Germs are everywhere! Some people cough. Others sneeze and cover surfaces with viruses or bacteria. Germs are spread by touching objects, breathing the air, and bad hygiene. Boosting your family’s immune systems is an important task.

Personal Story

I teach in a day school. I am exposed to germs that cause colds, sore throat, strep throat, fevers, gastrointestinal illness, Fifth’s Disease, earaches, upper respiratory infections, and many others. I regularly boost my immune system to ward off these germs.

What Is Our Immune System?

Our immune system is a body system which identifies what incoming molecules are hostile and which are friendly. Its job is to recognize and ignore all the cells and tissues within our body and simultaneously attack all “intruders,” such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

Protect Yourself!

Good hygiene habits help prevent illness.

•  Wash your hands frequently. Try not to touch your mouth, nose, or eyes and to cough into your elbow. Replace your toothbrush after an illness.
• Clean surfaces frequently and thoroughly.
• Build a healthy immune system by getting proper rest, hydration, nutrition, and exercise.
• Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
• Stay home when you are sick.

Build Immunity

We can work on improving our immune system through good nutrition, supporting our body with herbs or supplements, and improving your lifestyle.

Consume Good Nutrition

• The immune system benefits from a whole foods diet. Include foods that contain antioxidants, such as brightly colored foods like berries, kiwi, grapes, apples, spinach, and carrots.
• Chicken soup can boost immunity.
• Foods that are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Omega- 3 fatty acids, and selenium give an immune boost.
• Zinc is critical for fighting infections and boosting the immune system. Zinc is found in red meat, nuts, sunflower seeds, egg yolks, and dairy.
• Add fresh garlic to the diet to fortify the immune system.

Support Your Body with Herbs

• Consider Elderberry syrup for prevention and cold relief. Elderberry syrup is made from dried berries. See Blog #3.
• Caution: Pregnant women should avoid eating the fresh berries, as they contain small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides. The dried and cooked berries are nontoxic.
• Consider using Echinacea at the onset of colds and flu, to support the immune system and for sore throats. See Blog #9.

Supply Supplements

• EFAs produce short-lived prostaglandins (PG). PGs inhibit or cause inflammation and function as a primary worker in our immune system. Flax oil contains EFAs, which are consumed to boost immunity. During the winter in England, a flax man daily went door-to-door giving flax oil to women to give to their children to help improve the children’s immune systems.
• Boost the immune system with probiotics.
• Good digestion is important for a healthy immune system. Digestive enzymes can help the immune system.
• Check Vitamin D3 levels and supplement, if low.

Improve Your Lifestyle

• Get regular aerobic exercise.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Take time to relax.
• Have a good laugh!

Fall is a great time to build up your family’s immune systems to fight the attack of the germs.

May God bless your healthful endeavors!

Joni

P.S. Please encourage others by writing about how you boost your family’s immune system in the comment section above.