CHAPTER FOUR
The Immune System
Your 24-Hour Security System
Your immune cells are like a circulating nervous system. Your immune system in fact is a circulating nervous system. It thinks. It’s conscious.
—DEEPAK CHOPRA
A survey taken in Great Britain questioned more than two thousand adults about what they feared most. From a list that included Alzheimer’s, debt, old age, getting stabbed, a plane crash, motor-neuron disease, a car accident, a heart attack, getting fired, losing their home, and cancer, the overwhelming majority chose cancer.1
There is cause to feel this way. After heart disease, cancer is the second most frequent cause of mortality in the United States.2 Modern science is working to find a cure, but we still don’t know how to fully prevent cancer or even anticipate when or whether it will happen. When DNA changes and mutates, a new cell is created with damaged DNA, which then gets copied and reproduced, usually faster than normal cells. As the mutated cells take over areas of the body, cancerous tumors form that attack those parts of the body. Some cancer cells are slow growing, but most quickly run rampant.
It seems to be almost impossible to determine ways to prevent DNA from mutating—but it’s not. It’s possible to prevent immune disorders or, at the very least, to create a strong immune system that can turn illness into an experience that passes rather than one that sticks around and maims.
Your immune system does more than just fight off the possibility of cancer. Your immune system is your twenty-four-hour security system that helps your body stay strong and healthy by preventing any sickness from taking over your body and your life. It defends against incoming toxins, bacteria, viruses, and other invaders. Indeed, the immune system’s impressive armory includes antioxidants, proactive cells that seek out and neutralize dangerous free radicals.
A good way to understand what antioxidants are and why we need them is to think of the human aging process as similar to that of a car—over its life span, it will be driven over rough terrain and exposed to rain, possibly snow, and the strong rays of the sun. Without regular maintenance and tender loving care, the aging car can be prone to rust as a result of a process called oxidation. Oxidation also occurs with aging in the human body when it is exposed to different types of stress like cigarette smoke and processed foods. With oxidation, or “rusting,” oxygen molecules that are missing an electron (free oxygen radicals) roam about your body looking for something to fill in the missing gap. As the free radicals have no real direction or aim, they end up crashing up against the cells of your body, causing general mayhem and, most of all, damage, like rust, if you will. Oxidative stress has been linked to a myriad of health problems, including cancer, heart disease, dementia, and autoimmune disorders.
Because antioxidants can prevent and treat this whole array of health problems, they may also extend your life.3 In other words, your body has a natural ability to beat the aging process, heal damage, and prevent it from happening in the first place. Having said that, when the body is overtaxed and overstressed, the generation of free radicals can exceed the protective effects of antioxidants, resulting in oxidative stress and the damage associated with it.
When your immune system is tired and stressed, it cannot do its job well, and your body can start to manifest a whole host of problems—from heart disease and depression to autoimmune diseases and other inflammatory disorders. When it’s strong, however, these problems are less apt to show themselves, and you are more likely to experience vibrancy and resilience. You have the ability to fight and win, even if you are exposed to sickness, and therefore positively influence your health destiny. This chapter will show you how to POWER up your immune system to help you fight disease and prevent it from happening in the first place. You will learn to:
• Press the PAUSE button and become acquainted with the anatomy and functions of the immune system.
• OPTIMIZE your awareness of what can go wrong with your immune system, the signs and symptoms to watch out for that tell you to get medical help, and what you can learn from wisdom traditions and their view of the immune system.
• Discover how your immune system may be subtly speaking to you as you WITNESS your physiology through guided exercises.
• EXAMINE the underlying emotions or beliefs that may be weakening the health of your immune system.
• Develop the tools that will help you RELEASE negative habits and beliefs that are taxing your immune system, RELIEVE your body of stress, and RESTORE power to your immune system.
PAUSE and OPTIMIZE Your Awareness of Your Immune System
Anatomy and Functions
Your immune system protects you every day—all day and all night—against bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins not just by fighting off these invaders, but by also keeping your body clean. It is composed of different kinds of cells, tissues, and organs as well as lymphatic vessels, which, like blood vessels, run throughout your entire body.
The cells of your immune system, or white blood cells, are called leukocytes. They are separated into two types: phagocytes, which eat up invaders, and lymphocytes, which help your body remember and attack invaders, should they return. Leukocytes are produced in your various lymphoid organs—the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow—and are housed in the lymph nodes and lymphoid tissues scattered throughout the body.
