If your immune system is compromised or weak it’s only a matter of time before you get sick. However, there are a few natural steps you can take to supercharge that immune system and lessen your chances of getting sick.  Let’s take a moment and review how you can better prepare your body to fight and keep more healthy:

• Supplement with vitamin D3 (in the form of cholecalciferol)
• Eat more cruciferous vegetables (spinach, kale, and other leafy greens)
• Exercise regularly (2-3 times per week)
• Get adequate sleep (6-8 hours per night)
• Schedule regular chiropractic adjustments

Boost your Immune System with Vitamin D 3

Vitamin D3 plays a crucial role in immune support. A D3 deficiency often contributes to illnesses around this time of year due to a decrease in natural sunlight (the most common source of your bodies vitamin D3.) If you live anywhere south of the Florida/Georgia line, its likely you won’t receive adequate sunlight.  The best form is Vitamin D3 cholecalciferol which can be found in most health and wellness stores.

Cruciferous Vegetables are High in Vitamin C

Cruciferous vegetables are very high in vitamin C and include spinach, kale, cabbage and other leafy greens. As far as immune health is concerned, vitamin C aids in white blood cell function which is a primary immune defense cell.

Exercise Boosts Your Immune System

In addition to keeping you in shape, 20 minutes of exercise 2-3 days a week is proven to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. When your body experiences this a cellular reaction takes place that activates TNF (tumor necrosis factor: boosts immune response and kills cancer cells). Additionally, exercise improves overall circulation of the fore mentioned immune boosting vitamins.

Sleep Is Important Too

If you do not get adequate sleep, your body will produce fewer cytokines. Cytokines are proteins that target infections and inflammation to create an immune response.

Chiropractic Care Increase CD4 Cells

Chiropractic adjustments, especially upper cervical, increase levels of CD4 cells. CD4 cells are another type of white blood cell and are often used as an indicator  of immune strength. (source: www.upcspine.com/dloads/rs80.pdf)

At Ewer Specific Chiropractic & Neurology, we desire to help you live your best life!  By purposefully taking these 5 basic life skills and adding them to your daily routine, you provide your body’s best chance at supporting your immune system this winter.