Strategies to Strengthen Your Immune System

“Protecting the immune system is a vital part of living longer, feeling younger and being healthy.”

Ever notice how some people seem to catch everything and others never miss a beat and are always full of energy?

Is it possible to boost your immunity? Will certain vitamins or herbs help you fend off infection and disease? What role do diet and exercise play?

“Our immune system is a very complex system of the body, involving the skin, intestines, blood, lymph and many other organs and tissues,” says Dr. Michele Neil, D.O. “It is designed to protect us from the never-ending assaults of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

Protecting the immune system is a vital part of living longer, feeling younger and being healthy. That’s why we need to do all we can to keep it strong and functioning at its full potential.”

Empower Your Immune System

Ensuring your immune system has a fighting chance against the flu and common cold is serious business. Did you know $1 billion is spent on over-the-counter cold and flu remedies every year in the U.S.? What’s more, the flu is responsible for 20,000 deaths a year in this country!

The following factors can weaken the immune system:

• Obsessive use of antibiotics
• Chronic stress
• Smoking
• Recurring illness (such as diabetes or high blood pressure)
• Poor and unhealthy eating habits
• Lack of rest and relaxation

“On the other hand, there are many things we can do to strengthen our immune system and ward off disease,” Dr. Neil says. “In addition to the obvious — such as not smoking, managing stress and getting adequate rest — it’s very helpful to make sure you are getting plenty of Vitamin C and probiotics in your daily diet.

“Probiotics are dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts, found in certain foods such as yogurt. What’s interesting about probiotics is that they contain all of the things your body should have in it, but that most of our bodies are lacking on a regular basis.”

Dr. Neil continues, “I’m also a big believer in taking advantage of the multitude of Chinese herbal remedies and homeopathic foods that are available. As an alternative to traditional medical science, these are very useful in boosting our immunities and fighting off the flu or a cold.”

Some homeopathic remedies/foods Dr. Neil plans to discuss further in her lecture include:

Reishi mushrooms: Commonly used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine

AMLA fruit: Reputed to have the highest content of Vitamin C than any other naturally-occurring substance in nature

For more information regarding SouthCrest Hospital and its full menu of services, please visit southcresthospital.com.