“What can I do to promote the health of my immune system?”
At its core, promoting a healthy immune system is simple, but it may require you to be more conscientious of certain lifestyle choices. In fostering healthy immune function, exercise, stress management, proper nutrition, and supplementation with essential oils all play important roles[1].
[1] These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Source* www.doterra.com.
Is exercise important to maintaining the health of your immune system?
Yes this is true. Research has shown that regular exercise, performed at a moderate level or higher, can help increase immune response.
And for those of you who don’t feel like you have time to exercise regularly, recent research shows that short bursts of high-intensity activity three times a week can give you many of the same rewards enjoyed by longer, traditional workouts.
How does stress factor into the health of our immune system?
Stress increases levels of cortisol in our bodies. Cortisol is commonly known as the stress hormone; it helps the body deal with stress. But, just like all hormones, it has far-reaching effects throughout the body.
One of the effects of cortisol is to depress the function of the immune system. When cortisol levels remain high for prolonged periods of time, this depressive effect on the immune system can leave our bodies vulnerable to infiltration and attack by harmful pathogens.
Learning to manage and reduce feelings of stress can reduce cortisol levels and help our immune system flourish. While a number of different approaches can be used to effectively reduce feelings of stress, they often vary in effectiveness from person to person.
Yes Sleep is soooo…. IMPORTANT
Inadequate sleep can also have an impact on immune health. Research has shown that inadequate sleep increases levels of cortisol in the body, just like stress can. Just like with feelings of stress, cortisol goes on to decrease immune health when elevated for a prolonged period of time.
For many though, developing good sleep habits can be excruciatingly difficult. Many different choices could help promote better sleep such as reducing exposure to blue light before sleep, not eating late at night, and avoiding strenuous exercise several hours before bed.
Now let’s turn our attention to another very important lifestyle factor: nutrition. We are what we eat. And We are what we eat eats.
Every function of the body benefits from proper nutrient intakes. Essential nutrients, including carbs, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, give the body the energy and materials it needs to carry out cellular functions and continue the production of key cells in the body. The immune system is no exception to this rule. By eating mostly whole, unprocessed foods as part of a balanced diet, we can help support our immune function.
However, even with a well-balanced diet, getting proper nutrition can be difficult. For this reason, I recommend everyone use dōTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack supplements on a daily basis.
