Immunity
About 20 years ago, I was traveling to Dallas on a business trip and halfway there at 30,000 feet I could feel my throat getting sore and my body starting to ache. I then started to feel cold as we landed and proceeded to drive around Dallas in the spring with the heat on to stay warm. I did what most would do and hit the local Walgreens and started popping Ibuprofen to reduce my fever and hopefully ease the sore throat pain. That night, I was in bed at 7pm, fully clothed and shaking when the Ibuprofen would wear off. There’s nothing worse than being sick in a hotel room far from home. The next morning, I flew home and went straight to urgent care where I was diagnosed with strep throat for the second time in 6 months. I asked the doc if this was unusual, and he said only if it happens again in another few months. I pride myself on exercising, eating the right things and always focusing on health. I was surprised this happened twice in such a short period of time and began to wonder why? The simple answer is my body was in a weakened immune state and I probably had ignored earlier warnings before I got sick, such as being tired with not enough sleep, stressing over family and work, and mostly exercising indoors. 20 years later as I write this today, I am grateful for the opportunity to have my computer perched on my lap, sitting outside in the sun on a beautiful fall day, ready to share some insight on immunity.
At 50Cups, October is immunity month and it’s also the traditional start of the “cold, cough and allergy season” in North America and therefore, I thought we could learn a little more about the immune system and what it does. To start, your immune system is a large network of organs, white blood cells, proteins (antibodies) and chemicals. This system works together to protect you from foreign invaders (bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi) that cause infection, illness, and disease. God created our bodies as magnificent organisms that are designed to warn, protect, emote, and thrive in most conditions. Our immune system works as team where white blood cells, lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, tonsils/adenoids, thymus, stomach/bowels, and skin all protect us from invading germs.
As this team works together the immune system acts like a muscle where it must be worked out and cared for on a regular basis. Like weightlifting, for muscles to get stronger they must be exercised, nourished, and allowed to recover. Similarly, the immune system needs to be exposed to germs for it to build memory and be stronger, it needs to be nourished with healthy foods, and it needs to rest. In essence, you need to be around people, exercise, be outdoors, eat well and sleep consistently. Unfortunately, during Covid most talking heads told us to do the exact opposite by sheltering in place with no emphasis on nutrition, exercise, or going outdoors. As a result, COVID cases spiked in 21 and 22 and have leveled off in 23 as we got back to normal.
As you go through October, please think about your body and its systems, and assist them in doing their job. Take your walks, go outside, soak in sunlight to get your natural Vitamin D, be around the young and old, eat nutritious foods, get some sleep, enjoy life, and drink our immunity booster tea!