Your body is kept clean by a clear fluid, called lymph, that moves within tissues and through the lymphatic vessels. It is clear, as opposed to red, because it carries white blood cells instead of red blood cells. It travels through lymph nodes, where bacteria and viruses are filtered out by the lymphocytes that are housed there. If a lymph node swells, it usually means that there is active fighting and filtering happening. The lymph node that usually swells is the one that is draining the particular part of the body where an infection, foreign body, or group of bad cells is located, like the glands in your neck, which swell when you have a throat infection.
Your immune system is divided into two parts, the adaptive immune system and the innate immune system. You are born with your innate system, while the adaptive (sometimes referred to as “acquired”) system develops over time, as you are exposed to diseases or immunized against them. 4
Your innate immune system takes care of toxins or infectious agents that enter your blood or try to enter through your skin, mucous membranes, or stomach. The innate immune system is composed of physical barriers that are located throughout the body, including the skin and the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts. The immune cells in your respiratory tract, for instance, will mount an inflammatory response when you inhale cigarette smoke in an attempt to expel the smoke. This is why people violently cough the first time they smoke. The body knows it’s harmful.
Your adaptive immune system, made up of T-cells and B-cells, a cascade of complements used to directly destroy foreign things, and antibodies, is designed to mount an even stronger attack than your innate immune system as well as keep a memory of past invaders. This part of your immune system has memory cells that keep track of invaders by remembering their specific signature, or the nonself pattern that is on the surface of these invader cells, or antigens, so that if you were to be exposed again, a very specific and deadly attack would ensue to completely eliminate the invasion before it gets going.
For example, let’s say you have been exposed to the chicken pox. You experience flulike symptoms, develop a rash all over your body, and feel generally sick for a week or so, as your immune system mounts a general response to fight the virus (not specific to the virus). While this is happening, your adaptive immune system is “remembering” the signature of the chicken-pox cells, or antigens. If you are then exposed to the chicken pox virus again, your adaptive immune system will mount an attack with specific antibodies that are directed at the chicken-pox virus, so that it is eliminated immediately. This is why after being exposed once to the chicken-pox virus, you usually have protection against it for life.
Because the immune system is working around the clock, it can get taxed and lose its effectiveness. The good news is that your immune system can also be extremely resilient and can right itself too—that is, when you take care of it—even if it has been taxed.
Awareness of Immune Functions and Deficiencies
One of your immune system’s primary functions is defense, and to perform this function adequately, it uses a powerful surveillance team that peruses the body for invaders like viruses, bacteria, free radicals, and toxins. Poor defense means more susceptibility to the ill effects of toxins, cancerous growths, or infection. Individuals with immune deficiencies have a difficult time getting over simple colds or recovering from even minor cuts and bruises. Examples of immune deficiencies include HIV/AIDS, hypogammaglobulinemia, and immunoglobulin A deficiency. In some cases, the body’s defense system is overtaken by mutated DNA cells, resulting in different types of cancers.
On the flip side, your immune system could be overly defensive, so that it is hypersensitive and ready to mount an attack at the slightest provocation. With allergic reactions, the immune system’s surveillance is on high alert and intolerant of substances that most other individuals are immune to or at least can tolerate. Examples include asthma and eczema. The surveillance system is also on high alert when it comes to autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis (affects joints and sometimes organs), lupus (joints and organs), ulcerative colitis (the colon), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (the thyroid), and scleroderma (skin, joints, and organs). In these cases, the immune system sees your own tissue as an “invader” and specifically targets your own cells.
Why and How Deficiencies Happen
As I have discussed previously in this book, there is no single reason why disease happens. A lot of causes and risk factors are avoidable and correctable and, as is often the case, interconnected. Genetics play a role, but not all of the time. Nor is the role of genetics absolute. Although your genes and family history can play a role in increasing your risk of getting certain cancers, autoimmune diseases, allergies, and even immune deficiencies, this isn’t always the case. Even though a disease may be caused by a genetic mutation, environmental factors often play a more significant role. In other words, your environment and what you put in your body greatly influence your immune functions.
