Your immune system has two major responsibilities. The first is to defend the body against toxins. It does this by using nutrients that travel in the lymph through a complex structure of connective tissue - fascia. Think of this as a constant battle. Where the lymph is defending the castle (your body) which is being invaded by the enemy (toxins). This war is raging 24 hours a day. (In fact sleeping is an important time for your immune system. This is when it does its house cleaning of your body.)
The "lighter" the lymph the better it navigates the body and defends the body. Natural foods lighten the lymph and unnatural foods thicken it. The foods and drinks you ingest do one of two things - either increase the defenders or the invaders. Inflammation of food is the best determinant of whether your food or drink is beneficial to the immune system. Below is a list of the foods to avoid and the types of food to add to have a better, healthier immune system.
Foods, drink, and air to avoid
Breath - anything inhaled is drawn directly into your body and severely taxes your immune system if it is not healthy. Air penetrates the cell walls easier than liquid and solids. That is why it is crucial to breathe fresh air.
1) Tobacco - whether you smoke or chew, the nicotine in this shade plant is deadly. Nicotine lodges in lungs and joints and is very difficult to get out of your system. It builds up over time and becomes a deadly killer.
2) Mold - you should live and breathe in a mold free environment. Hidden mold has been the cause of many difficult diseases to diagnose. Please have your work and home environment checked.
3) Pollen - pollen is produced during change of season. Many people blame "germs" in the fall and spring for sicknesses at school etc. In fact, it is the vast pollen that taxes the immune system and allows the germs to do the damage.
4) Other - be conscience of air fresheners, fertilizer, cleaning material etc. Usually, your eyes will be the first sensor to alert you to bad air. Have potted herbs in the home if you need "fresh smelling" air. Not only does it smell nice, it cleans the air and you can "harvest" for your cooking needs.
Check your work environment. Wear a mask if you paint, work in a beauty salon, polish shoes, spray fertilizer, clean homes, clean pools, etc.
Drink - liquid penetrates the cell walls faster than solids. To clean out your body, start with the liquids
4) Diet soda - many people drink diet soda and think the low calorie drinks are helping their bodies. In fact, the aspartame in diet pop is a deadly chemical. It causes inflammation in the brain if consumed over a long period of time. Aspartame was legalized by the FDA in 1973. Since then, child and adult neurological illnesses have skyrocketed - Alzheimer's, dementia, ADD, etc. Important to this blog, the consumption of aspartame prohibits the immune system from defending against disease.
5) Sugar drinks - Sugar is an inflammatory. Inflammation slows and stops the lymph from flowing. Avoid sugar at all costs. In addition, any sweetener that comes from corn, corn syrup, glucose, fructose, etc. have small amounts of mercury in them. Again, this inhibits, if not denies, the immune system from doing its job.
FOOD - We eat 1,000 meals a year. How you feel is directly related to the food and the drink you consume. Inflammation is the biggest determinant of foods to avoid. For help in determining the inflammation factor of your diet visit nutritiondata.com. Avoid the following types of foods:
6) Yeast - Yeast is a powerful inflammatory. (We have all seen bread rise.) Yeast has a chemical reaction with lots of other foods that give it an exponential inflammation impact. One of these chemical reactions is with hormones. WOMEN ON BIRTH CONTROL SHOULD NOT CONSUME ANY YEAST. When the two are mixed the yeast deposits hormones in the thighs and neck areas. Many fit twenty-something - forty-something women have large thighs from the results of the yeast and hormone effect. Men get the beer belly from the yeast in beer.
7) Sodium - the FDA recommends < 2500 mg of sodium per day. I recommend <1200 mg. This is especially true for individuals with swollen jowls, redness in cheeks, excessive sweating, etc. The good news about salt is that it is natural and can be flushed out if there are not other inflammatories occupying the immune system.
8) Sweets - Sugar is a huge inflammatory. Sugar made from corn has minuscule amounts of mercury that cause damage when consumed over a long period of time. Again, the immune system does not know how to handle this unnatural substance. So it gets deposited in the body in the form of fat. A total body cleanse is necessary to rid the body of the mercury.
9) Dairy - Dairy is inflammatory and causes the immune system to weaken.
10) Inorganic red meat - the high volume meat production in the USA has added many chemicals to what used to be considered a healthy food choice. Now it is inflammatory and filled with chemicals which slows and weakens the immune system. Check out the documentary Forks over Knives for more information on the harmful aspects of the American meat processing.
11) Over-the-counter and pharmaceutical medications - avoid all inorganic medicines as they weaken the immune system. Drugs manage the symptoms and do not address the core problem of illness. Strengthening the immune system is the ONLY way to cure the underlying cause.
12) Processed foods - anything in a box, bottle or can has had preservatives added. This is done to allow shipping and a longer shelf life. Read Healthy Self by Paul Chhabra for a list of the preservatives to avoid.
Here is a list to add your daily diet:
Breathe - good breathing will make the quickest impact on your over all health and immune system. Exercise at a rate that can you take deep, full breaths. DO LESS BETTER. Don't strain. Exercise should be a release.
1) Walk at least 20 - 60 minutes a day or more - preferably in an open, clean air environment. Get a dog or a partner and make it more enjoyable. If you are too ill to walk in a park, try walking in an open air pool to lessen the weight on your joints.
2) Stretch and breathe - Yoga has great benefits for the immune system. It stimulates the fascia and moves the lymph to help distribute the nutrients. Start each day by standing on your toes and reaching for the sky and then bending over to touch your toes if you cannot get to a yoga class.
Drink
1) Drink filtered water - toxins in water is the single biggest factor to cancer, heart disease and other terminal illnesses. That's right - it is worse than fat and calories. Your body is built to absorb and distribute water. When polluted, the toxins are absorbed and distributed throughout the body. The immune system cannot keep pace; weakens and allow the build up of toxins. Have your water checked - especially if you are on well water. Drink bottled water. Get a filter on your drinking water in a well water house. I will NOT drink well water. PERIOD
2) Drink organic herbal teas made in the USA - This liquid is absorbed and the nutrients are fuel injected into your lymph and distributed throughout the body. The heat of the tea makes it easier for the body to absorb. My two favorite brands are Yogi and Traditional Medicinal Teas.
3) Eat anti-inflammatory foods - visit nutritiondata.com for inflammation rating
- green vegetables - broccoli, kale, cucumber,
- herbs - garlic, ginger, basil, parsley, turmeric, etc
4) Eat natural foods - organic vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and animals that eat organic. Your body is built to eat natural foods. Therefore calories really don't matter when they are natural because your immune system is built handle them.
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