Staying healthy is always important, but now more than ever it is essential that we give ourselves and our bodies all the extra TLC they can get. There are many things you can do to achieve an optimal state of health, but it all boils down to how well your body can fend for itself and keep itself functioning properly. 

One of the most crucial elements to staying healthy is a high functioning immune system, and every healthy choice we make will directly affect and IMPROVE our immune systems. Personally, I feel that I live a pretty healthy lifestyle, and I very rarely get sick as a result. Here I’ll share some of the simple parts of my daily regimen that I have found keep me in tip top shape and help boost my immune system. 

CHIROPRACTIC

It probably won’t come as a surprise that my first suggestion is to be adjusted regularly by a chiropractor. As I have shared briefly in previous posts, chiropractic is notoriously known as one of the most effective immune boosters there is. In a study performed by Dr. Ronald Pero at New York Medicine Institute, he found that chiropractic patients had a 200% GREATER immune competence than other people who were not regularly adjusted. These are not new results though! There were an earlier series of studies published decades ago, back in 1991-1992, The Journal of Manipulative and Psychological Therapeutics. This study gets much more scientific, stating that specific immune system cells themselves showed increased biological activity after chiropractic adjustments. 

SLEEP

Another suggestion I would have for anyone trying to boost their immunity is to make sure you are getting a proper amount of sleep. The recommended amount of sleep is usually about 8 hours for a typical adult (give or take.) Since I am giving advice based on my own personal experience in this article, I will say that I usually feel the best after about 7 hours of sleep. I also recommend taking a nap at some point through the day. I’ve been doing this for about 26 years, and I find that when these habits change is when I start to feel off. 

NUTRITION

What you put into your body everyday will also affect your immune system. I myself have been a pesicitarian for most of my life now, I’d say I started doing it about 35 years ago or so. My diet is very balanced, and is mostly plant based. There are incredibly high levels of antioxidants and vitamins in fruits and vegetables, so I firmly believe that eating well is part of the reason that I feel so healthy and strong. It’s not just me who recommends lots of fruits and veggies either, the USRDA (United States Recommended Daily Amount) is 6-8 servings of fruits and vegetables every day as well.

In addition to eating healthy foods, I also take nutritional supplements every day. I recommend whole food-based supplements, mostly because they have a higher quality for a lower dosage, but also because they are more natural overall. I personally use products from the company Standard Process and have always had great results. 

EXERCISE

Exercising and stretching regularly are also a crucial part of my routine if I want to feel my best. Exercise keeps you healthy in so many ways in addition to just helping boost your immune system. It will help with posture, improve your strength and flexibility, and will make basic functional movements easier (i.e. squatting, pulling, pushing, etc.) I recommend exercising daily if you can. I usually exercise first thing in the morning, for between 45 and 75 minutes each day. Some of my go-to activities are cycling, CrossFit, rowing, and skiing. Whatever you do for physical activity, just make sure there is balance and you have some variety in what parts of the body you are exercising.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS

Some of my methods are a little unorthodox to some, but I swear by them. One thing I do every day to help boost my immune system is follow the Wim Hof method by taking a cold shower every day. I talk about the “inborn, innate power” that we all have inside of us, and the Wim Hof method reflects very similar principals. This method states that our inner power “is the ability of our body to adapt to extreme temperature and survive within our natural environment,” and it is based off of 3 pillars: cold therapy, breathing, and commitment. Taking cold showers, or even soaking your feet in ice cold water, will increase your body’s metabolic rate and boost blood circulation to warm up your body. This boost will increase the number of white blood cells circulating your blood stream, which boosts immunity!

The last thing I want to talk about is stress management, and how keeping your stress under control can help keep you healthy. When you are more stressed, the number of white blood cells you have may decrease, causing decreased immunity as well. I manage my stress by meditating every day, and appreciating my higher power/spirituality. Finding ways to manage your stress can be simple, you can start by trying a hobby that puts your mind at ease, reflecting or journaling about your stress, or spending time with loved ones. 

Keeping yourself healthy doesn’t have to be difficult, but it may require some changes in the way you live your daily life. If you don’t know where to start, eat well, exercise, sleep well, and get adjusted, and you’re already on the right track!