Some immune deficiency disorders are purely genetic (primary), but others occur because the immune system has broken down as a consequence of environmental factors. These environmental factors include medications like steroids or chemotherapy, infections like HIV, or overexposure to radiation from ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Indeed, a connection has been found between exposure to a virus and the increased risk of developing autoimmune disorders, deficiencies, or allergies. Being exposed to viruses or bacteria may also increase the risk for cancer. This is often the case with individuals exposed to human papillomavirus. They are at an increased risk of getting cervical cancer. Similarly, individuals exposed to helicobacter pylori bacteria are more susceptible to stomach cancer.5
Your environment, what you do with your body, and what you put in it greatly influence how your immune system functions. Smoking and a diet high in fat and processed food can increase your risk for things such as lung or stomach cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and other immune disorders, including autoimmune disorders.6 The 2012 annual report on the occurrence of and trends in cancer in the United States, for instance, highlighted the increased cancer risk with obesity and lack of sufficient physical activity (less than 150 minutes of physical activity per week).7 According to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, obesity alone is associated with increased risk of cancers of the esophagus, breast, endometrium, colon, rectum, kidney, pancreas, gallbladder, and likely more.8 Ultraviolet light exposure to the skin can increase the risk of skin cancer, while alcohol can increase the risk of cancer in the throat, liver, esophagus, colon, breast, and rectum.9
A variety of immune disorders are connected to a diet devoid of necessary vitamins and minerals, which creates deficiencies in the body, including a deficiency in vitamin D.10 Essential vitamins and minerals are called “essential” because they are vital for your body’s functions, including, but not limited to, metabolism, digestion, muscle function, mental acuity, immune strength, and cardiovascular performance. Deficiencies, therefore, can have marked negative consequences on your immune system. Vitamin D, for instance, has a direct and indirect ability to regulate the immune system, stimulating immune cells to multiply or differentiate (change from a general into a more specific form). Lack of vitamin D has been implicated not only in conditions involving the bones, but also in autoimmune disorders and deficiencies.11
Current studies also suggest that overuse of antibacterial soaps, or too much hygiene, if you will, is wiping out much of the natural bacteria we need for healthy immune functioning, so that individuals are now more prone to allergies and autoimmune disorders.12 Although some bacteria are harmful to your body, many are necessary for protecting you against toxins and for helping your immune system in its functions. For instance, you have bacteria in your gut lining producing organic acids that kill other bacteria that can cause harm to the intestines.
Your take-home message here is that there is plenty you can do to POWER up your immune system, especially when it comes to diet, exercise, and how you choose to take care of yourself. If you do not take heed, though, disease can—and will—take over.
The Gruesome Facts
Since the problems that can arise due to malfunctioning of the immune system are so vast and broad, it is difficult to talk about the causes and risks for all possible problems. Some important facts:
• An immune deficiency affects upward of 1 million Americans and 10 million people worldwide, according to statistics compiled by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.13
• An estimated 50 million Americans, approximately one in five, suffer from some type of allergy. The prevalence has increased among all age, race, and gender groups since the 1980s.14
• Allergies are the fifth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States in all age groups.15
• The National Institutes of Health estimate up to 23.5 million Americans—and counting—suffer from autoimmune disease.16
• Autoimmune disease is one of the top ten leading causes of death in girls and women up to sixty-four years of age.17
• About 1,660,290 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2013.18
• Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the United States, accounting for nearly one out of every four deaths.19
Red Flags That Tell You to Seek Help
The most life-threatening allergy-related problem that can occur is anaphylaxis, a rapid and extreme allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis involves a variety of symptoms, including hives, flushing, sweating, swelling (particularly around the eyes and mouth), a runny nose, itchy or red eyes, shallow breathing, an accelerated heart rate, a sudden drop in blood pressure, stomach cramps, vomiting or diarrhea, and in some cases seizures.
These are life-threatening symptoms! Call 911 immediately, even if the symptoms go away at first. Some individuals experience a second phase eight to seventy-two hours after the initial attack. If you have had this experience before, make sure you check with your doctor to uncover what is causing the allergy and always carry an epinephrine auto-injector (an EpiPen), which will immediately help stop the constriction in your airways and bring up your blood pressure.20
Other symptoms and signs that you want to be wary of, as they often point to cancer or other types of immune deficiencies, are:
• Unexplained weight loss, perhaps 10 pounds over a month without a change in diet or exercise
• Continued and unexplained abdominal or pelvic pain
• Abnormal bleeding, in between menses for women, or from any other part of the body
• A marked change in bowel movements, blood in the stool, indigestion, or abdominal pain
• Skin changes, such as a mole or red, chafed skin around the breast
• Persistent difficulty swallowing
• Persistent coughing, over three to four weeks
• Persistent pain in one or more parts of the body
• Enlarged or swollen glands bigger than 0.4 inches or ones that do not get smaller after several weeks
• Enlarged or swollen glands that are persistent and not associated with other symptoms or signs of infection such as a runny nose, fever, or sore throat
• New growths like a changing mole or a lump in the breast, especially ones that feel hard to the touch (versus soft), seem fixed in one place (can’t be grabbed completely with the fingers), or feel as though they have irregular borders
• Unexplained fatigue, night sweats, or persistent fevers
• White patchy growths in the mouth
What Wisdom Traditions Have to Say
Not all wisdom traditions address the immune system specifically. They do, however, address the body’s defense mechanisms, the need for the body and these mechanisms to be strong to fight off invasion by disease-causing agents, and how necessary they are in maintaining adaptability and homeostasis. In traditional Chinese medicine, for instance, nei wei qi is translated as “internal defensive life force” and zheng qi as the “antipathogenic factor”; when strong, these prevent invasion or deficiencies from happening. Vyaadhiksamatva, a term in Ayurveda, means “resistance” (ksamatva) against “disease” (vyaadhi). In this tradition, the goal is to maintain strong resistance, the integrity of the body’s tissues, and an individual’s bioenergy (called dosha). The stronger the body’s tissues and the life force or energy (oja) within these tissues, the stronger the resistance to disease.
