Four tips to boost your immune system
The gut is the foundation of good health and home to trillions of bacteria. In fact, the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) represents almost 70% of the entire immune system.1 Keeping your gut healthy is a key factor for good immune health.
While some bacteria are associated with disease, others are extremely important for health. According to the Human Microbiome Project staff, good bacteria:
- produce some vitamins that we lack the genes to produce.
- break down food to extract the nutrients we need to survive.
- teach our immune system how to distinguish dangerous invaders from harmless compounds.
- produce useful anti-inflammatory compounds that fight disease-causing microbes.1
Four tips for maintaining your immune system:
1. Eat well and drink water
When it comes to supporting proper immune system function, diet is a key factor. It's important to eat nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, as well as healthy proteins, and to drink plenty of water. Water helps all body systems function at optimal levels. It also contributes to the production of lymph, which is the fluid that circulates throughout the body to collect bacteria and toxins and transport them to the lymph nodes to be cleared by immune system cells.2
2. Sleep well
According to researchers, adequate sleep helps the body's T cells fight infections.2 The optimal sleep time for most adults is seven to eight hours each night. Teenagers need nine to ten hours, and school-aged children may need ten hours or more.3
3. Manage your stress
Dr. Andrew Goliszek, Ph.D. stated that "mind over matter is not just a catchphrase. It's a truth based on what we know to be a fact: the brain, given the right set of directions, the right environment, and the right stimuli, will always choose healing over disease."2 Do yourself a favor and turn off the TV when you find it overwhelming, and the same goes for social media. Try soothing activities like meditation, yoga, deep breathing, knitting, crocheting, walking, going to the movies, reading a good book, hugging a tree—anything that can make your heart happy and soothe your brain.
4. Move
Studies show that moderate exercise strengthens immunity, but on the other hand, too much intense exercise can actually suppress the immune system.2 So take a long walk or do yoga; you'll be exercising while managing your stress.
The best defense is an offense!
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Renew Life® Children's Daily Vitality Probiotics is formulated with 10 billion active cultures and 2 clinically studied probiotic strains to support children's digestive and respiratory systems. The product comes in a convenient, fast-dissolving, fruit punch-flavored powder, a fun format for children to take.
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Calm from within
For some people, one of the first signs of stress is gastrointestinal discomfort, including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and loose stools. Renew Life® Ultimate Flora Probiotic plus Mood and Stress includes 6 probiotic strains that provide 30 billion active cultures in a convenient once-daily dose. The product is formulated not only to promote good digestive health, but it contains the clinically studied probiotic strains Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 to help moderate feelings of anxiety and reduce gastrointestinal discomfort associated with mild to moderate stress.
Defense from within
From time to time, we all get run down, and our immune system can suffer. Defend yourself from within with Renew Life® Ultimate Flora Probiotic Plus Immune Support. It is formulated not only to promote good digestive health, but it contains the clinically studied probiotic strain Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071, which has been shown to reduce the incidence of cold-like symptoms in stressed adults. It also includes 4 other beneficial strains to provide 30 billion active cultures in a convenient once-daily dose. Since 70% of the immune system is found in the gut, make sure yours is ready for anything!
Promoting the health of the intestinal tract lining
To ensure your good bacteria are well housed, your intestinal lining must be healthy.
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The human body wants to be healthy. Support it with a healthy diet, quality supplements, moderate exercise, stress-reducing activities, rest, and care, and it will keep you healthy and safe.