What are some of the best ways to strengthen your immune system?

Here are eight plus ways to strengthen the immune system. Some of the items have more than one suggestion that is related. Following these suggestions will definitely reduce your probability of getting the flu this season.

You may also want to get a vaccination as well just to make sure. 1. ) Reduce alcohol consumption and drink water - Alcohol in excess creates wear and tear on your liver and it dehydrates the body.

The liver has about 500 different functions and everything is connected in the body, so if it works less efficiently the immune system also suffers. The same goes with dehydration, your body has to spend energy recovering from a deficit of water. 2.) Don't smoke tobacco or marijuana - Smoking of tobacco has been shown to directly reduce immune system function, and, if you smoke marijuana, note that laboratory studies of THC (the active ingredient of marijuana) have demonstrated reduced immune system strength.

(reference #1) Smoking will also paralyze the hairs (cilia) within your nose that help trap and remove viruses and bacteria that enter. (reference #2) 3.) Learn how to relax with meditation and exercise to help you relax - Stress is known to reduce immune system function. If you know how to relax, you breathe more deeply and the body functions better.

Breath meditations are very helpful in clearing the mind, learning about yourself and creating space in your life to relax. Reduce caffeine consumption that will pump adrenaline into your system. It is a better option to exercise first thing in the morning because it will carry into your day and help improve your attitude and physical functioning overall.

4. Eat well - Foods that support a strong immune system are high in antioxidants, such as dark green leafy vegetables, red and yellow vegetables and fruits. The also increase your fiber intake and improve elimination.

More information in this regards is in he 4th reference below. Garlic has been found to reduce both the incidence and duration of colds. 5.

Go to a sauna once or twice a week during flu season - The slight increase in body temperature is believed to trigger the production of immune cells in the thymus gland, and thus give immune system enhancement.6. If you have asthma or other respiratory problems make sure that you take your medicines, especially those that prevent episodes such as corticosteroids. These substances can help you maintain good, efficient delivery of oxygen to your body and thus strengthen your immunity so as to avoid virus infections.

You may also want to consider breathing meditation exercises that can help improve how your breath, using the diaphragm to that you use a larger percentage of your lung capacity. See the 5th reference. 7.

Some herbs may have immune system enhancement properties - Traditional Chinese Medicine has an emphasis on immune system enhancement and there are several herbs that are used, however specific prescriptions will vary depending on your personal physical weaknesses and predispositions to disease. Here are some examples: Dong Quai, which is also used for menopausal problems. Astragalus root (Huang Qi) is well known as herb which improves the body's energy levels and resistance to disease.8.

Drink 4-10 cups of green tea per day - I know that sounds like a lot, so you may want to also consider taking green tea pills that reduce the need to consume so much liquid (which may stain your teeth and require you to go to the dentist more often to get them cleaned). Consuming this much allows you to get the recommended amount for immune system enhancement. See the last reference for more details.

You're not going to exactly like my answer :) The very best way to continually strengthen your immune system is to get sick. I say this because being exposed to new bugs on a regular basis is continually supplying your body with antigens and you will continue to make antibodies for them. Every time you make a new antibody it is stored in your lymph system and will activate your immune system faster and more powerfully the next time you react to that antigen - its called acquired immunity.

Obviously you don't always want to get sick ( well weird people like me don't mind because I know it actually makes me stronger ) so what can you do to stop getting sick when you really can't afford to be? Number 1 would be garlic. Mother nature's antibiotic.

Eat before, during and after exposure to germs/bugs and it increases the effectiveness of your immune system ( it helps by providing co-enzymes to the chemical reactions involved with immunity ) Number 2 would eating fruits and vegetables ( FRESH ) so you increase your vitamin intake ( again they provide co-enzymes - mostly vitamins ) Number 3 would be water. Good old H2O will plump up your blood volume, providing better circulation of your white blood cells and getting rid of waste from the cells more readily. This makes the reactions inside your body work best.

Don't buy garlic tablets - the enzymes inside those tablets are DEAD, not worth the money for the plastic bottle they come in. Eat it fresh! Hope that helps....but really getting a little bit sick all the time is not too bad, as long as you are eating well and being active it is actually doing you long term good :).

Many times your immune system can be weak due to a lack of sleep, so for starters, make sure you get enough rest. Your diet also plays a big role, particularly vitamin C. A trick that works for me when I feel like I'm coming down with a cold is drinking grapefruit juice, since it has a high vit C content.

If you're the sort that likes raw garlic, eating a clove before going to bed also works. Or you can boil it with some milk and honey and drink it before going to sleep. Making an oil blend with the following essential oils: Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and Lavender cures both coughs and colds and strenghtens your immune system.

These are all remedies that have worked for me. The main thing is to have a look at your lifestyle and eating habits and see what you can do to live as healthy as possible, incorporating into your diet the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.

It is necessary to strengthen your immune system in order to meet the challenges that our body encounters on a daily basis . The good news is that you can still enjoy optimum health as long as you provide your body with the necessary tools. We can virtually heal, repair, regenerate, and restore optimal health without the use of expensive prescription drugs.

A properly functioning immune system is equipped to deal with common illnesses, such as the common cold or influenza. It may also help prevent more serious illnesses like catching the swine flu H1N1 virus or cancer. Natural Ways to Strengthen your Immune System: 1.

Remove all Sugar and Allergens from your Diet. Just a small amount of sugar has been proven to impair white blood cells up to 50% for very short periods of time. By discovering what our personal food allergies are, then eliminating or desensitizing them will help strengthen your immune system.By removing these triggers, our immune cells are strengthened in order to combat other invaders such as influenza rather than the allergen.

The elimination of sugar from your diet can also strengthen/improve the immune system. 2. Eliminate or reduce exposure to dangerous toxins in your environment.

Air Pollution, smoking, cleaning products will stress your immune system with frequent exposure. Many common household cleaning products contains toxic and poisonous chemicals that are harmful to your health. There may not be much you can do with air pollution, but we can help reduce our exposure by purchasing cleaning products that are safe and non-toxic.

3. Learn how to properly deal with stress Acute (short term) stress will positively strengthen your immune system function. On the other hand, responding wrongly to chronic (long term) stress will suppress your immune system function.

By Biblically responding to unavoidable stresses we are enabling ourselves to making wise decisions. Jesus Christ handled stressful situations with the Truth of God's Word.(Matt.4:1-11) 4. Sleep Helps Strengthen Your Immune System During deep sleep , our body release potent immune-enhancing substances that strengthen your immune system function.

By not allowing our body sufficient rest, the immune system will sputter, and as a result, not function at full capacity. We then are more likely to become ill with common illnesses. A healthy, deep sleep allows our body to release a significant amount of growth hormone that boost the immune system and aids in the growth and repair of the body.

To know more about immune systems, check this link.

Dwight has a good idea here that may help with you question.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.