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PHLEGM… a yucky word and a yucky substance! If you have been sick and congested recently you can appreciate how uncomfortable lots of snot and mucus is. But, it is no coincidence that you get sick and for some, stuck in a sick cycle. Recurring bouts of congestion and sickness are directly related to your body’s inability to adapt to its environment also known as a low immune system.
The great news is though, you can drastically reduce how often you get sick, and how bad it is, through some simple tweaks in your environment. Remember, your body can heal itself if given the right ability to do so.
Follow these important guidelines and watch how much healthier you and your family will be this winter!
1. Get adjusted regularly
Your immune system is under the direct control of your central nervous system. Chiropractic care ensures optimal communication between all of the cells in your body – including the immune ones. PLUS, when you receive an adjustment you also receive the added benefit of an increase in your white blood cell count (which are the cells that make your immune system). More white blood cells mean your body has more firepower to aim at the bug that made you sick.
2. No sugar
Studies have shown that downing 50 to 75 grams of a sugar solution (about 15 teaspoons of sugar, or the amount that is contained in two average 12-ounce sodas) can suppress the body’s immune responses. Simple sugars, including glucose, table sugar, fructose, and honey caused a fifty- percent drop in the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria. Sugar can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by 40 percent. The immune system suppressing effect of sugar starts less than thirty minutes after ingestion and may last for five hours.
3. Load up on Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps to prevent flu and colds and boosts your immune system. In the largest and most nationally representative study of the association between vitamin D and respiratory infections, people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu. The risks were even higher for those with chronic respiratory disorders, such as asthma and emphysema.
The best place to get your Vitamin D is from the sunlight… 30 minutes of unprotected exposure to direct sunlight daily is the recommendation. However, come winter time that is difficult, so we suggest you supplement Vitamin D3 – 5,000 I.U. 3-5 times per week.
