What is immune system being pushed to the limit as discussed by Dallas Health expert Tim Wallace.
It is winter, 2013 and the influenza virus has hit with a vengeance. People are reporting severe symptoms that last for up to two weeks. Many I have talked with have had their symptoms degenerate into bronchitis.
So what is it that has some people get sick with the flu and others skate right through the season without a single symptom? Why to some people get over the flu or colds very quickly and others suffer quite a long time?
I am feeling that it is the immune system that determines an individual’s resistance level to these pathogens. Doing whatever we can to strengthen and support our body’s natural resistance mechanisms is key to maintaining a healthy life. There are choices we make in life and lifestyle that help to dictate whether or not we get the flu.
Here are some examples:
- Working late repetitively can cause your body’s energy and nutritional resources to be channeled away from internal activities that keep your immune system up and running, ready to fight off germs.
- Sleeping fewer than your normal actually needed hours. During sleep the body repairs itself in many ways. One of those “rebooting” activities during sleep is your immune system.
- Drinking excessive alcoholic beverages. Some of the things that alcohol does is dehydrate the body, slow the body functions down and consume many of the nutrients needed to maintain good health.
- Forgetting or neglecting to drink enough water. Water is a natural detoxification agent. When there is not enough water in the system, toxins build up, move around and begin to effect normal processes. This causes an unnecessary alert to the immune system, drawing its resources away from fighting unavoidable pathogens. Water also helps to keep functions working properly, even in non-flu seasons.
- Eating a poor diet, rich in simple carbohydrates causes a shortage of the nutrients to build immune system cells. Breads, sweets, white rice and regular pasta are examples of simple carbohydrates. Better choices are whole fruits and vegetables. Eat a variety of them and eat the skins if possible.
These are a few of the bad habits that negatively impact the immune system and can determine if you are able to go to work everyday this winter or if you are going to using all that sick leave and some of your vacation.
Be well. Perform well. Stay well. Dallas Health Helpers Tim Wallace
Thanksgiving is next week! The start of the holiday season and, as the song says, the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also the time of year when life gets more stressful. We tend to overindulge in high-sugar, high-fat, and artificially flavored and colored foods. We drink more alcohol than we should. And we’re exposed to an extra load of environmental toxins: smoke in our fireplaces; cigar smoke at parties; artificial fragrances at the mall; and exhaust fumes from sitting in holiday traffic. It’s enough to make you feel older than you really are! Well, don’t let the holidays age you. Here is what scientists have discovered about the aging process. Following are some things you can do to age healthier, starting this holiday season.