How To Boost Your Immune System The Fun And Easy Way!

Hiding in every handshake . . . on every surface . . . in the very air . . . are microbes that can quickly make your life miserable. rnYou’re under attack every second of every hour! rnBut don’t worry – while there are lots of immune-boosting tactics, I’m going to show you two of the easiest ones. Better yet, not only are these defense-building methods easy – they’re highly enjoyable! By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know how to boost your immune system without even really trying. And by putting these tactics to work, you can move through this germ-ridden world with the confidence that comes with having a strong immune system. How To Improve Your Immune System With Sleep When you are deprived of sleep, your immune system suffers. rnThis seems particularly true when it comes to your adaptive immune system – the part of your immune system that relies on learning and memory to do its job right. If you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system seems to lose information it’s collected on invaders. [1,2] Without this key information your body loses out in two key ways: 1. The immune system doesn’t recognize germs as readily. Consequently, your body can’t fight them off before they have a chance to infiltrate every part of you. 2. Your body can’t get rid of the invaders effectively. Ever suffer from a lingering cold? It could be because this part of your immune system that would ordinarily keep your body vigilant by plastering Wanted posters all over isn’t doing its job.[3] So while burning the midnight oil may seem necessary to get everything done each day . . . reconsider. Even if you have to give up an extra hour or two to sleep, you’ll gain more time in the long run. Less sick days and more healthy days.rnTo keep your immune system strong, make sure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Laughter Boosts Your Immune System The research on laughter and immune health is still in its infancy. But there are some indications that a good laugh can make at least a temporary difference in your immune strength. In the 1980’s, medical researcher Dr. Lee Berk found that just anticipating a funny movie not only decreased immune-inhibiting stress hormones but also increased release of the human growth hormone a whopping 87%.[4] Human growth hormone helps optimize immunity. Subsequent research has found that if taken soon after laughing, blood samples show an increase in both natural killer cell (NK cell) activity and levels of the immune antibody, immunoglobulin A.[5,6] Your immune system clearly can use a good laugh. rnBut just to be clear, you can’t be demure about this. You really have to laugh out loud to enjoy the benefits. In one of these studies, increased immune activity was linked to guffaws and giggles. When participants just smiled, there was no difference in immune activity.[7] Build A Strong Immune System The Fun And Easy Way So laugh at those germs . . . or take a nap. There’s never been a better two ways to make your immune system strong. Pretty simple stuff when it comes to keeping healthy. And pretty enjoyable, too. No pills to swallow . . . No needles or strange brews . . . Just doing what your body naturally wants to do in order to be healthy. Who would have thought boosting your immune system could be this fun . . . or easy! Sources: [1] Lange T et al. Sleep enhances the human antibody response to hepatitis A vaccination. Psychosom Med. 2003 Sep-Oct;65(5):831-5. [2] Besedovsky L et al. Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Arch. 2012 January; 463(1): 121–137. [3] Public Library of Science (2012, June 28). Both innate and adaptive immune responses are critical to the control of influenza. ScienceDaily. [4] American Physiological Society (2009, April 17). Laughter Remains Good Medicine.ScienceDaily. [5] Berk L et al. Modulation of neuroimmune parameters during the eustress of humor-associated mirthful laughter. Altern Ther HealthMed. 2001;7:62–72. 74–76. [6] Bennett M et al. The effect of mirthful laughter on stress and natural killer cell activity. Altern Ther HealthMed. 2003;9:38–43. [7] Bennett M et al.