Live defensively  Help your immune system help you!   

Your immune system is under daily assault from the outside in. Environmental pollutants, excess stress and chemicals from food, water, cleaning products and anything else in your house. Whatever is not "natural" to the body has to be evaluated, utilized, neutralized or eliminated by your body -- it's known as the "immune response".  

The immune response covers a wide range of activities that is on 24/7 including wound repair, broken bones, virus and bacterial invasions, poisoning, allergic reactions and anything "out of the ordinary". It is a defense system that has one rule: protect the body at all costs. Since most of its activities are on "auto-pilot",  an over-active immune response occurs when the body attacks itself as in auto-immune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis (joints), Hashimoto's (thyroid) and Crohn's (GI tract). 

There are things you do that sabotage a healthy resposne. Did you know one teaspoon of sugar can depress your immune activity for up to 5 hours? Or lack of restorative sleep impacts immunity. too? Stress also appears to have a negative effect on overall immune function.  

There are also things you can  do to help your immunity, too.  You can boost antioxidant intake  by eating organic fruits and veggies high in these helpful nutrients. Antioxidants are also available in supplement form; vitamins C and E, alpha lipoic acid and coenzyme Q10 are some with known antioxidant activity. Vitamin D is called the immunity vitamin due to its hormone like action which influences the immune response. Since immunity depends on an adequate amount of antioxidants, keep your antioxidant army reinforced!  

There are also plant extracts which appear to transfer their ability to fight "bad bugs" to humans when  taken orally. One of these plant phytochemical is oleuropein found in olive leaf extract. Others plants help also. Valerian root and lemon balm extracts have calmative action to deflate stress  and promote sleep which supports immunity too.   

One more thing. Few people know that a  healthy immune response begins in the GI system, home of more than 70% of your immune cells. And that is just the start.  Your GI is also  the place where nutrients are absorbed and toxins are eliminated. A healthy GI equates to a healthier you. That's why many people do a GI detox when they feel their GI system needs help. Supportive supplements include probiotics to assist the gut microflora and olive leaf extract to help "clean house" of unwanted critters.  Learn more in the Pre-Program Detox.