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Many of us will soon be flying to get to the BlogHer Conference in Chicago. Yea! Let me just stray a bit from my topic and say..."I am soooo excited, only 14 more days to go!" -- "I can't wait to meet everyone." -- "This will be my first time attending, so if you see me make sure you stop and say hello, o.k.?"
Now, back on track with the topic. Most BlogHers will get on and off the plane without picking up any illness from the myriad viruses and germs that will be running rampant along with us on the planes we'll be flying in. The reason some of us will get sick and others will be just fine is because of our immune systems. Some just work better than others. However, it's not always a "crap-shoot" - There are ways we can improve our weakened immune systems, and that is what I will be talking about here. But before we travel, we need to understand what actually causes our immune system to weaken.
How do we know if we are one of the BlogHers that may be traveling with a compromised immune system? Well, anyone who is already sick, has a chronic illness, or is taking certain medications will be at a greater risk. But did you know that there are many other things that can serve to compromise your otherwise healthy immune system? (note: a compromised immune system only means you are at a greater risk for picking up a germ and getting sick, not that you will definitely get sick) Lets take a moment to address some of the other risk factors.
Risk factor #1 -- Stress
How many of us BlogHers are not under any stress in our lives? Are you a BlogHer under stress? If so..."Hi, and welcome to the club". We have a lot of members. If your answer was that you have no stress in your life, then you are most likely in a very small, but lucky minority. However, let me just point out that within that minority there will also be a percentage of BlogHers that fall into a separate category. These people suffer from a sometimes overlooked and often misunderstood condition - In the medical community it's known as "denial".
When you experience chronic stress, some features of your immune system may remain suppressed, making you susceptible to infections. Other features of the immune system may be permitted to run unchecked, increasing your risk of autoimmune diseases, in which your immune system attacks your body's own healthy cells.
Risk factor #2 - Yo-yo dieting and unhealthy eating habits
Another culprit in the weakening of our immune system is...Yo-yo dieting.
Bouncing between weight loss and weight gain wreaks havoc on the immune system, says new research. NK cell activity dropped as much as 30%, and the negative health effects of yo-yo dieting lingered for years.
This is further evidence supporting slow, sustained weight loss rather than crash diets or trying to "lose ten pounds in ten days." If you want to attain and maintain a healthy body weight, persistence, not immediate results, is the key. If you lose more than 1-2 pounds a week, you're probably overdoing it.
Being too thin, too heavy, eating excessive amounts of sugar or fat, as well as consuming too much alcohol, can also play a role in compromising your immune system.
Risk factor #3 -- Cigarette Smoking
There are approximately 4000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, many of them toxic. The ingredients in cigarettes affect everything from the internal functioning of organs to the efficiency of the body's immune system. The effects of cigarette smoking are destructive and widespread.
Liz Rizzo a BlogHer Contributing Editor did a post about smoking titled "People Are Really Still Smoking?" - If you are still smoking you should really check it out.
I'm guessing that quitting is pretty damn difficult for many people, considering all the products out there to help you quit. (Here's a list of online resources from the American Lung Association.) But Seriously, It's Time. Right Now. Today.
Now for the hopeful stuff. There are actually many things we can do to boost our immune systems. Let's talk about a couple...
1. Good nutrition is a great way to start.
How often have you heard the saying “You are what you eat� Mounting evidence from scientific research indicates that nutrition plays a major role
