| You might have been taught that the immune | | | | Then there are the systemic immune cells. They |
| system is a series of white blood cells, and this is | | | | have different function and names like lymphocytes, |
| true. But that's not all... | | | | basophiles, neutrophils, macrophages. They are the |
| It also functions as a complex system that protects | | | | white portion of blood and are also found in lymph |
| and is responsible for your total wellness including life | | | | nodes, the areas that hurt when you have an |
| and death. There are 6 body functions and 1 vital | | | | infection and they are overworked helping you to |
| requirement essential for proper function. Yes, to | | | | get rid of infections. Foods rich in vitamin A such as |
| keep this wonder of a protection going Mother | | | | egg yolks, liver, dried apricots, carrots and other |
| Nature made it dependent on a series of her own | | | | yellow fruits and vegetables will boost your immunity |
| bounty coming from - you guessed it, beneficial food. | | | | and assure that you don't feel the pain of a swollen |
| It is essential that you know what to eat. | | | | lymph node. |
| One of the first signs that you are not keeping up | | | | The immune system must have excellent nutrition for |
| with supplying the troops what Mother Nature | | | | maximum protection to take place. Actually the |
| intended, shows up in your skin. Teen agers are | | | | whole system is relying on good protein support, |
| familiar with 'the breakout'. Your skin is a major | | | | because their job is to manufacture defense |
| defense help to the system. It is very well supplied | | | | enzymes. All enzymes in the body are proteins. If |
| at its surface with an acid barrier to keep organisms | | | | you don't have the building blocks of protein known |
| from attacking and penetrating. | | | | as amino acids and essential minerals like zinc, which |
| But if you are living on white bread, fries and Coke, | | | | you can easily get from protein rich foods like eggs, |
| and not getting the required Vitamin C, Beta | | | | this job will not be done. Protein is essential to boost |
| Carotene, (think yellow vegetables and fruit), and | | | | immunity. |
| lysine, an essential amino acid found in protein to | | | | This leads us to consider the ability of the immune |
| support this system, it lets you know it at an early | | | | cells to produce essential chemicals to do the job in a |
| age. It is essential to know the food wise way at | | | | timely manner. |
| any age. | | | | Enter cytokines, hormone like proteins produce by |
| Your Respiratory system with its mucous | | | | immune cells to coordinate the whole defense |
| membranes, lining the nose throat, and lungs is the | | | | response. This part of the defense process has to |
| trapping mechanism of the immune system- a healthy | | | | be done in a timely fashion to speed up or turn off |
| mucosal lining actually aids the system by destroying | | | | immune reactions. |
| and detonating these unfriendly invaders from your | | | | All this is done unobtrusively with the aid of nutrition |
| body. Eating an overload of simple sugar can cause | | | | as long as you make food wise choices of protein |
| this system to malfunction even causing asthma and | | | | and other antioxidants like vitamin C rich foods and |
| allergies. Or, you might have to start buying | | | | shiitake and maitake mushrooms to help support this |
| expensive sprays to guard your membranes. | | | | process. Cancer is actually a disease of the immune |
| Your intestinal tract has an army of microbes known | | | | system. It occurs in response to constant, prolonged |
| as probiotics. They are essential to the immune | | | | poor nutritional choices. So stop fighting, marching and |
| system, exclusively catching alien microbes and | | | | start eating well. |
| fortifying overall immune capacity. Nature's essential | | | | The lymphatic System found in the lymph nodes is |
| grains, beans, sprouts and spirulina, and well crafted | | | | the part of the immune system that we can actually |
| yoghurt without high fructose corn syrup but with | | | | feel pain. With good nutritional support we might |
| accommodating bacteria are the foods required here. | | | | seldom experience this pain. |