How to improve your immunity

The immune system is a complex network. In spite of the many medical and technological advances of modern medicine, researchers have still not completely understood how the immune system works. However, to prove the existence or efficiency of something, scientific evidence from a laboratory is not really necessary. If you follow my blog, you must know by now that homeopathy emphasizes that health is a harmonious balance of vital energy.

Here are some things you can do to maintain the vital force in a balance and keep your immunity high.
  

• Ditch the antibacterials! Old fashioned hand-washing 3-4 times a day with regular soap and warm water is good enough to keep harmful germs at bay. The small population of bacteria that survives the onslaught of antibacterial products morphs into antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which is extremely difficult to overcome. This is a major problem in the sterile environments of today's hospitals and laboratories, and even in schools and child care centers that are frequently sterilized with antibacterial products. At least keep these out of your own home.

• Get dirty! Go outdoors, enjoy nature, hike, bike, have a picnic, plant a few trees, make some sand castles and mud pies. Let the kids play in the dirt as soon as they can, and take them to farms or petting zoos to play with the animals. Frequent exposure to germs for small periods of time is good for their developing bodies. All these activities expose our bodies to small amounts of germs that stimulate our immune systems to work better. 

• Eat whole foods! We all know the importance of a healthy balanced diet. Additionally, considering the present agricultural and environmental circumstances, it is equally important to reduce the consumption of highly refined and processed foods, as well as pesticides and genetically modified foods as far as possible. I have already explained the effects of food dyes and additives in a previous post.

• Go fragrance-free! What is life without stopping to smell the roses? Roses are fine, but artificial fragrances are not. Artificial fragrances today are made from chemicals which are known to cause hormonal changes, allergies, asthma, eczema, and even cancer. We cannot avoid exposure to some artificial fragrances in the forms of daily use products, but we can reduce it considerably. It is essential is to reduce the usage of artificial fragrances on a regular basis, in the form of air fresheners, everyday perfumes, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, cleaning products, toiletries like soap, shampoo and body wash.

• Up the vitamin C! Vitamin C is the healing vitamin. Its antioxidant properties prevent damage to cells from environmental stress and toxins. It is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-aging, and relatively harmless to humans! Do you know why you crave for sour foods when you're sick? That's because your body is asking you to increase your vitamin C intake so that it can heal itself! An adult may take 1000-1500 mg per day. Reduce that dosage to half in children 2 - 10 years old. The next time you feel a cold coming on, reach for some vitamin C instead of the OTC drugs and feel the difference!

• Use Homeopathy for your whole family! Homeopathy works with your immune system, stimulating it to fight for itself. Conventional medical drugs work against it or act on its behalf, weakening it so that it cannot act on its own. Long term use of homeopathic remedies will improve your immunity; whereas the long term use of conventional medicines will weaken it.

• Finally, a few things we all know but still need to be reminded once in a while. Stay active, exercise both your body and your brain, manage stress well, do not smoke and limit alcohol consumption.

Take your health into your own hands because you are the only one responsible for it. Follow these simple and effective rules and your immune system will surely thank you! Stay healthy!