Anne Dempseylooks at 12 ways to boost your immune system in the New Year.
Our immune system consists of white blood cells, bone marrow and antibodies which help to identify and destroy the bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that attempt to attack and fell us each day.
Its strength determines our ability to resist such onslaughts and it protects us from the growth of abnormal cells. A strong immune system can aid recovery from illness and injury and enhance mental and emotional health.
These defences can weaken during winter as poor weather may dampen our mood, we may be taking less exercise and eating stodgier foods. Symptoms of a lowered system include tiredness, aches and pains, headaches, sickness, dry skin, weight imbalance, craving for stimulants or disturbed sleeping pattern. Emotional clues could be heightened anxiety, over-sensitivity, panic attacks or mood swings.
So how can you help yourself by boosting your immune system this winter?
Here are 12 ways:
1. Drink water: We lose three litres of water a day through urine, perspiration and breathing. Too little fluid in our body inhibits the efficient working of blood and lymph systems, reduces our energy and contributes to feeling sluggish and below par. Eight to 10 glasses a day is recommended.
2. Have a good laugh: Doctor Lee Berk at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, California, who pioneered research into the biochemical and physiological effects of positive emotions, found that laughter is good for your immune system by strengthening the body's infection-fighting T-cells. You can learn to laugh in Ireland by attending a laughter party or one and two-day laughter workshops. For more information telephone 1890 946466 or log on to www.laughteryogaireland.org
3. Avoid energy robbers: Eating over-processed foods too often, living and working in polluted atmospheres and drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week (women) or 21 units (men) puts our body under pressure to cope with an increased toxic load. Eating more healthily, drinking alcohol in moderation, ventilating our homes and keeping them clean and dust free will contribute to a more personal healthy environment.
4. Consider a flu jab: The flu vaccine offers up to 80 per cent protection against flu and is strongly recommended for older people, those with a suppressed immune system, children and adults with diabetes, cancer and lung problems. Consult your GP.
5. Go complementary: Many therapies work to release trapped energy in the body - legacy of physical illness, emotional trauma or current stressful lifestyle. Clients often experience a sense of wellbeing and renewed energy.
6. Eat strongly coloured foods: At a recent lecture on energy boosters, nutrition consultant Aveen Bannon recommended basing your diet around colour as strongly coloured vegetables contain antioxidants which protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals.
"When you sit down to eat, your plate should be full of colour. Choose strong green vegetables, red tomatoes and berries, red meat for iron which helps the bloodstream bring oxygen around the body. Orange foods like mango, peppers and sweet potatoes are particularly high in vitamin A. Purple foods such as beetroot and blueberries are beneficial, as are brown foods such as nuts, seeds and whole grains. I also included white foods such as garlic, apple and potato," she says. Other studies indicate that six servings of fruit and vegetable a day will provide sufficient vitamin C to boost your immune system.
7. Reduce excessive antibiotic use: Antibiotics used to fight infections can depress the immune system when used long-term. So if your GP is reluctant to prescribe another course, listen. Be proactive also. Healing foods as above, herbal medicines, fresh air and a positive attitude support the immune system.
8. Stop smoking: "Nicotine contains 4,000 chemicals including 60 known cancer-causing agents, it affects our respiratory system and contributes to more coughs and colds," says Norma Cronin, the Irish Cancer Society's health promotion manager. When smokers quit, their immune activity begins to improve within 30 days. For advice and support CallSave the National Smokers Quitline on 1850 201 203 open daily 8am-10pm.
9. Get enough sleep: Sleep researchers in Germany vaccinated volunteers against hepatitis A infection, divided them into two groups, ensured that group one got a good night's sleep, while group two was kept awake for almost 24 hours. Four weeks later the well-rested group had nearly twice the antibody level than the sleep-deprived group, showing a much stronger immune response to the vaccine.
Most adults need an average seven to eight hours a night. Tips to help you sleep include taking some exercise early in the day, avoiding tea, coffee, nicotine and alcohol before bedtime, having a warm milky drink, taking a warm bath or shower and listening to some gentle music.
10. Lessen the stress: Identify stressors in your life and if possible minimise or eradicate them. Even making some positive changes will help. Stress places the body into fight or flight mode which may be helpful in an immediate situation, but in the long term it puts our repair mechanisms under constant strain. Log on to www.sacredspace.ie for simple relaxation exercise to help you get in touch with your body and breathing.
11. Be friends: In 1997 researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh examined how important friendships are to the immune system. After questioning 276 people about their social lives, the researchers exposed each to a cold virus. As reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, those with fewer social ties were four times more likely to come down with a cold than people with many friends, family and casual acquaintances.
12. Be active: Six out of 10 Irish people don't exercise sufficiently. Being active for 30 minutes a day gives you more energy, helps you feel good, increases your metabolic rate, improves bowel function, heart and lung health, which collectively benefits your immune system.