Whether it is traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, or another wisdom tradition, the concept of immunity is intertwined with improving the body’s energy; reinforcing an individual’s life force and constitution; strengthening the integrity of the mind, body, and spirit; and enabling harmony and balance to exist within the individual and between the individual and the environment. This is accomplished through nutrition, exercise, following the cycles of nature, avoiding harmful foods or activities, and maintaining positive spiritual beliefs and practices that help an individual better develop balance and physical, psychological, and spiritual integrity. A resilient immune system thus is found in an individual who has a robust constitution and a healthy genetic makeup, who lives in accordance with nature, taking in wholesome foods and moving regularly, who has a strong mind focused on positive thinking, and who has a meditation practice through which to be able to disengage from disturbing thoughts and senses and instead connect with self-awareness and inner knowing.
If you pay attention to the studies connecting poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and environmental toxins with disorders of the immune system, you will note that wisdom traditions and modern medicine are fairly aligned when it comes to powering up the immune system. These are the takeaway themes:
• Develop a robust constitution.
• Develop strong integrity, in mind, body, and spirit.
• Foster durable defense and resistance systems to ward off harm.
• Maintain balance and harmony within the body and with others and nature.
As you move forward and learn to POWER up your immune system, think about your own lifestyle behaviors and choices as well as your beliefs and attitudes and ways they could possibly compromise your immune system. Think about the ways you might be putting unnecessary stress on your immune system. Are you getting adequate sleep? Are you providing your body with the nutrients it needs? Do you feel weak when it comes to saying no to people or food, or yes to your own needs?
WITNESS the Physiology of Your Immune System
The process of witnessing involves quieting the mind, so that you can pay attention to even the subtlest signs of fatigue, allergy, or weakness. This also allows you to notice the contrast between when your life force is vibrant and robust and when it is not. You can become aware of the contrast between your desire to stay awake and your body’s desire to sleep or between your mind’s desire to eat a donut and your stomach’s call for liquids. This exercise is meant to awaken you to notice imbalances that warrant correcting, so that you can become healthier and stronger.
AWARENESS EXERCISE
Breathe in, breathe out. Bring your awareness to your mind. How tired is your mind? Observe.
Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on your throat. How much stress or strain is in your throat? Observe.
Breathe in, breathe out. Bring your awareness to your heart. Do you feel a sense of heaviness or strain in your heart? Perhaps a sense of fatigue? Observe.
Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on your solar plexus / stomach. Stress, strain, heaviness there? Observe.
Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on your sacral or pelvic area. Stress, strain, heaviness there? Observe.
Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on the base of your spine. What do you feel? Observe.
Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on your arms and legs. How tired are they? Observe.
Now ask yourself these questions:
Do the foods I eat make me feel strong or tired?
Does the amount or quality of sleep I get help me feel nourished?
How much stress can I tolerate or withstand? Can I handle loud noises or rude behavior? Do I stay calm, or do I tend to overreact easily?
Do the people in my life help me feel supported, so that I can handle challenges?
Do I have enough strength in me to get through the challenges in my life?
Do I feel safe and provided for?
Do I feel loved for being who I am?
Do I often feel I have to defend myself or my point of view?
Do I feel weighed down by life’s responsibilities?
When you ask these questions, notice what you feel and where you feel it. For example, you may feel that you are not truly loved for being who you are or that you are not supported by others, and there’s a feeling of strain or constriction in your stomach or solar plexus or in your chest. Perhaps you really don’t feel safe, and you experience tension in your lower back, or you feel overburdened by responsibility, and feel tension or fatigue in your neck and shoulders.
