
Support Drainage Pathways
Our body is amazingly designed! We have so many avenues to rid ourselves of toxins and sickness: our skin, our liver, our colon, our gut, and our lymph!
Skin support: My favorite way to support my skin is by using a toxin free “lotion”. Honestly, I was just using organic coconut oil instead of a real lotion for a long time because I couldn’t find a good toxin free lotion, but now I HAVE! You can read more about products that I use on myself to reduce my toxic load here. I use all of these products daily and they’re affordable and great quality. I also like dry brushing!
Liver support: The liver is our main detox organ. The liver loves bitter stuff, so I try to consume plenty of bitter things such as organic lemon juice, dandelion root (I blend it into my smoothies), and organic lime juice. I also try not to drink alcohol much because that burdens our liver, even just one drink!
Gut support: A great way to support the gut is to ensure you have the enzymes and acids to properly digest food. I take a digestive enzyme from time to time- I use Klaire Labs brand. I also will use organic apple cider vinegar as a way to support my hydrochloric acid (stomach acid). You can refer to the graphic to learn how you can additionally support your stomach acid! You can read about how to improve your gut health here!
Lymph support: At the office I work at, we have vibration plates that our patients stand on after their adjustments. This is a great way to improve lymph function naturally. You can also jump on a trampoline- something called “rebounding” that I just recently learned is a thing!
Eat Right
While we are nowhere near perfect, I’d say our overall diet is pretty clean in comparison to most people. Currently, my husband and I are doing a challenge where we chose a specific diet guideline. We chose to not eat any processed food- so basically anything in a package with ingredients that we can’t say and no added sugar. So, right now, we are basically eating all organic protein, fruits, vegetables and dairy.
Therefore, we are not consuming any chemicals from the food we are eating- minus the pesticides that we couldn’t wash away. You can get my list of ingredients you should avoid here! If you are eating REAL food, your body will thank you. You won’t be overburdening your system with toxins that can distract your system from operating optimally. Some foods to focus on in regards to immune health are: citrus juices, mushrooms, bone broths, quality olive oil, onions, and garlic.
I can not reiterate enough how important gut health is. Our gut is how we break down our food, which provides us with nutrients to absorb that will either make or break us! Fix. Your. Gut!
Support Your Nervous System
Our nervous system is basically how our entire body communicates within itself. If your nervous system is impaired, that means no communication, which leads to less than optimal functioning. What impairs our nervous system? Mostly misalignments in the spine. AKA your bones are turned in a way that prevents your nerves from continuing to communicate throughout the rest of the body. The only person properly trained to correct those misalignments is a Doctor of Chiropractic.
I get adjusted twice a week. My husband gets adjusted twice a week. My 2 year old gets adjusted once a week (and has since the day she was born). Now, I will say, we are blessed by the fact that I work for a really great chiropractor. Regardless, we do not get adjusted because we “hurt”. We get adjusted to make sure our body is functioning optimally. If Libby is sniffly, the first thing I do is have her get adjusted. It ensures her body is working properly enough to respond to whatever antigen is causing her sickness. Read more about why my toddler sees a chiropractor every week here!
Other Stuff to Try
Elderberry syrup- high in Vitamin C, fiber, Vitamin A, anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants. Enough said. We get ours locally and it is sold at the office I work at (if you're in Baldwin County, hit me up).
Avoid sugar- sugar can deplete us of vital nutrients that are important for immunity like Zinc and Vitamin C. Parasites love sugar. Candida loves sugar. Basically all the bad shit in our world loves sugar, which is why we should NOT love sugar :)
Time in the sun- Vitamin D is super important for our immune health. You can get natural Vitamin D by spending time in the sun each day. You could also take a Vitamin D supplement.
Hydrate- drinking properly filtered water is really important- our tap water has so much junk in it, it is alarming. I aim to drink at least half my body weight in water a day, if not more. Currently, thanks to that challenge I mentioned above, I am drinking a gallon a day. I use an Enagic Water Machine that produces hydrogenated water- I drink 9.5 alkalinity every day. Water is not the only way to hydrate our bodies. You can get proper hydration through broths, herbal teas and fruits, too!
Sleep- our body heals itself while we are sleeping. If you’re not sleeping at least 7 hours a night, then your body may not be properly healing from whatever it was exposed to during that day. Resting has a lot of benefits, as you can see in the graphic!
There you have it!
I am confident that if you implement these techniques in addition to whatever you're already doing to support your immune system, you'll see great results! Granted, we are not ever going to NEVER get sick, but when we do- our immune systems can be better prepared to function and deal with it!