People have trouble comprehending the fact that their immune system may not be strong/healthy, even though they believe that they’re doing absolutely everything ‘right’.
Sleep, vitamins, water, staying active – all that’s important, you know that. If you’re doing all of that and your immune system is still weak, then what is wrong? If you get sick more often or feel like your energy has been drained out of your body, your immune system may not be as strong as you thought.
That can happen for quite a few reasons, and that doesn’t mean that you aren’t doing anything right—some things you can do better, actually. Maybe you don’t even know what you can do in your everyday life to support your immune system or prevent damage.
The whole point is that if you know what could be wrong, you can work on it.
1. Your Gut Microbiome
The immune system basically lives in your gut.
In percentage, nearly 70% the immune system is in the gut, and that is a lot for sure. That means that if your microbiome gets disrupted, which usually happens when you take antibiotics, or you are on a bad diet, or stress (a common factor), it keeps your microbiome from keeping immune reactions in check.
Sometimes you won’t feel unusual gut symptoms, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is fine. There are things you can do on a daily basis to help keep it fine.
Give your body ‘good bacteria’. Your gut flora is more important for your overall health than you might think. Even small things, such as munching on probiotic fruit snacks, can provide you with some very effective gut support, plus you don’t even have to think about special meal prep (or a messy kitchen).
2. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep!
Recommended sleep is 7-8 hours, but that’s often easier said (read, in this case) than done.
If you are sleeping enough on paper, but you feel broken or tired all the time, then the question is, are you really sleeping that long? It is not only about hours of sleep. It is also about the quality. Broken or shallow sleep is going to reduce the release of cytokines, which are critical to fighting infection.
Sleeping is like a repair mode for your body. There are no supplements that can replace that.
If you need to improve your sleep, start monitoring sleep cycles. There are many apps for that, so it’s easy to do. Also, try to avoid watching screens 90 minutes before bedtime, and caffeine after 2 p.m. is a big ‘no’.
Try to go to bed at the same time every evening, even on weekends.
3. Chronic Stress
Think of chronic stress like that quiet enemy that sits at the outskirts and thinks about, playing the long game. It’s not dramatic, but it does damage continuously.
Luckily, there are things you can do to minimize that damage.
For instance, you could benefit from some simple and quick breathing exercises — deep breath through your nose, fill your lungs with air. When you think they’re full, try that one little extra bonus air through the nose. Then, slowly exhale through your nose. And then wait 3-4 seconds before breathing in again so that your shoulders relax a bit. Super effective!
You can also do some low-impact activities (e.g., yoga, walking, maybe slow jogging). Try to spend a bit of time without your phone (put it on ‘silent’). 5-10 minutes a day should be enough to do a quick reboot of your system.
4. Diet
There are no universal ‘healthy’ diets. There are only healthy habits.
Eating too much of the omega-6 oils (common in processed foods), leaving out essential nutrients, or perhaps the lack of variety with whole foods can cause low-grade inflammation, weakening your immune system defenses over time.
Inflammation sneak into your life without you realizing it. It (usually) doesn’t cause pain, so you don’t notice it. Not until it’s too late anyway. Inflammation continuously destroys your immune system defenses even when your weight, energy, or mood is fine. To combat that, you can make anti-inflammatory choices and improve your life that way by A LOT!
It’s not about doing everything perfectly. It is more about making better choices every day.
5. You’re Dehydrated!
When you aren’t taking enough fluid, the system slows down.
That can weaken the immune response. If you are not feeling thirsty, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need more water. If your urine is dark or your skin is dry, that means that you didn’t take enough fluid.
You should take around 2 liters of water per day. If you exercise or drink caffeine, then even more.
Conclusion
Your immune system effectiveness relies on quite a few factors, and focusing only on one can be beneficial, sure… But it won’t do much for you overall.
Think of the saying – “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link”. You might think that you are doing ‘everything’ right, but then you realize that you’re lacking in one department, and that’s what’s limiting the rest of your body from thriving. It’s sort of bringing you down, just focusing on that one thing.
Everything is important. Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting enough sleep? What are your eating habits like? Are you stressed out?
You don’t have to do everything right, far from that. But try to be aware of it all and try to do your best so that not one single part of you, including your immune system, is being neglected.
This article was written for WHN by Abdul R., who is a content creator and wellness advocate.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article on immune system health should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN/A4M. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything else. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