EXAMINE Your Deeper Emotions and Beliefs
Your ability to trust that you have internal and external resources to manage life and its curveballs is tantamount to ensuring that the balance, health, and well-being of your mind and body stay intact. If for any reason you do not trust that your needs will be met or that you have the necessary resources to handle adversity, your stress response will be overactivated, meaning your immune system will be too, until such time, that is, that it burns out or loses its ability to stay balanced. Unmet needs—such as your need for food and shelter, your need to feel you belong, to feel you are relevant, worthy, or loved—can lead to an immune system that is tired and burned out from fighting all the time. Intuitively trusting that your needs can be taken care of now and in the future can reduce stress-response reactivity and lessen some of the allostatic load, both of which will enable you to be more in the flow of your life, like a Zen master.
Perhaps you can look deeper into your body’s signals to see what requires your attention. The area of fatigue or tension you noted in the previous exercise is showing you where you may be weak. Maybe there is a message for you there.
When examining and asking yourself the questions below, notice the intensity of the emotion that comes up. Rate the intensity on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means you feel nothing and the thought/answer is untrue, and 10 means you feel an extreme amount of fear or anger and the thought/answer rings very true. You may wish to write down your answers.
GOING DEEPER EXERCISE
Identify the question or questions from the witnessing exercise to which you had the most intense reaction.
Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and bring your awareness back to the area of your body where you experienced the response. Ask yourself what situation comes to mind that supports this feeling? For instance, ask your body to show you an example when you were not supported or valued or you had to defend yourself.
You may ask yourself one of the following questions as you observe the story or image that comes forward.
Defense:
Why is this situation causing me to feel I have to defend myself? Do I feel attacked?
How long have I been defending myself? When did it start?
Am I feeling supported or do I feel alone?
Surveillance:
Am I always on guard? Why?
Can I trust people? If not, why not? What am I scared of?
Integrity and Harmony:
Do I often feel that my integrity is in question?
What do I do when I feel as though my balance is being threatened? What or who threatened my balance or sense of harmony and why?
You may notice as you pay attention to your emotions and the answers to the questions that your beliefs around feeling supported and your ability to trust that your needs will be met come forward. You may notice you often feel shame or that your past has taught you never to trust anyone. Look closely at who you are really attacking when you are angry or hurt. Are you attacking yourself? Are you blaming others for your misfortune?
Take your time to write out your answers, thoughts, and experiences and see what sort of pattern emerges.
RELEASE, RELIEVE, and RESTORE
Have you discovered anything new? Are you ready to build a robust constitution, strengthen the integrity of your immune system, and restore harmony and balance?
Releasing and Restoring
Now that you have uncovered emotions, beliefs, or stories that can be weakening your body, you can work on releasing them. The following exercise involves “emptying” the mind and body of this negativity and filling yourself up with the “breath of life” and all that is nurturing and positive. This exercise shares some similarities with many qi gong (literally “energy work” or, rather, “working with the life energy”) exercises from traditional Chinese medicine, which help you strengthen your life force and vitality. You can practice this relaxation exercise on a daily basis to lower your stress-response activity and improve your mood, your immune system, and your ability to cope.
BUILDING YOUR LIFE FORCE MEDITATION
Close your eyes, and begin your breathing, counting to three as you breathe in and to five as you breathe out.
Bring your awareness to your mind. As you exhale, allow all the thoughts in your mind to be released into the earth, wind, or ethers.
Empty the mind for five or more breath cycles.
Then move your awareness to the parts of the body, relaxing and emptying each of tension in this order: throat, chest, solar plexus (above your belly button), lower abdomen/pelvic area, and entire spine, letting all tension and negativity drain out of the base of your spine. Do five or more breath cycles for each area.
Then, as you inhale, imagine you are breathing in the breath of life, the life force of the universe, so that it gathers in the base of your spine after five cycles of breath.
Then, as you inhale, allow the life force to move up your spine to the top of your head.
As you exhale, the life force will move through your mind and the center of your being and then come back to the base of your spine.
Circulate the life force at least three times, then notice how you feel.
