When Immunity Is Strong, Life Stays on Schedule
Remember the time when you felt sick or under the weather but then recovered after a couple of days of taking it easy? Or think about the times you didn’t fall sick even though your family member or work colleague had a viral infection. Who helped you in these two scenarios? It was your immunity.
Do we need a pandemic like COVID to make us realize the importance of immunity? We had a virus out there, and the first thing everyone was doing was googling which foods boosted immunity. But is that all? We’ve also heard working out regularly boosts immunity, but then why do people who work out daily also fall sick? Exercise is great, but this is just one piece of the immunity puzzle.
You may argue that you have a strong immunity. Good, but in a time like today, what is more important is an efficient immune system. This means when you are exposed to pathogens (like viruses or bacteria), your immune system should be capable of identifying, adapting, and killing them to keep you going. While stress and an erratic lifestyle are locks that close the door to immunity, if you focus on nutrition, improve sleep, work on stress, and start exercising, these will open the doors to improved immunity.
All these years, the key focus of healthcare has been to treat the sick and to alleviate their suffering. Today, when the burden on healthcare facilities is so high, there’s one important approach that has gained momentum: what if we prevent falling sick in the first place? Only by understanding the signs from our body rightly and giving it the right care!
This is what is called preventive healthcare, and everyone’s talking about it!
But what is immunity?
‘Immunity’ is your protective shield. Every day it fights against the harmful pathogens from the environment that want to make you, their home! It has the power to differentiate between ‘self’ and ‘non-self,’ which helps destroy what doesn’t belong to your body! May it be a mere cough and cold or something as deadly as cancer. The strength of your immunity defines whether you conquer these conditions or let them attack you. And the best part is, your immune system carries a powerful memory of what it has destroyed in the past, so it can recognize and win over it when it attacks you again. The human body always provides us indications and signals when something is not right in our body. This is our immune system talking to us, be it a fever, rise in body temperature, loss of appetite when sick, or loose motions due to an upset stomach.
Our immune system is what works for us every second of the day, while we are awake, asleep, traveling, or in a meeting. The beauty is that our immune system doesn’t need much: just the right nutrition, sleep, physical activity, and a calm body and mind. Our immune system is not designed to work at an optimum level when we are under a state of stress.
Immune cells fighting an uninvited guest: the virus
Imagine that you cut your finger. After a short while, your immune cells will rush towards the site of injury, initiate an inflammatory response, and by the next day a scab will have formed, and soon your wound will heal. This is again an immune system that’s working perfectly.
So, will you not fall sick if you have a strong immunity?
Not true! You can have great immunity and still fall sick, but the beauty is that you will recover quickly without heavy dependence on medications, antibiotics, or steroids. Even the healthy and fit people do fall sick, but their immune system immediately kicks in, and their recovery is faster. For those with weaker immunity, this isn’t the case because recovery takes a lot of time and medications, including chances of relapses.
By understanding and addressing these key factors: nutrition, sleep, stress, environment, and exercise, you empower yourself to strengthen your immune system and enjoy a healthier, more resilient life.
3. The Role of Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals play a crucial role in supporting and strengthening your immune system. These essential nutrients help your body fight off infections, reduce inflammation, and promote overall health.
As per the review published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine,
- Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and echinacea help boost immune-system barriers involved in fighting the common cold (by strengthening physical barriers, innate immunity, and adaptive immunity).
- Those who supplemented with echinacea (2400 mg/day for prevention and 4000 mg/day during acute stages of colds) over a period of four months appeared to have fewer occurrences of cold symptoms.
Super Ingredients for Immunity:
· Amla (Indian Gooseberry): Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, amla can help boost immunity and reduce inflammation.
· Zinc: An essential mineral that plays a critical role in immune cell function and activation. It is vital for normal development and function of immune cells, and a deficiency can lead to a weakened immune response.
· Echinacea: A herb that may help reduce the severity and duration of colds and flu.
· Beta-Glucan: A type of fiber that can help stimulate the immune system and increase its response to pathogens.
· Plant-Source Vitamin D: Essential for immune system regulation and function. It supports the activation of immune defenses and has been linked to a reduced risk of respiratory infections.
These are carefully chosen ingredients that don’t simply boost your immune system but also act like insurance. To protect your plans, routines, and the life you're building. Good immunity is not just the strength to fight off infections; it's the assurance, that things will turn out as you planned them. No unplanned downtimes. Just the freedom to live your life with energy, confidence, and peace of mind. Because when your immunity is strong, life unfolds the way you intended: uninterrupted, steady, and yours to live fully.
References:-
1. Rondanelli M et al., “Self-care for common colds: the pivotal role of vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and Echinacea in three main immune interactive clusters (physical barriers, innate and adaptive immunity) involved during an episode of common colds-practical advice on dosages and on the time to take these nutrients/botanicals in order to prevent or treat common colds,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Published online April 29, 2018.
3. https://goqii-website.s3.amazonaws.com/images/fitIndia/India-Fit-Report-2020-Insights.pdf
4. Huang Z, Rose AH, Hoffmann PR. The role of selenium in inflammation and immunity: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic opportunities. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2012 Apr 1;16(7):705-43. doi: 10.1089/ars.2011.4145. Epub 2012 Jan 9. PMID: 21955027; PMCID: PMC3277928.