Nick Hall - How to Feel Better: Boost Your Immune System and Reduce Inflammation for Lifelong Health and Vitality

It is pointless to take steps to fine-tune the immune system unless you first prepare your body in a general way. What is good for the brain, is good for the heart, is good for the endocrine system, and each of these impacts the immune system. Therefore, you have to take care of the basics before trying to fine-tune your white cells in order to optimize them. Of all the things we can do to maintain an optimal state of overall good health, the most important is to pay attention to what you eat.

A healthful diet is absolutely essential. Although getting adequate sleep and movement through exercise are absolutely paramount as well, Id like to begin by talking about the things that can be done with a knife and fork in order to maintain a good foundation of good health.

First of all a healthful diet has to be adequate and by that I mean it must provide the energy substrates that are required. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates as well as fat are the primary sources of energy for the body. At the same time our diet must meet the cells requirements for what we call micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals and fiber. Adequate levels of all of these are critically important, and if a person does not consume enough then all of the systems that help maintain optimal health are going to fail.

A healthful diet is also moderate. Moderation refers to consuming the different sources of micro and macronutrients in just the right amount. You dont want too much nor do you want too little. In both biology and medicine, more is not better. What we need is to be in that optimal midrange. If a person consumes too much carbohydrate, too much fat, too much protein, there will be severe consequences, just as there will be if a person does not consume enough of these. A healthful diet is going to be balanced and that means it is going to provide the right proportions of all of the different ingredients that you need.

There are lots of different things that are needed by the immune system especially. You need adequate amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A. You also need adequate protein since antibodies, which are produced by our lymphocytes, are made of protein. For enzymatic reactions, the chemical processes that enable the entire system to function, we require iron, zinc, copper, and many other minerals.

And finally, a healthful diet is going to be varied, which means eating many different types of foods. A very good way of doing this is to make sure theres a lot of color on your plate. The color reflects the phytochemicals that are present in vegetables and fruits. The more variety you have, the more of these different colors in your meals, the more of these ingredients you are getting.

Some of these phytochemicals have been found to be protective against cancer. They benefit you in staving off heart disease and they work in a number of ways to maintain an optimal state of immunity. When one thinks about nutrition and food then the word calories comes to mind. You need a certain number of calories in order to provide the energy that cells require in order to perform their various functions.

Problems arise when too much calorie or energy-laden food is consumed which does not provide adequate amounts of nutrients and micronutrients. Its very important to make sure that you consume fewer empty calories, those calories from foods and beverages that are missing these critical ingredients for optimal cell functioning. As you take steps to mobilize your immune system by ingesting the right types of foods, there are certain things that you do not want to overdue.

For example, excessive consumption of sodium which is found in the salt we put on our foods. Its also an ingredient in many of the processed foods that we purchase over the counter. This can lead to high blood pressure in some people, but not all. It can also cause some people to lose calcium from their bones rendering them susceptible to osteoporosis, as well as other problems with the skeletal system.

Fat is essential, you need a certain amount of fat to cushion organs. You need fat to help regulate the balance of steroids. This is particularly important in women. The fat which accumulates in the hip region helps to regulate the balance of estrogen and progesterone. Female athletes who do not consume enough fat and do not have sufficient fat in this region often will have abnormal reproductive cycles and may even stop menstruating.

However, too much fat, especially in the form of saturated fats, can leave one susceptible to coronary arterial disease. As I said earlier, we dont ever want too much of any single ingredient. Its also important to limit the consumption of refined sugars. People who consume too much sugar in sweetened soft drinks, fruit drinks, baked goods such as cookies and cakes are quite likely to experience overweight and obesity and are more likely to have dental caries and other problems indicative of tooth decay.