Moving Your Body
If you are living a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, it can translate to a sluggish and sedentary immune system. Studies show that regular moderate exercise increases your leukocyte levels. This just means a fast walk for thirty minutes a day, and it does not have to be all at once. It can be cumulative. We now know that exercise increases strength and flexibility, improves cardiovascular health and cognitive function, decreases the risk for certain cancers like colon and breast cancer and reduces symptoms of depression as effectively as antidepressants.21 Not only does physical activity help lower stress-response reactivity; it can also boost your immune system, even as you age.22
There is no “right” form of exercise. In fact, if you exercise at all, you’re already headed in the right direction. For individuals who “burn out” or demonstrate signs of a suppressed immune system, I do not recommend strenuous exercise initially, as this will make you feel worse and further suppress your immune system. Instead, I recommend gentle exercises, such as walking, water aerobics, stretching, yoga, or tai chi. Otherwise, do what you enjoy.
Tips for Getting More Nature Time
• Spend twenty to thirty minutes a day, if possible, being active in nature.
• Put a plant in the room you spend the most time in.
• Exercise outdoors.
• Consider gardening.
• Spend time getting good sunlight for the vitamin D (about fifteen minutes a day), unless contraindicated by your doctor.
Here are some tips for exercise to POWER the immune system. These exercises also serve as the basis for strengthening all systems of the body:
• Walk for twenty to thirty minutes a day at a moderate pace (you can carry on a conversation).
• Aim for seventy-five minutes per week of high-intensity exercise (you cannot carry on a conversation).
• Play sports in a relaxed manner. Have fun!
• Do gentle exercises such as tai chi or yoga.
• Don’t drive; walk whenever you can.
• Pay attention to how you feel before, during, and after exercising.
Healing and Reviving in Nature
If you are going to exercise, try to exercise outdoors. New research points to the benefits of nature in boosting your immune system. Ancient healers, including Greek physicians, used aromatic plant chemicals to stimulate or to sedate. Today, we find this ancient healing modality in aromatherapy, where plant aromas are used to enhance relaxation or offer other healing benefits. New science is confirming the benefits of aromatherapy—rosemary and lemon oil, for instance can influence the brain by stimulating it, while lavender and rose oil can calm.23
Plants Used in Aromatherapy and Their Benefits
Lavender: a mild sedative with a calming effect; associated with improved mood, cognitive performance, and stress reduction
Rosemary: associated with improved mood, performance, and stress reduction
Peppermint: associated with increased alertness and memory
Lemon balm: associated with antidepressant effects and stress reduction
Jasmine: an anti- spasmodic, sedative, and aphrodisiac; associated with antidepressant effects
How does aromatherapy work? Scientists have long recognized the nasal passage as a potential area for administering medication, because it is a direct route to the brain. We have this passageway for a reason; most likely it was so that nature’s aromas could have their various effects on our brain. Nature provides a multitude of chemicals that provoke our olfactory (nasal) senses; many of them can balance mental outlook and energy.
Your sense of smell may or may not detect these chemicals, but they still have their effect. Some chemicals stimulate brain activity, while others relax or sedate the brain. Some plants give off volatile organic compounds, called phytoncides, that serve to protect them from invading bacteria and other aggressors; they have an effect on humans as well. Some experimental studies have shown that phytoncides produced by trees can lower the production of the stress hormone cortisol, lower anxiety, and reduce blood pressure.24 The higher the level of phytoncides in the air, the more anti-cancer cells can be produced. According to numerous studies in Japan, a weekend shinrin-yoku trip (walking a mile and a half twice a day in a forest) raised natural killer-cell activity (fighting by immune cells) by 40 percent; a month later levels were still 15 percent higher than before the walking trip.25
Studies also show that you are more likely to exercise if it takes place outdoors.26 It has been found that “green” improves your mental state whether you realize it or not. You may notice, however, that when you do exercise outdoors, you are less likely to cramp and experience fatigue or negative thoughts. In fact, researchers at Texas State University have found that athletes’ performances improved when surrounded by more green space.27
Resting and Restoring by Getting Some Z’s
During sleep is the best time for your brain—and the rest of your nervous system—to rest. While you sleep, your cortisol levels drop and your body naturally releases hormones, most notably the all-important growth hormone.28 Growth hormone is a protein hormone that plays a major role in growth and in protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism. Deficiencies in growth hormone may present with such symptoms as fatigue, loss of muscle mass, weight gain, and feelings of anxiety, depression, or sadness. Getting more sleep may alleviate these symptoms. In addition, sleep activates the body’s T-cells, which accelerates the natural healing process.
Impaired sleep affects memory and the ability to process information and remain fully alert. So imagine how this translates to the effectiveness of your immune system. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, even moderate sleep deprivation can lead to inflammation as both the stress response and your immune system are activated.29
Fortunately, a variety of methods can improve sleep:
• Practice progressive muscle relaxation. Tense each muscle group for five seconds and then allow those muscles to relax for thirty seconds. Start from the soles of your feet and work your way up to the top of your head.
