5 Little Known Ways To Improve Your Immune System

Crystal and I have been working really hard recently to improve our immune system and our overall health. Improving the functionality of your immune system is important for everyone, and it is critical when you have celiac disease.

Imagine that your immune system is the security guard of your body, and your intestines are the payroll department. Now the CEO (you) puts gluten in your system and your security guard has to work overtime to fight it. But the payroll department doesn’t have enough money (nutrients) to pay the security guard for the overtime.

How hard do you think the security guard will work without pay?

This is pretty close to what happens in your body when you have untreated celiac disease. So once you are on the gluten free diet, you need to build your immune system health back up to function normally.

Here are 5 ways you can improve your immune system function and overall health:

Drink plenty of water. Did you know that we’re made up almost entirely of water (60-70%)? Replacing that water in our system improves our health—think of it like a daily oil change for your body. How much is enough? We’ve all heard 8 glasses per day, but that’s just an average. Obviously a person who is 6’3” will need more water than a person who is 5’1″. The best thing to do is drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day (so if you are 150 pounds, you would drink 75 ounces of water per day).
Take deep breaths. One of the best things you can do for your body and your mood is to sit up straight and take a few deep breaths (the ones that make your stomach and your chest poof out). The fresh air will help you relax, and your body will have more energy from the extra oxygen in your blood.
Exercise. I know we’ve all heard how much we need to exercise. But honestly, it doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to take long. Ideally, we should exercise for 30-minutes a day, 5 days per week. That sounds like a lot, but here are a few suggestions to get you moving:
- Take a 10-minute walk over your lunch break
- Run around with your children or pets for a few minutes in the morning or evening
- Stretch or do yoga poses while you watch your favorite TV show
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
Reduce your stress level. If you’re a high-stress person, you may think this is impossible. Believe me, it’s not. I’m a recovering Type-A high-strung person who takes the little things way too seriously! I’ve learned that the situations that stress you out happen regardless of whether you stress about them or not.You can almost never change a situation, but you can always change your attitude! Yoga and meditation have been really important for me in reducing my overall stress level (although I do relapse from time-to-time!).
Smile more often. Seriously! Smiling and laughter improve the immune system’s function, and you’ll feel better when you’re smiling anyway. So turn that frown upside-down and smile your way to health.