You might be saying to yourself, “Not again!” Not another round of that stuffed up, achy, and sluggish feeling!
Whether it is the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or the continuing spread of COVID, it’s easy to feel helpless and victim to the onslaught of the respiratory viruses that experts are calling the “tripledemic.” (1)
What I want you to know is that you are not a sitting duck just waiting to get sick! The truth is that you are in command of a highly trained, “internal defense team” working 24/7 to protect you from foreign invaders!
Since biology class was oh-so-long-ago, let’s do a quick review to help you remember how your immune system works and what you can do to support it.
No time to read? Jump to end of the article to get my Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe, information on a new course to support your immune system, and my preferred bundle of immune supportive nutrients!
Now, I don’t want your eyes to glaze over while we’re reviewing the science about why you keep getting sick: you don’t need to understand any of this for it to work.
In fact, your amazing body is actively sending out all those important signals right now without your conscious awareness. So, relax and read on to familiarize yourself with these amazingly intricate systems that are working to protect you.
THINK OF YOUR BODY AS YOUR HOMELAND AND YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AS YOUR COUNTRY’S MILITARY FORCE TO PROTECT YOU
Now for the science-y part.
Scattered throughout your body is a complex network of defenders: organs, tissues, glands, and specialized cells (and their chemical messengers), which work as a team to protect you from foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria, parasites, pollens, toxins, and allergens.
Your immune system has three main branches, starting with a set of barriers. When foreign invaders breach these barriers, the next two branches of immune system swing into action.
PROTECTIVE BRANCH #1: THE PROTECTIVE BARRIERS
Like a fortress around your home, the first line of defense against invaders is your skin. It’s beautifully designed to protect against moisture, cold, the sun and an endless array of germs and other toxins.
Beneath our outer skin, there is our “inner skin”, the vast mucosal surfaces of the inside of your nose and mouth, as well as the respiratory and digestive tract. These mucosal surfaces are the front line of the battle, the border between the outside world and your inner world.
70% of your immune system is clustered around the gut, so maintaining the health of these barriers is essential to keep microbes from penetrating and gaining entrance to the tissues deep inside. (2)
PROTECTIVE BRANCH #2: THE INNATE IMMUNE SYSTEM
The next branch of our immune system is called the “innate” immune system. The innate immune system is the squad of white blood cells (WBCs), like neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages that respond in seconds to fight infection.
The innate immune system originates in the bone marrow, which you can think of as “boot camp”. It’s in boot camp that these infantry soldiers receive their basic training. From the bone marrow, the white blood cells migrate through the blood and lymph to damaged tissue to do their protective work. The innate immune response is fast, but not very specific.
The function of the innate immune system tends to decline with age, poor nutrition, stress, insufficient rest, and chronic disease. (3)
PROTECTIVE BRANCH #3: THE ADAPTIVE (OR ACQUIRED) IMMUNE SYSTEM
This branch of the immune system is slower to respond because it is learning from the innate immune system about the pathogens it meets, so it can develop a very specific response. This Adaptive Immune System has two main branches, T cells and B cells, which are like generals and special op forces that have received highly specialized training.
T CELLS are trained in the thymus gland (hence the name T cells) to target, destroy and remember their enemies. T cells then become part of a fleet of cytotoxic T-cells, T-helper cells, T-reg cells and T-memory cells, each with very specific duties. The T cells then share the info with the B cells.
B CELLS are trained in the bone marrow (hence the name B cells) to produce antibodies in response to foreign invaders. Viruses, bacteria, pollens, and allergens carry a protein on their surface (an antigen) that B cells recognize and create an antibody to match that antigen. An antibody fits onto an antigen like a key fits into a lock. Once bound, the antigen-antibody complex is targeted for destruction by other white blood cells that come and devour it, like a Pac Man engulfs its enemy.
When the immune system has successfully produced an effective immune response to the invader, the host (that’s us) is said to be immune. Success!
Unfortunately, we’ve been living in a manner that sets the stage for a weakened and disordered immune response.
Our modern lifestyle weakens our innate immune response and throws the adaptive immune system into overdrive. (4) So instead of creating a balanced response, the adaptive immune system fans the smoldering embers, producing a life-threatening, excessive immune response producing the cytokine storm.
The analogy of a storm perfectly captures the loss of control of the immune system as an overwhelming inflammatory response spirals out of control, similar to that which occurs in septic shock. It is this underlying elevated level of chronic inflammation that is the fire at the core of chronic disease and sets the stage for a more aggressive immune response that can be life threatening.
So, why do you see why you keep getting sick?
It’s because one or more of the protective branches: the protective barriers, innate immune system, and acquired immune system is compromised and weak.
THE GOOD NEW IS THAT YOU CAN OR REBUILD A VIBRANT IMMUNE SYSTEM. THIS IS CRITICAL BECAUSE IT IS YOUR BEST DEFENSE AGAINST PATHOGENS.
It turns out the way we eat and live plays a critical role in the function of a balanced immune system that will help you stay out of the “I’m sick again!” war zone.
Here are two ways to support you in that mission!
INVITATION #1:
Consider this my personal invitation for you to join The Good Food Way to Power Up your Immune System. In this lively online class, l will show you how you cook, eat, and live to protect yourself from the onslaught of winter colds, flu, and viruses.
If you or someone you love is struggling with weight, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, then this course is even more important: those with underlying health conditions are at greater risk for the worst outcomes in any pandemic.
These engaging online classes and videos will show you how to adopt proven lifestyle practices and prepare great recipes so that you can live better by tapping into the top immune enhancing foods and supplements.
In a few short weeks, you will feel and see the difference.
And because it is pre-recorded, you can listen to them any time your schedule allows. So instead of binging on yet another schmaltzy holiday movie, give yourself the gift of health and jump into this course now to learn how to grow your immune response!
INVITATION #2
If you are interested about adding an "all-in-one" nutritional immune-boosting solution to your daily regimen then consider The Ultra-Immune Defense System. Here’s why I love it:
This is a 3-step defense system that provides comprehensive immune support exactly when needed: before, during and after.
It contains a potent combination of nutrients and herbs, specifically formulated to address the unique immune challenges facing us now.
These products contain the highest quality ingredients sourced from the global leader of nutritional and botanicals in the world.
One final thought: don’t underestimate the power of good, nutrient dense food to help boost your immune response. One of my favorite recipes has to be my Chicken Vegetable Soup. Make some today and freeze it for later when you need a shot of some healing soup.
And watch this video to learn about the healing properties of chicken soup!