• Elicit the relaxation response, especially before sleep.
• Exert stimulus control. Go to bed only when you are sleepy, awakening at the same time every morning, and avoid napping. Use your bed only for sleep or sex. Keep the bedroom atmosphere quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature, and avoid fluids after 8 P.M.
• If you are restless, get out of bed and do some other kind of activity until you’re sleepy.
• Avoid food and drinks containing caffeine, sugar, or alcohol before bed.
• Add vitamins or supplements like melatonin or magnesium, if approved by your physician, or use aromatherapy to promote sleep.
• Exercise regularly during the earlier hours of the day.
You may also need to let your pet sleep in another room or on the floor, and your partner who snores may need to move to a different room. The good news is that you can “catch up” on your sleep loss by taking naps. However, for those individuals who have a hard time falling asleep, naps are not recommended. In general, naps should be limited to about twenty-five minutes.
Getting Power from Nutrition
As you have learned, carrying those extra pounds puts your immune system at risk. Eating foods that provoke the immune response to increase inflammation in the body also taxes the system. You evolved living in nature, so your body is designed to break down foods that are natural and familiar to your system. Taking in refined sugars, refined grains, processed foods, artificial sweeteners (and therefore added chemicals), trans fats and vegetable oils, meats from animals fed refined grains, and an excess of alcohol—all can provoke a heightened inflammatory response, make your immune system work harder because it has to put more effort into breaking down something foreign and unnatural, and wipe out bacteria living in the gut that normally promote metabolism and reduce inflammation.
In general, you want to follow a diet rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (versus trans fats), lean protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, and, yes, bacteria or microorganisms that your body needs to thrive, all of which boost the power of your immune system.
ANTIOXIDANTS: Pump up the immune system with foods rich in antioxidants! Many delicious foods are loaded with natural antioxidants, which neutralize or rid the body of dangerous free radicals. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, tomatoes, grapefruit, cauliflower, cabbage, dark leafy greens, lemons, and limes have antioxidant properties and help reduce the risk of certain cancers. Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants called anthocyanins, as are red grapes. You can spice up your meals and add antioxidant value with herbs and spices like oregano, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and cloves.
I personally like to get a good dose of chicoric acid on a daily basis, another natural antioxidant found in dark green lettuce, basil, chicory root, and dandelion greens. New research shows that chicoric acid can help with depression, as it appears that chicoric acid can raise the levels of “feel good” molecules or neurotransmitters (like dopamine and serotonin) and lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol.30 I recommend throwing basil, dandelion greens, deep green lettuce, and chicory root into one big salad along with fresh blueberries. It is quite the antioxidant treat!
ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS: It is safe to say that pretty much all vitamins are needed to support your immune system. The ones to focus on include vitamins C, A, K, E, B5, B6, B12, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), and folic acid.
Vitamin C is an immune stimulant and also functions as an antioxidant, as it supports healing and promotes healthy T-cell functioning. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits and dark leafy greens like kale, broccoli, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, and asparagus.
The B vitamins are also essential for a powerful immune system, as B5 helps promote antibody production, B6 and folic acid promote T-cell functioning, B1 and B2 support the antibody response, and B12 supports T-cell and phagocyte functions. Good sources of the B vitamins, including folic acid, are whole grains, dark leafy greens (especially turnip greens and spinach for folic acid and B6) and other vegetables like cauliflower. Sources of B12 include salmon, tuna, sardines, cod, lamb, beef, scallops, and shrimp.
Vitamins A, E, D, and K all share the same property of being fat-soluble vitamins. While vitamin E functions as an antioxidant and as support for the inflammatory response, vitamin A supports both antibody and T-cell function. As you have learned, vitamin D is known to support immune system health, and deficiencies have been associated with an increase in autoimmune disorders and some cancers. Vitamin K is necessary for the clotting cascade to work properly, which is especially important in response to injury and in the healing process after injury. Vitamins A and E can be found in dark leafy greens like Swiss chard, mustard greens, and turnip greens. Vitamin A is also abundant in carrots, sweet potatoes, and asparagus. Sources of vitamin D include eggs, shrimp, and cod. Sources of vitamin K include cauliflower, spinach, and asparagus.
