By Richard Malik, ND
8 October 2005

I was often sick as an adolescent and young adult. I lived an unhealthy lifestyle that included smoking, drinking, late nights, and junk food. Colds seemed to be a regular occurrence each winter and the illness would seem to drag on for weeks. Through research and a lot of trial and error, I have found some keys to fostering and maintaining a vibrant immune system. Sometimes, it can take years to make a healthy goal into a fully integrated healthy habit. While making improvements for health, it is important to set simple and achievable short term goals while visualizing the long term goals and results.

Building the foundation of a strong immune system is relatively simple, but may require some change in dietary or lifestyle habits. In sports, a good team avoids mistakes like errors in baseball or turnovers in basketball. Avoiding mistakes is also important in health and the prevention of infection. In this regard, mistakes are small, daily choices we make that weaken our immune system.

Refined carbohydrates like white grains, sugar and other sweeteners decrease the function of immune cells by as much as 50%. This means that when exposed to an organism that may cause illness, the immune system is much less able to remove it before it multiplies and causes symptoms of disease.

Mucus membranes are the skin inside your body; the lining of your nose and throat are examples. When healthy, mucus membranes are moistened by saliva or mucus. If too moist, the membranes become more favorable to bacterial growth and, therefore, bacterial infection. When too dry, they become cracked and compromised; the defense offered by this layer of skin is weakened.

Some foods like dairy, wheat, sugar, citrus, orange juice (because it is a large dose of citrus), and bananas are mucus producing. Avoiding or limiting the intake of these foods in people who are heavy mucus producers is a good place to start when trying to prevent colds. Other foods can cause mucus production if a person is allergic or sensitive to it. Assessing and treating food allergy/sensitivity can also reduce mucus and the frequency of upper respiratory tract infection.

With cooler air temperatures and more time spent indoors in heated environments, the colder seasons result in more frequent upper respiratory tract infections; the cause of many stuffy noses, ear aches, sore throats, and coughs. Both indoor and outdoor air tends to be dryer in the colder months due to a combination of naturally lower humidity and indoor heating. Indoor humidifiers can help keep noses and throats moist and drinking adequate amounts of water is important too in maintaining moist mucus membranes in dry environments.

We are constantly exposed to organisms that can make us sick; bacteria and viruses are everywhere. Having a vibrant immune system is the lynch pin to maintaining health throughout the winter. An adequate dietary intake of nutrients that are important to immune function helps keep defenses strong. Vitamin C, vitamin A and zinc are three important nutrients for the mucus membranes and the immune system. Good sources of vitamin C include broccoli, brussel sprouts, and green peppers. Vitamin A as beta-carotene is found in sweet potato, carrots, spinach, butternut squash, greens, and broccoli. Healthy sources of zinc include wheat germ and whole grains. Animal based sources of vitamin A and zinc are liver and beef, respectively.

A diet that emphasizes vegetables, with moderate amounts of whole grains, meat, and healthy dairy products while limiting sugar, sweets and refined grains is a great way to start improving the health of your family. Don’t forget that moderate daily activity, healthy amounts of sleep and stress reduction strengthen the body in all respects. With just a touch of conscientiousness and effort we can reap the rewards of health and vitality while living as Mother Gaia and Father Sun intended.