What Hurts Your Immune System

 

 

 

One of the benefits we now experience in our modern culture is that for the vast majority of us, we have access to a wide variety of foods that aren't necessarily locally grown. Things come to us packaged and mostly prepared which is helpful when you're short on time.

 

 

This same benefit we're discovering is also making us sicker, weaker and fatter. The link between the chemicals and additives and that are found in our packaged foods and a compromised immune system is becoming more newsworthy every day. High sugar and fat contents of our fast food has created an obesity and diabetes epidemic.  Certain “foods” and toxins work against your immune system and actually create a hazardous environment in your body. If you're consuming any of the following on a regular basis, one of the best things you can do to prevent herpes, as well as a whole host of other diseases and infections is avoid these substances completely.

 

 

·    Diet soda

 

Americans were told ever since “diet” soda came out that it was healthier to drink soda with no sugar, and to keep in mind that it was “only one calorie”, etc., it appealed to many of us who are trying to watch our weight. The truth is that the diet sugar, usually aspartame, that is found in many of the diet sodas has been shown to cause brain cancer, liver damage and promotes diabetes. While your immune system is busy trying to keep you from immediately harmful things such as brain cancer, it may not have the strength to simultaneously ward off something like herpes.

 

 

·    Packaged foods

 

A good rule to follow is that if you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't eat it. Pick up any boxed food that normally sells you on its benefits of being prepared in a short amount of time and tastes delicious; now go to the ingredients portion of the label. In order to keep that food safely edible for months and maybe years, chemical additives must be added. As well as high amounts of salt, dyes, processed sugar, these foods require so much more work for your digestive system to process because its breaking down substances that aren't friendly. Your immune system is slowed down when trying to divert so many toxins.

 

 

·    High fat fast food

 

Americans have been sold a bill of goods regarding fat. The good fats, like those that come from nuts and fish are heart healthy and help your body to make hormones and keep your brain functioning properly. Bad fats, like those that are usually found in take out burgers, french fries and take-out pizza will eventually settle in your lower intestinal tract. Fat deposits here take longer to be flushed out which creates a breeding ground for germs, viruses and creates a potential for toxins to sit. Besides making you feel fat, sluggish and sometimes constipated, this situation can be the cause of your immune system failing you in other areas.

 

 

·    Alcohol/tobacco

 

A little red wine on a daily basis is very healthy. A lot of red wine on a daily basis stalls your immune system. Your liver is one of your first lines of defence against fat distribution, hormone production and flushing out toxins. When your liver is overwhelmed with toxic substances such as alcohol and nicotine every day, it can't function at its peak. The immune system will need to assist in order to keep you from poisoning yourself. This means that herpes and other undetected diseases can sneak up on you.

 

 

·    Chemicals you use

 

Most of us would assume that we don't really come into contact with dangerous chemicals on a daily basis unless we work under those conditions, but we would be wrong. Dangerous substances can be found in your hair care products, the lotion and soap you rub all over your skin, cleaning products that you use, even the tap water you drink. Part of the benefit of living in our modern civilization is that we have access to all of these things that make our life easier. It's also true that for most of us we will be unable to filter out every possible invader, and it's not necessary to live in a bubble. A healthy, strong immune system will shield you from many of those side-effects. Just be aware and check labels on the products you use. There are many substitutes available without the harsh chemicals.

 

 

·    GMO foods

 

There has been a lot of discussion in the media lately regarding GMO foods and how bad they are for you, but many people don't thoroughly understand what a GMO food is or why it's not good to consume. GMO foods were engineered to withstand weed killer during the growing process. This means that a farmer can grow more healthy plants and kill weeds, therefore making his farm more profitable as well as being able to keep the cost of produce down since its more available. Sounds good in theory, however the plant cells mutate during this process in order to build an immunity to the poisons in the weed killer. These mutated cells then are inside of us when we consume GMO foods and scientists are just beginning to find out all of the ways that those are harmful to us. Needless to say, seeking out and destroying mutant cells is high on the list of priorities of your immune system and can easily overload it. The best way to avoid the problem is to buy produce that is locally grown without weed killer or to grow it yourself.

 

 

·    Many medications

 

A recent study showed that a popular sleep aid effected women far differently than men and is now the only drug on the market in which the dosage for women is now different than for men. This study has revealed that remarkably, the pharmaceutical community has for the most part, tested these medications on healthy males rather than both sexes. Even when both sexes are tested, they mix the results of their findings rather than looking at the male results separately from the female results. This is just one of the ways in which many people are slowly harming their bodies' natural ability to protect them by using prescription medications. Some prescriptions are necessary and the benefits outweigh the risks. However, with a strong, healthy immune system, the average person would find that they were able to fix many more of the problems that were the root cause behind them taking the medication in the first place. They could do that in a healthy, natural way and be stronger and look better for it.

 

 

 

Let's assume at this point that you are an average person who does eat a normal amount of processed food and fast food. You are probably not the weight you'd like to be, you probably feel pretty wiped out at the end of the day and you dread things like “flu season” because you can count on getting sick a few times a year and with your busy schedule, you can't just crawl into bed until you feel better. Perhaps you're in the middle of a herpes outbreak and at this point you would do almost anything to feel better.

 

Your immune system wants to work, effectively and constantly for you. The only thing standing in its way is what you consume and how overloaded it is because of those choices. The first step in giving your immune system the help it requires to keep you in radiantly good health is giving your body a chance to flush out the toxins and poisons that are slowing it down.