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As we come into the winter cold and flu season, some of you are probably thinking about how you always inevitably come down with something, while others may make it through the season without even a sniffle.
But why is that? Why do some people get sick more often than others?
Is it genetics?
Are there environmental factors involved?
Do people who get sick less often have a healthier lifestyle?
Are people who get sick more often less healthy overall?
Our immune systems are incredible, unique and incredibly complex.
So if someone gets sick frequently, there could be a few things going on.
Why do I get sick all the time?
Believe it or not, the bacteria on your skin can play a huge role in keeping viruses and bad bacteria away.
Your gut microbiome is also super critical in producing the powerful immune cells that fight off invaders.
Believe it or not, your metabolism has a lot to do with how well your immune system functions.
The better your metabolism, the more efficiently you use nutrients to build helpful things like enzymes, hormones, and immune cells.
Inflammation is an immune system reaction, one that is really helpful when we get a cut or come into contact with a virus or bacteria.
But when we are chronically inflamed due to high blood sugar and insulin resistance, resources for things like white blood cells might be low, meaning we don’t have them around to fight off a virus.
Chronic inflammation also takes those immune cells and sends them to do other things, so they won’t be available for fighting an infection.
We also move waste like old white blood cells through our lymph system.
Moving our lymph fluids around means we get old waste, bacteria and viruses out, but it doesn’t move on its own. We have to move our bodies to get lymph fluid going. The less we move, the more that waste accumulates.
A nutrient poor, calorie dense diet of ultra processed food is not only inflammatory, it also doesn’t give you the nutrients you need to build a robust immune defense, and it doesn’t feed your gut biome.
There are lots of other reasons why you might get sick often, including autoimmune issues, SIBO, genetics, and more.
But there are some simple, inexpensive things anyone can do to help boost your immune system for the season ahead.
How to boost your immune system
This isn’t an exhaustive list, and doesn’t take into account your personal health history. But here are a few simple things you can do to strengthen your immune system.
Eat whole, minimally processed food. Keep your body fueled with the nutrients it needs to build immune cells, while keeping inflammation down and blood sugar balanced.
Move your body every day. Exercise moves lymph through your system, reduces inflammation and promotes healthy immune cell production.
Prioritize sleep. Sleep is when your body rests and repairs and clears out waste. Quality sleep gives your body a chance to fight off invaders and recover.
Take targeted supplements. Supplements like Vitamin C and Vitamin D help boost immune function and reduce oxidation around your body.
Support your microbiome. Bacteria in your gut, mouth and on your skin are critical to your immune system function. Protect and feed the good bacteria with whole food and avoid things like antibacterial mouthwash and hand sanitizer.
Our immune systems are amazing things, and while everyone is unique, there are a few simple things we can all do to make sure we’ve got strong immune defenses.
There’s of course more detail and nuance to building a strong immune system, but these are great foundations to get you started.
Want more? Keeping your immune system strong is one of the huge benefits of fixing your metabolism and reducing inflammation.
That’s what we do in my 6-month nutrition program, all geared toward helping you prevent chronic disease, boost energy and balance mood. And even fortify those immune defenses.
I’ve got spots available in my 6 and 3 month programs, just for you.
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