Part I: Healthy Habits and Immunity – Are They Connected?

Written by Eileen Henderson, RDN, LD (GemCare Wellness)

Written by Chelsea Jackie, MFN, RDN, LD, CPT (GemCare Wellness)

You may have heard that you should strive to keep your immune system healthy to fight illnesses, but are there evidence-backed ways to do that? The short answer – yes! Although the immune system is complicated, taking care of it doesn’t need to be. The
first step in building healthy immunity is knowing how your immune system works.

Immune System 101

Our immune system includes cells, tissues, and organs that defend our bodies against harmful bacteria that can cause viruses. Some of the most important immune cells are called lymphocytes--also known as white blood cells.

Two types of white blood cells are phagocytes (that “eat” infectious cells) and lymphocytes (that target and destroy infected cells):

• Phagocytes are part of our natural immunity. These cells are capable of ingesting and absorbing foreign objects such as bacteria and dust. Their main job is to keep harmful materials from entering our bodies. Think of them as our first line of defense.

• Lymphocytes make proteins called antibodies, and are our primary type of immune cell. They help fight and destroy germs as they enter the body. The immune response process typically takes a few days to a week to take effect. While having antibodies won’t always keep us from getting sick, it can keep infections from escalating and becoming more dangerous.

How Lifestyle Affects Our Immune System

Once we understand how our immune systems work, it’s easier to see how important our bodies' cells and tissues are in maintaining a healthy immune system. To keep our immune systems' cells and tissues functioning properly, we need to take care of them! Neglecting our health can negatively impact our systems that fight off infections, making us more susceptible to getting sick.

Although no specific lifestyle change can completely prevent us from getting sick, taking care of ourselves can improve our overall health while supporting our immune system!

The following areas of our health are linked to immune health:

• Sleep – During sleep, our bodies produce proteins called cytokines, which help immune response. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep can make people more susceptible to the common cold and can make some vaccines less effective. Our bodies need sleep to recharge and heal, so we should aim to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.

• Stress – Chronic stress can lower our immune systems' defenses. Therefore, it's a good idea to add tools like meditation, deep breathing, and journaling to our stress management toolkit.

• Digestion – The junctions between the cells of our digestive tract play an essential role in our immune health. Gut bacteria are a part of this barrier too! Keep your gut bacteria happy and abundant by eating foods with prebiotic fiber (such as onions, asparagus, bananas, oats, and apples) and incorporating probiotics (like yogurt, kefir, and kimchi). Good nutrition is essential to support a healthy immune system.

Knowing the best products or the right foods to eat to boost our immune systems can be overwhelming, so why not let a Registered Dietitian answer all of your questions? Registered Dietitians are accredited healthcare professionals who provide reliable and evidenced-based nutrition information. If you are interested in finding out more about services from GemCare Wellness, please visit our website. We would love to work with you!

Disclaimer: The information contained here within is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. GemCare Wellness (GCW) does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned here within. Reliance on any information provided by GCW, GCW employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication here within is solely at your own risk.