What is your immune system?
Do you know what the immune system is and how it works? I’ve written this article to break it down into very simple terms so you can understand why you are FULLY in control of your immune system and also how you can build a strong immune system naturally.
So, let’s take a closer look at your immune system and how it works.
You may have heard of late that 70% of the immune system lives in the digestive system, but what does that even mean? To explain it, we need to understand what the immune system is and how it works.
How does the immune system work?
In very simple terms, the immune system is a network of warriors patrolling your body for invaders; the invaders being pathogenic bacteria and harmful viruses. For this text, we will refer to the warriors as being the network of your immune system and the invaders as being viral and bacterial infections.
The warriors inside your body have a unique ability to be able to lock on to the invaders and release their weapons to take down the invaders. But, what happens when your body is under attack from invaders it’s never fought against before? Well, this is where the magic comes in and your body will continue to serve to protect… The invaders infect the body and multiply in an attempt to bring down the host. At this stage, the body begins to show symptoms of being unwell. Meanwhile, back inside the body your warriors have launched an attack on the invaders. It can take time for your warriors to work out how to fight off these invaders, which is why with some viral infections it can take weeks to get back to feeling 100%. Once the invaders have been taken down, your warriors store memory and develop a lock and key system, where should the warriors come up against these invaders again, then it can lock on to the invader and release its weapons immediately preventing the invaders from multiplying to a point where you will show symptoms.
70% of your immune system lives in your gut?
In our digestive system, it’s home to the largest area of lymphatic tissue (the lymphatic tissues support your immune system). In the human body, GALT (gut-associated lymphoid tissue) found in the gastrointestinal tract, makes up 70% of the body’s entire immune system and is home to 80% of the white blood cells that fight off infection [1]. GALT also has an important role in balancing invaders against what the body needs to function and that’s where diet comes in. By eating a diet that is rich in certain proteins, fibres and natural food, you can help to improve the efficiency of the function of the GALT and therefore improve your immune system.
What affects the immune system?
There are lots of things that can lower your immune system and the very first thing you must look at is diet.
- From years of studies, we know that a diet of natural foods is how our body functions the best. Natural foods are anything that comes from the land; animals and animal-based products, and lots and lots of vegetables, salads, fruits, grains and nuts. If it grows from trees and plants or feeds from the land, then generally it belongs in our body. We must eat a balanced amount of these foods but focus more on consuming plant-based foods.
- Avoiding pharmaceutical drugs. When you take pharmaceutical drugs, they are designed to fix an immediate problem you might have in your body. For example, if you suffer from acid reflux, then you will be prescribed Omeprazole. This drug stops acid reflux completely, and whilst you might get immediate relief, it is not a long-term solution. To heal yourself, you must get to the cause of your acid reflux. Taking pharmaceutical drugs alters the natural systems within your body and can cause damage to your gut when you take multiple tablets over long periods.
- Being too clean. If you are constantly washing and cleaning everything, then you are not allowing low doses of dirt and germs to enter your body. We need to have small amounts of harmful microbes enter our body to allow our warriors to work out how to deal with them should they come back in abundance. Overwashing using detergents could have the opposite effect on your health. This is because of the chemicals that make up detergents that will enter your body inside. Wearing face coverings will also lower the immune system, as you are reducing the amount of natural viral and bacterial particles to enter your body. These microbes make up an important part of your immune system. Did you know there are more viral particles in the biosphere than stars in our night sky?
- Living inside with digital devices surrounding you. The worst thing as humans is for us to sit around inside houses with little nature and high radio waves. Radio waves are emitted by mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers, computers, Bluetooth and many more. Science has proven that low-frequency Electromagnetic fields can lower the immune system. The best place you can be as much as you can is outside. Look for green. Anything green is a good place to start. If it’s green, then there will be trillions of microbes. [2]
- Negative energy and negative thoughts. If you think negatively of your life and others, then it is likely you will live an existence where you are attracting problems, particularly health. The more you discuss how unwell you are, the more unwell you become. Change your thoughts and change your life. You are what you think. If you are someone who has a good outlook on life and you keep getting sick, what is your sickness trying to tell you? Could your illness be an opportunity for change and to help change others?
How to improve your immune system naturally?
Improving your immune system takes a positive approach because it means change. Your diet is the first place you need to start.
- Eat lots of raw vegetables – lightly wash, but peel as few as you can. Then when you eat your vegetables chew them into small pieces before swallowing.
- Cut down on red meat and opt for poultry and white fish. Have smaller portions of your protein and boost with other natural fats such as avocados, nuts and real butter.
- Drink beef broth. Our beef bone broth is packed full of protein and contains an important amino acid called Glutamate. Glutamate plays an important role in supporting the lymphoid tissue in your gut, so drinking plenty of broth could have a positive effect on the real build of your lymphoid tissue – more research needs to be done here.
- Eat less carbohydrates and eat more grains. Swap out those potatoes for quinoa. Quinoa is a grain, it’s very fibrous and contains protein. Have potatoes a couple of times a week and more grains instead. This will also help to improve bowel movements. It’s important to eat foods to absorb water and help firm up those poops. Chia seeds also do that.
- Include natural probiotics in your diet. Raw food and grains are full of fibre. This dietary fibre serves as nutrition for your gut bugs. Your gut bugs, also known as your microbiome, they need this food to survive. However your microbiome can become depleted over time when you take antibiotics and other pharmaceutical drugs. If you also have a poor diet and not much outdoor activity, then your biome can be affected. Consuming natural probiotics, found in fermented foods, will colonise your gut and feed off the fibre. Overall it improves your gut health.
It can be hard to take the steps to change your diet. There is a lot of temptation around us, so you need to be strong. Strength comes from wanting a better life for yourself, and your family members. You are the person who can create a better life for yourself and that means you have to learn to say “No” to temptation and yes to wanting better health. Ask yourself every time you are about something on the forbidden list, “Do you want this right now?” Usually, the answer will be no, so stop and don’t do it. Walk away and go do something else. Try it. It gets easier.
For more information about our products head over to bone broth and probiotic drinks.