8 Ways To Build A Super Strong Immune System

Having a super strong immune system is your best line of defense against most diseases, including cancer, so it’s vitally important to understand the role that the immune system plays and know how to keep it strong to keep yourself well. It is said that all diseases result from immune system dysfunction.

What Constitutes The Immune System?

If you have no idea how your immune system works, I would recommend reading this in-depth article: How Your Immune System Works 

After you have read this article, you will have a much better idea why having a strong immune system is so important. It is, in fact, the first thing you should work on when you have cancer.

As a breast cancer coach and massage therapist, I am continually asked what things I recommend doing to build a strong immune system, so here’s my list of priorities:

8 Ways To Build A Super Strong Immune System

1. Sleep – A very important factor because when you are sleeping, that is when your immune system recharges.  Getting 8 hours of sleep per night optimizes production of HGH (human growth hormone, which helps repair our body).  The World Health Organization lists sleep deprivation to be as carcinogenic as cigarettes and asbestos.  See my article “Want To Sleep Better?” for tips.
   
2. Avoid Sugar – It’s important to be aware that eating sugar inhibits your immune system.  See this 1973 study done by researchers at Loma Linda University which demonstrated that eating 100g of simple sugars inhibited the ability of neutrophils (a key component of the immune system) to produce certain cells know as phagocytes, which are cells that eat up bacteria, for up to five hours after ingestion.
3. Take Specific Supplements – Many natural supplements are available that research indicates will help you create a stronger immune system. If you would like to know which supplements help the most, see my page: Marnie’s Must-Have Supplements for Breast Health.
4. Keep Chronic Stress Out Of Your Life – I’m not saying that short periods of stress can cause problems for your immune system, indeed, research indicates that short periods of stress actually have an immune-building result. Chronic stress, however, is another matter. Nothing undermines the immune system so strongly as long periods of ongoing stress that isn’t dealt with. The AMA recently stated that 80-85% of doctor visits were related to some sort of stress. For me, my diagnosis of breast cancer followed a lengthy time of stress in my life that I failed to manage properly. My number one tip for stress reduction is meditation. If you don’t have access to classes or need help getting started, I have a how-to-meditate course.  Not only can meditation help you deal with stress more effectively, but you can often utilize certain types of meditation to help you reverse disease processes. And exercise would be my next most important stress reliever.
5. Maintain a Healthy Digestive System – Your gastrointestinal system contains the largest number of immune cells in your whole body – constituting up to 80% of your entire immune system. So you can see that having a healthy digestive tract is vitally important. Ensure that you get any candida treated, take probiotics and digestive enzymes, and eat plenty of quality fiber to help keep your digestive tract clean and functioning optimally.
   
6. Get Plenty of Good Quality Protein – A healthy immune system needs adequate amounts of amino acids and proteins to function well.  Animal studies indicate that the immune system can be significantly compromised with even a 25% reduction in adequate protein intake.  Your diet should include foods providing high-quality, complete protein, such as that found in eggs, fish, whey protein, some vegetables and grains, organic meats.
7. Avoid Antibiotics and Flu Vaccines – Antibiotics may be necessary if you have an out-of-control bacterial infection, but they don’t work on viruses. Because antibiotics play such havoc with healthy gut flora, they have a very negative impact on your immune system. Read this excellent article: “How Antibiotics Destroy Your Immune System“.  Getting a vaccination isn’t always the answer either. Many vaccines contain mercury, which is the second most toxic compound on this earth, right behind uranium. You don’t want it in your body. 
8. Eat Plenty of Organic Fruits and Vegetables – If you’re not sure what will help you the most, see my page “Diet and Cancer“. Getting plenty of nutrient dense fruits and vegetables into your body plays a big role in the strength of your immune system.  If you don’t feel like eating, you can also do juicing, which helps you get the most out of the phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables.  Take organic one step further and do your best to switch all of your body products like lotions, cosmetics, deodorants etc to organic.  Getting toxic chemicals out of your life is difficult to achieve but oh-so-worth doing because those same chemicals are putting us at higher risk for cancer.
   

If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free newsletters below, and/or “like” me on Facebook (Marnie Clark, Breast Health Coach).  It is my honor and my goal to help you through this so that you emerge from breast cancer feeling better than before, thriving!

This website is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Users of this website should not rely solely on information provided in this website for their own health problems.