Crutches For Your Immune System

Today I want to make you think. Think about your style of life, about your habits, about the things you just can’t live without. Or so you believe.

And I chose, as the topic, the immune system and how we use crutches to keep it upright. I will actually share with you my style of life.

That does not mean you have to do the same, the purpose here it to challenge your thinking not to tell you what you should do. You have to decide that for yourself.

I will just go straight into today’s topic.

I have water with lemon and ginger and I also have garlic (not with the water an ginger) every morning.

However, to ensure I don’t get dependent on them I take long breaks, a week, a couple of weeks. It’s like a test if you wish, to see whether I can “survive” without them. Then I go back to them.

But, if within a week or two I catch a cold then there is something wrong here. And it has to do with something else that I do or don’t do on a regular basis as part of my style of life.

Are you with me?

If your immune system cannot sustain itself, and fight a common cold for example, unless you take vitamins, mineral and all sorts of drinks, and without them your immune system will weaken, then something else needs your attention.

Sure, have a boost. I do. I sometimes have 2-3 months of multivitamins. I don’t have them on a regular basis. Personally, I want my body to put up a bit of fight.

If I was to catch a cold 1-2 weeks without these then it is obvious my immune system in not actually strong but uses supplements as crutches. In that case it seems healthy eating and training are not enough and it needs extra support.

Does this make sense to you? Of course we are not talking about illnesses. That is a different side of the coin.

But with the cold weather around the corner you may benefit from giving your current style of life a little bit more thought.

Don’t depend on any kind of food or supplement to keep your immune system up. It has to be able to fight by itself. Don’t use them as a crutch.

This is a small thing but the small things make the greatest difference in the end. Small elements of your style of life will either make you stronger or not.

So now think about your style of life. Are you dependent on anything, healthy or otherwise?

The Key To A Strong Immune System

Many times I am asked whether I catch a cold running in shorts and t-shirt in rain or snow, summer or winter. My answer is always no.

We do not catch a cold because it’s cold outdoors. No. We catch a cold when our immune system is down, that firewall. That’s when we are open to viruses and we catch that virus.

Your immune system can drop because of many different reasons. One of them could be intense training or cold. Yes. Cold can lower your immune system. However it’s not the cold that makes you catch a cold. It’s your weaken immune system.

However, if you keep your immunity strong constantly you needn’t worry about cold and intense training.

THE MISTAKE

There is a habit. The habit of inconsistency. You cannot have a strong immune system if you are not consistent with your eating habits, your training routine and sleeping patterns.

The “bad day, good day” stories are good excuses but the only one suffering will be you. In time, by confusing the body so much, its defense mechanisms will weaken and it will be more difficult to get them back up than if you were consistent from the beginning.

You may or may not be aware that what you do for months can cause those defences to gradually weaken, and not what you did yesterday. So running in the rain….no I don’t catch a cold.

STRESS AND LACK OF SLEEP

When I do catch a cold I know these are the 2 reasons that weaken my immune system a lot. I know because I pay close attention to my habits. Sometimes I even write them down.

Need I say more? Just that sleeping well (resting well, quality sleep is not the same as quantity) 3 days out of 7 or 20/30 doesn’t mean you are consistent. And don’t be surprised when you catch a cold because your body didn’t have the chance to recharge.

By the way, sleeping is the only time when the body heals in its natural way. Bear that in mind.

FUEL

This is one of the Food Discipline™ lessons I repeat over and over again.

Food is fuel. Leaving aside the cultural aspects and that it satisfies our taste buds, food is actually there to fuel our bodies and keep them strong.

Understand this, really understand it, and you will witness your food choice begin to change.

THE KEY

If you want to have a strong immune system be consistent with your (right) habits and drop the “good day, bad day” story. The right habits that build and help your body recover.

Recovery is not only after exercising. Recovery is after a day of work or looking after the kids. The body uses resources and it needs to recover.

There is no such thing as a good and a bad day, they are the reflections of your habits. Exceptions should be exceptions, and not daily and weekly habits.

Thus the KEY to a strong immune system is CONSISTENCY.

The KEY to consistency is, many times, ACCOUNTABILITY. If you struggle to stay consistent and want to get certain habits in place, habits that will last long-term contact me.