Ah-choo! Oh, that awful achy feeling when every muscle and bone

in your body just hurts. You can’t sleep, you have no appetite

and you certainly can’t afford to be under the weather for even

just a few days. Cold and flu season will be upon us again and

there is no better time to protect yourself than right now with

a strong immune system.

What is the immune system? Very simply, our immune system is

like a shield that protects our body from the germs, bacteria

and viruses that can cause illness. The weaker the immune

system, the more vulnerable we are to getting sick. The

stronger the immune system, the more we protect ourselves from

getting sick. This isn’t to say that we won’t ever catch a

cold, but with a strong immune system, we will also be better

able to fight off any illness faster.

So, how do you build a strong immune system? There are several

things we can do to make sure our immune system stays healthy

and becomes strong.

The first is nutrition. You know the saying, “garbage in,

garbage out?” It’s the same thing with our bodies. Bad eating

habits result in poor nutrition, which cannot give our bodies

the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs in order to

stay strong. There’s nothing wrong with a cheeseburger or ice

cream on occasion, but moderation is the key.

Unfortunately, even the best nutritional habits are challenged

to provide the body with all it needs to build a really strong

immune system. Nutritional supplementation, such as vitamins,

minerals and immune boosters are important to help fill in the

blanks that even the best nutrition can’t.

Exercise is another great way to help build a strong immune

system. You don’t have to join a gym or hire a personal trainer

to exercise. Ever notice how much better you feel after a nice

long walk? Regular bike rides; walks, gardening, and yes-even

housework are all great forms of exercise that will help

contribute.

There are also certain things to avoid. Excessive stress and

smoking are just two things that can really compromise and

weaken the immune system. I know from experience when I was in

a high-stress work environment, I felt terrible and became sick

more frequently.

Building and maintaining a strong immune system is not

something that happens overnight and that we can forget about

in just a few short months. It is something that we must

continue to strive for our entire lives. We will be less apt to

get sick. We will be able to fight off illness better and we

will be able to lead a much higher quality of life for the long

term.

Get started today and create real smart health for today and

tomorrow.