I’ve been doing a lot of research this week on how the immune system works and the things we can do to support it as it works hard to keep us healthy.
I started by listening to this really educational video by a naturopathic doctor. She explains how the immune system works and things we can do to remain healthy as we go back out into the world…. https://vimeo.com/410478818
____
Rather than feel frustrated that the mainstream media isn’t HELPING us understand what we can do to thrive, I realized there is a space for people like me to help research and educate to the best of my ability. So my first objective is to help you understand how the immune system works. Here we go..
____
“The immune system can be activated by a lot of different things that the body doesn’t recognize as its own. These are called antigens. Examples of antigens include the proteins on the surfaces of bacteria, fungi and viruses. When these antigens attach to special receptors on the immune cells (immune system cells), a whole series of processes are triggered in the body.
Once the body has come into contact with a disease-causing germ for the first time, it usually stores information about the germ and how to fight it. Then, if it comes into contact with the germ again, it recognizes the germ straight away and can start fighting it faster.”
Read more about this here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279364/
____
There are three major things I want to discuss that will help us thrive and boost our immune function while it supports us. This week I want to discuss two of them. The first being exercise.
“Regular exercise can enhance vaccination response, increase T-cells and boost the function of the natural killer cells in the immune system. Exercise also lowers levels of the inflammatory cytokines that cause the ‘inflamm-ageing’ that is thought to play a role in conditions including cardiovascular disease; type 2 diabetes; Alzheimer’s disease; osteoporosis and some cancers.”
Read more about this here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27750511/
____
“Regular exercise may help prevent or reduce the severity of ARDS for those with coronavirus. A single session of exercise increases the production of a critical antioxidant, called EcSOD, helping to reduce the effects of COVID-19 infection.”
“approximately 80% of confirmed COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms with no need of respiratory support. The question is why. Our findings about an endogenous antioxidant enzyme provide important clues and have intrigued us to develop a novel therapeutic for ARDS caused by COVID-19.”
Read more about this here:
https://neurosciencenews.com/coronavirus-exercise-16169/
____
The second thing we can do to support our immune system is to get plenty of sleep. Sleep is the foundation of our health. If you want your immune system to function at the highest level… If you want the energy to workout every day… If you want to curb cravings to make healthy eating easier…
You must prioritize sleep.
Listen to my interview with sleep expert Dr. Bernstein in this 30 minute podcast.
Gain insight to the benefits of sleep and how you can improve yours, here:
https://kyrawilliamsfitness.com/podcasts/danbernsteinpodcast/
____
“Research has demonstrated, however, that sleep deprivation hurts the body’s first immune response, or the innate immune system, which acts immediately to prevent the spread and movement of foreign pathogens.”
Read more about this at these two links:
https://www.ucihealth.org/blog/2020/04/sleep-immunity-covid
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5768894/
____
Next week I will discuss the major topic of gut health as well as stress levels and how those can help you thrive as well!
Also, don’t forget.. if you’re looking for a coach who advocates for balance, I am your girl! You can go to Kyrawilliamsfitness.com/signup to learn more about working together!
So.. Which will you choose?
If you need help choosing yourself, let me assist you.
Online personal training is a great place to begin. I can assist with nutrition education and guidance and daily workouts you do on your own, in your own time.
Learn more at Kyrawilliamsfitness.com/signup
Use the code CORONA2020 to join for $1.
Your Coach,
Kyra