Have you noticed the common theme of dark leafy greens? Greens such as kale, collard greens, and spinach not only contain important vitamins and minerals, but also have antioxidant properties.31
You can’t go wrong with eating green vegetables. You can also add in fruits and vegetables that have a deep color, like red, orange, or purple, because they are high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals like zinc, iron, copper, selenium, manganese, and magnesium. Zinc supports and stimulates the immune system. Both iron and copper support the immune system to fight infection. Magnesium, a mineral notoriously low in the general population (because it is a surrogate marker of eating green foods), is needed for the production and function of immune cells, and low magnesium is connected to a host of ailments, including allergic reactions and susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections.32
Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and mustard greens are good sources of iron and copper as well as zinc. Zinc and copper can also be found in some mushrooms, cashews, quinoa, and lentils. Sources of manganese include spinach, brown rice, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, pineapple, and oats, while selenium can be found in shellfish, tuna, sardines, salmon, cod, turkey, lamb, beef, and tofu.
FAT AND PROTEIN: Salmon, mackerel, lake trout, sardines, bluefish, albacore tuna, and fresh herring are not just great sources of some vitamins and minerals; they are also rich in omega-3 oil, an essential fatty acid that helps the body create the prostaglandin PGE2, an anti-inflammatory chemical that may decrease the risk of certain cancers.33 Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseed, walnuts, and almonds. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a fatty acid with strong antioxidant properties that is found in grass-fed animal meat.34
Grass-fed animal meat, walnuts, fish, and many of the other food sources mentioned also boost the immune system because of their protein content. Protein is essential for the growth and repair of your body’s cells. A deficiency can lead to depletion of immune function and a slowing down of antibody production. Some preliminary studies show that supplementing with the amino acids arginine and glutamine can improve wound healing, including diabetic foot ulcers, as they stimulate the immune system.35 Protein sources that support your immune system can therefore include eggs, fish, shellfish, grass-fed animal meats, legumes (like lentils, hemp seed, and soybeans), and grains such as quinoa, and amaranth. Good sources of protein, minerals, and vitamins like A and B6 for vegetarians include quinoa, which contains such amino acids as lysine and isoleucine, and amaranth, which provides a complete set of amino acids.
GUT CARE: Taking care of your gut supports your immune system. Sixty percent of your immune system exists in the lining of your gastrointestinal tract. These immune cells work hard to prevent invading organisms or damaging molecules from getting into your body. For this reason, it is important to maintain the gut barrier intact. Omega-3 fatty acids support the membranes of gastrointestinal cells, while vitamin A supports the production of mucus, which lubricates and cleanses. Your gut especially benefits from hosting bacteria that live naturally in the intestinal environment. These microorganisms aid in digestion and absorption of nutrients and keep the immune system in balance. Introducing foods into your meals that are high in these bacteria has been found to boost the natural bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and reduce inflammation.36 Such foods include kefir, miso, kimchee, olives, pickles, sauerkraut, or yogurt that is very low in sugar.
NUTRITION TIPS:
• Avoid inflammatory foods, which include simple or refined sugars or carbohydrates, too much caffeine and alcohol, trans fats, and processed foods.
• Eat more greens, legumes, and other vegetables.
• Eat foods rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids.
• Eat high-quality protein sources.
• Eat berries, spices, and herbs that are plentiful sources of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
• Add fermented foods to your nutrition plan.
• Add a supplement if you cannot get a food source in your diet or if you note a deficiency. Check with your health-care provider to ensure that there are no contraindications for you.
Harmony Through Social Support and Love
Having strong relationships and a good social network is important to your immune system. Several studies support the idea that people who feel connected to friends—whether it’s a few close friends or a large group—have stronger immunity than those who feel alone.37 In one study, college freshmen who were lonely had a weaker immune response to a flu vaccine than those who felt connected to others.38 Another recent study found that isolation changed the immune system on a cellular level: being lonely affected the way some genes that controlled the immune system were expressed.39
A strong social network helps you feel good about yourself and your life and stronger in the face of adversity. Knowing someone has your back means you feel more secure and empowered, which invariably means the cells of your body do too. This is a key component in changing your health destiny.
Some ways to build support for a healthy immune system include:
• Regularly meet with friends or family to socialize, talk, or connect.
• Participate in a church, temple, or preferred spiritual organization, if this interests you.
• Allow yourself to receive help from others, including your friends, family, counselors, and health-care providers.
• Join an interest group, like a book club, an outing club, or a “play group.” A wonderful source is www.meetup.com, which offers a wide variety of interest groups in your area. You are bound to find something that suits you where you can meet like-minded or interested people.
• If you like pets, get one or borrow one!
• When you need a hug, simply ask.