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4 Tips to Keep Your Immune System Happy

4 Tips to Keep Your Immune System Happy

The gut is the foundation of good health and home to trillions of bacteria. In fact, 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 your health. According to Human Microbiome Project staff, these good bacteria:

  • Produce some vitamins that we do not have the genes to make.
  • Break down our food to extract nutrients we need to survive.
  • Teach our immune systems how to distinguish dangerous invaders from innocuous compounds.
  • Produce helpful anti-inflammatory compounds that fight off other disease-causing microbes.[2]

4 Tips to Keep Your Immune System Happy:

1. Eat Well and Drink Water
Diet is a key factor when it comes to supporting a well-functioning immune system. Eating nutrient dense fruits and vegetables full of vitamins, minerals and fibre along with healthy proteins and drinking plenty of water is important. Water helps all of your body’s systems function at optimum levels. It also helps in the production of lymph, which is the fluid that runs through the body, collecting bacteria and toxins for transportation to the lymph nodes for assessment by immune system cells.[3]

2. Sleep on It
Researchers say adequate sleep helps T cells in your body fight off infection.[4]  The optimal amount for most adults is seven to eight hours of good sleep each night. Teenagers need nine to ten hours and school-aged children may need ten or more hours.[5]

3. Manage Stress
Dr. Andrew Goliszek, Ph.D., stated that, “Mind over matter is not simply a catchphrase. It is a truth based on what we know to be fact: that the brain, given the right set of directions, the right environment, and the proper stimuli, will always choose healing over disease.”[6] Do yourself a favour and turn off the TV when you find it overwhelming and the same with social media. Try calming activities such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing, knitting, crocheting, going for a walk, hugging a tree, watching a funny movie, reading a good book; anything that makes your heart happy and your brain calm.

4. Get Moving
Studies show that moderate exercise enhances immunity but on the flipside, exercising too much and too hard can actually suppress your immune system.[7] So take a nice long walk or do some yoga, you’ll be able to exercise and manage stress at the same time.

The Best Defense is a Good Offence!

Renew Life® has been a leader in digestive health for over 2 decades and their comprehensive line up of probiotic supplements for children and adults, continues to be Canada’s leading choice to empower people and elevate their quality of life through better digestive health.

Renew Life® Kids Daily Boost Probiotic is formulated with 10 billion active cultures and 2 clinically-studied probiotic strains to support kids’ digestive and respiratory systems. Offered in a convenient, Fruit Punch flavoured fast-melting powder, it’s a format that’s fun for kids to take.

Renew Life® Kids Throat Defense Probiotic is a specially formulated chewable probiotic packed with 10 billion live cultures, featuring 3 clinically studied strains to support children’s respiratory tract health and help support little digestive systems.

Calm from Within

For some, one of the first signs of stress is gastrointestinal discomfort such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and loose stools. Renew Life® Ultimate Flora® Probiotic Plus Mood & Stress includes 6 probiotic strains which provide 30 billion active cultures in a convenient once a day dose. It is formulated to not only support good digestive health but contains the clinically studied probiotic strains Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 to help moderate feelings of anxiety and reduce gastrointestinal discomfort related to mild to moderate stress.

Defend from Within

We all get run down from time to time and our immune systems can get compromised. Defend from within with Renew Life® Ultimate Flora® Probiotic Plus Immune Support. It’s formulated to not only support good digestive health, but it contains the clinically studied probiotic strain Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071 which showed a reduction in 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 one a day dose. With 70% of your immune system in your gut; make sure yours is up for it!

Support a Healthy Intestinal Tract Lining

Making sure your good bacteria have a happy home to live in depends on a healthy intestinal tract lining.

IntestiNEW® is an easy-to-mix powder formulation made with soothing herbal ingredients that support a healthy intestinal lining. It contains 5000mg of L-Glutamine and 200mg of N-Acetylglucosamine per serving along with ginger root which may help relieve indigestion, nausea, and digestive upsets.

The human body wants to be healthy. Support it with healthy food, quality supplements, moderate exercise, stress-busting activities, rest and TLC and it will keep you safe and sound.

[1] Costa, M. et al. (2000). Anatomy and physiology of the enteric nervous system. Available: https://gut.bmj.com/content/47/suppl_4/iv15. Last accessed 15 Jan 20.
[2] Human Microbiome Project staff. About the Human Microbiome. Available: https://www.hmpdacc.org/hmp/overview/. Last accessed 26 May 20.
[3] MacGill, M. (2018). What does the lymphatic system do?. Available: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/303087. Last accessed 24 Mar 20.
[4] Pratt, E. (2019). How Sleep Strengthens Your Immune System. Available: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-sleep-bolsters-your-immune-system. Last accessed 6 Mar 20.
[5] Olson, E. (2018). Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick? Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/expert-answers/lack-of-sleep/faq-20057757. Last accessed 6 Mar 20.
[6]  Goliszek, A. (2014). How Stress Affects the Immune System. Available: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-the-mind-heals-the-body/201411/how-stress-affects-the-immune-system. Last accessed 24 Mar 20.
[7]  Reynolds, G. (2020). How Exercise May Affect Your Immunity. Available: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/well/move/exercise-immunity-infection-coronavirus.html. Last accessed 6 Mar 20.
Renew Life® Kids Probiotics and Ultimate Flora® Probiotics

About the Author: Caroline Farquhar R.H.N., E.M.P., B.A.

Caroline Farquhar

Specializing in digestive care and cleansing, Caroline has been educating audiences through seminars, TV and radio appearances across the country on the topic of how to achieve better health naturally. Caroline has written and published articles for magazines and websites, has created educational programs and taught at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. Learn more about Caroline at renewlife.ca.