Understanding the Immune System
The immune system is the body’s natural, built-in defense system. It is made up of several specialized cells which circulate throughout the body, monitoring for foreign invaders, unwanted bacteria, or early indicators of infection. Each of these cells has a specific job – some are used to initiate the inflammatory response, some are used to create memories of the invader to fight it when It comes back, and others are designed to kill the invader itself.
When it comes to allergies, there is a specific set of immune components that are reserved specifically for fighting allergic reactions and defending the body against the allergen to minimize the symptoms experienced. In order to improve the body’s ability to fight these allergens and reduce the severity of an allergic response, it is important to boost the components of the immune system that take on this responsibility. In addition, it is essential to focus on building up the health of the immune system and body as a whole to better be able to handle allergen intrusions.
What Can I do to Build up my Immune System?
The best way to reduce your incidence of allergic reactions and improve your immunity against allergies is to work on building up your immune system and building immunity to allergies. There are several regular habits you can employ that help foster better immunity:
- Begin taking cold showers or alternating hot and cold showers. Cold showers act to boost the lymphatic system, a bodily system which is responsible for cleansing and detoxification, and which helps get rid of waste produced by the immune system.
- Increase your intake of gut-friendly foods such as fermented vegetables and probiotics. The gut is responsible for generating many of the immune cells and plays a big role in healthy immune function. Having a healthy gut is key to allergy prevention.
- Regularly consume anti-inflammatory foods such as leafy greens, turmeric, and spirulina.
- Don’t forget to consume foods that are rich in immunity-essential vitamins and glyconutritionals. These include things such as citrus for Vitamin C, leafy greens for B vitamins, and brightly colored fruits and vegetables, like blueberries, for their antioxidant dose.
What Can I do to Boost my Immune System?
As much as preventative immunity is the desired outcome, there will be times when, unfortunately, you end up with an allergic reaction. When this happens, it’s time to give the immune system an extra boost to help it be able to continue fighting. Consider some of the following best practices to boost your immune system when you are suffering from an allergic reaction and build up immunity to allergies for the future:
- Increase your intake of garlic and use oil of oregano, as both of these things are anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral. While allergies are not caused by bacteria, the immune system is vulnerable when it is fighting allergies and therefore other bacteria and virus strains can slip through and cause you to become ill.
- Avoid inflammatory foods such as simple carbohydrates, refined sugars, red meat, dairy and sugary desserts. In addition, reduce your intake of alcohol. All of these things are taxing on the body and divert attention from the immune system from fighting the allergy as it aids in metabolism and detoxification of food and substances.
- Maintain habits to prevent further infection, such as regular hand washing, thoroughly cooking meats, and washing your fruit and vegetables before consumption.
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