Your Immune System is one of the most important factors for living a long and healthy life. It is the bodies’ defense mechanism that protects you from illness, disease, and parasites.
“Staying healthy” comes down to more than eating some fruits here and there, or popping a multivitamin gummy once in a while. In fact, studies show that 58% of it is almost completely determined by non-genetic factors. (Variation in the Human Immune System Is Largely Driven by Non-Heritable Influences, 2015).
Your lifestyle is the most directly impactful on this, however, due to its complexity it is important to pay attention to all the aspects of your life; Diet, exercise, minimizing stressors placed upon the body, and much more.
Diet and Exercise
When it comes to your nutrition, the connection is clear: a lack of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, consuming too much processed food or simple sugars, and general lack of healthy structure with meals will certainly affect your immune function.
However, it can be difficult to meet your micronutrient needs through diet alone. Due to this, supplementation with vitamins, minerals and other products can help optimize the levels of everything you need. This is exactly why we created ONWARD™ and SHARPSHOOTER™. With industry leading formulations, our dietary supplements are the best bang for your buck you can get.
A good rule of thumb for providing your body with as much nutrients as possible is consuming some fruits or vegetables with every meal, and if you’re looking for a good snack, something like an apple, berries, bananas, etc. are the perfect option.
As with other aspects of health, exercise is an all around pillar for healthy living. Consistently performing some level of at least moderate-intensity exercise cuts the chance to develop upper respiratory infections in half. This also reflects in cardiovascular health; training your heart just like any other muscle increases circulation, lowers blood pressure, and helps maintain healthy blood levels.
Studies have shown that people who don’t exercise regularly take up to four times as many sick days as those who do. However, even the simplest changes in activity can make a huge difference: even a 30-minute brisk walk can reinvigorate white blood cells, which are one of the keys to supporting a healthy immune system.
Recovery
Without sleep, we wouldn’t be alive. As much as some people love to act as if they don’t need it and can survive off a mere couple hours here and there in their pursuit of success, this simply isn’t practical nor sustainable.
Getting enough high-quality sleep is just as important as proper nutrition and physical activity is for your body. Sleep is quintessential to remaining healthy in any aspect; during the night, your body repairs its cells and tissues, and without it, we wouldn’t be able to restore to our optimal status. What your body needs to repair and restore itself.
And with just 24 hours in the day, giving yourself enough time for sufficient and high-quality sleep can’t be understated. Studies show that those who averaged less than six hours of sleep per night were three times more likely to get sick! Not only is sleep important for proper immune function, it also plays a huge role in hormone production and maintenance in your body and how your body responds to stress.
The difference of even an hour or two can cause a weakening of the immune system, lower energy levels, and the worst performance in the gym and much more. With fewer healthy cells that attack and kill germs; most adults need between 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted rest every night to enjoy good health.
However, not all sleep is created equal. The “deep sleep” is where the benefits really come from, and this state of high quality sleep is where your body can fully function to recover. If you struggle to experience this deep sleep and find yourself waking up throughout the night, being unable to fall asleep till late hours, or lack a general sense of rest, stop using any screens at least an hour before bed. The blue light from phones, laptops, TVs, etc. affects your body's ability to produce melatonin which is responsible for getting your body prepared for winding down.
1% Can Change Your Life
One of the biggest obstacles people face in their pursuit of adopting a healthier lifestyle is simply feeling overwhelmed; as if they went from learning about exercise and eating healthier to suddenly having to choose between a million fad diets, 35 types of cardio and exercises regimens, and an infinite amount of supplements thrown in their face, promising anything short of miraculous.
Due to this, many quit just as they got started - if it’s so complicated, they don’t want to bother with it. Because if it’s complicated, it likely isn’t sustainable. This is a completely understandable yet false assumption. Just because something such as transforming your body and health may require hard work, it isn’t complex. And what is the simplest way to get started? One step at a time.
If you currently live an extremely sedentary lifestyle and pay no attention to your diet, you don’t have to suddenly overhaul your daily routine to the tiniest detail. Instead, start small so you can make it sustainable and feel proud of the progress. For example, start going for a 10-15 minute walk when you wake up and before you go to bed. Or when it comes to the nutrition side, stop snacking and start eating a couple meals a day.
As you consistently accomplish these new goals and they start to seem easy, set some ones. Up your daily step count from 5,000 to 7,000. Start going to the gym 3 days a week instead of 2. Only allow yourself junk food once a day compared to every meal like you used to.
These changes won’t produce instant results; but over time, you will start feeling the benefits: You’ll wake up feeling energized, without the bloat and weariness to start the day. You’ll be able to move more and better. And you’ll likely notice that you don’t get sick anywhere as often. You finally started healing yourself from the inside out, which is where the most important aspects of keeping you healthy are found.
Ultimately, your lifestyle will depend on your circumstances and how you can make the best of the cards you’re dealt. However, even a jam-packed schedule isn’t an excuse for going through your daily life without exercise, proper nutrition or putting any effort into keeping yourself as healthy as possible.
Focus on making small improvements over time that will add up and are things you’ll be able to sustain for the rest of your life. Your future self will thank you.
Want to learn more about the Immune System? Check out this blog
Sources:
https://www.ameritasinsight.com/wellness/health-and-wellness/lifestyle-choices-may-affect-immune-system
https://extension.sdstate.edu/boost-your-immunity-simple-lifestyle-changes
https://www.redoxon.com.sg/healthier-every-day/lifestyle-factors-and-immune-health
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
https://elitelv.com/can-a-healthy-lifestyle-boost-your-immune-system/