How Can We Boost the Defenses of Our Bodies?

Our bodies are designed to naturally defend against pathogens. Once our systems detect an invading body such as a virus or bacteria, antibodies are created and dispatched to swarm the pathogen to ideally kill it off before it can spread throughout the body. The immune system is sometimes weakened or compromised due to exhaustion, previous illness or a poor diet. Likewise, eating healthily, getting plenty of rest and living a generally healthy lifestyle will help boost your body's defenses considerably.

Instructions

• 1

  Sleep eight hours per night. Lack of rest will slow immune system response and make you much more susceptible to illness. It also takes the body considerable time to recover from sleep deprivation, so sleeping in one or two days a week will not make up for getting six hours of sleep or less a night on a regular basis.

• 2

  Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains. Avoid eating too much saturated fat as well. Your body needs nutrients to properly defend itself.

• 3

  Quit smoking. Smoking has numerous negative side-effects on the body and can cause problems for your immune system. Drinking should only be done in moderation, if at all.

• 4

  Wash your hands regularly and before every meal to help limit the number of microorganisms that your body has to combat. The immune system can only handle so much at any given time and if you wash your hands regularly to remove pathogens, your immune system has less to deal with and can therefore be more efficient.

• 5

  Exercise regularly to keep your body weight optimal. This helps keep the organs healthier and assists in keeping your body producing antibodies.

• 6

  Speak to your doctor about getting vaccines. Vaccines are often weakened versions of pathogens that are injected into the body so the system will produce antibodies to it. Once an actual infection invades the body, the immune system already has antibodies ready to combat the potential infection. Vaccines have been controversial in the past because of possible side-effects and some of the substances used in making them so discuss the option with your doctor to make a decision that is best for you.