A Practical Guide To Better Immunity

“Everything is super important. Until you are sick. Then you realize there was only ever one thing that was important.

Your health.

But nonetheless we borrow from the bank of our health, taking loans on stress and sleepless nights to pay for something that doesn’t really matter.” — Unknown

Health was never my forte. But I learned the most about it when I was going through one of the most difficult phases of my life. It was January 2016. My father was not keeping well health-wise. I thought he would get well gradually but things got worse. He became frail and thin and was not able to eat anything.

After multiple visits to the doctors, blood tests, MRI scans, and heavy medications he ended up having a major tumor operation located inside his colon. While in the hospital, he also had a heart attack and ended up in the ICU.

One day felt like an eternity to pass. At that time, I just started working on my first solo project as an entrepreneur. But then I had to stop it midway abruptly and focus on my family. Suddenly, I had so many added responsibilities. And I was working twenty hours out of twenty-four hours each day non-stop.

It gives me goosebumps now when I think of how I navigated that phase. A day never seemed to cease. I used to go to the bed exhausted with no amount of energy left in my body and wake up in a moment as soon as my eyes opened and begin my day.

I learned so much about life from that period. Things that no one could ever teach me.

The Hours and Hours of Deep Researching:

I went all-in when it came to acquiring knowledge about how to heal the body and maintain good health so that I could help my dad recover. I read books on raw diets, on blood types, on gut types, on diet types, on vitamins and minerals, on alternative therapies, on ayurvedic remedies, on essential oils, on herbs, on detoxification and medical books by renowned doctors.

I saw lectures online by medical researchers. I saw documentaries and real-life healing journeys of people from sickness to health from all across the world. I subscribed to some amazing medical websites and emailed doctors personally. They replied and sent me pdf files and links for further knowledge. I noted all the important things I learned and filed.

This file consists of my hand-written notes and printouts. It is one of the most valuable possessions I own. It is filled with so much helpful information on health and recovery that its worth to me is 100X its weight on gold.

All the information I share below comes from my own experience as well as my research.

Here are five basic things we need to look after for better immunity.

• Food
• Water
• Sleep
• Exercise
• A Release to Stress

We will discuss each of them below.

Food:

Whatever we eat either builds our immunity or effects it adversely. When we eat a lot of fast food and junk, we consume a lot of empty calories. That makes our body realize that it didn’t receive enough nutrients which it requires to function properly. Therefore, it makes us feel hungry again so that this time it gets what it wants! Unfortunately, in response, we feed ourselves with even more junk. In return, the body makes us feel hungry again to get what it requires — the nutrients! So, the cycle continues until it makes some of us put on weight unconsciously or causes inflammation in our bodies — which is the perfect ground for breeding diseases.

If we feed ourselves with the proper food our body needs, it rewards us with good health and strong immunity.

Here are some do’s regarding good eating habits I found to be quite helpful:

• Breakfast must be consumed every day so that the body can balance sugar levels and get the metabolism going at the beginning of the day.
• To stop eating when we are about 80 percent full. This helps with proper digestion.
• Maintaining a balanced diet with healthy fats, protein, and carbs so that our bodies get all types of nutrients.

Vitamin C:

Most animals do produce Vitamin C naturally unlike humans. So, we need to take it from citrus fruits, vegetables, or supplements.

Seasonal cough and cold could be avoided by regular intake of this vitamin. It also helps in taking care of teeth health, cell health, and faster healing process of the body.

Initially, I brought 2lbs of isolate ascorbic acid in a packet from a branded supplement company. But later I switched to gooseberry shots — made from cold-pressing diced gooseberries using a slow juicer because the body readily absorbs natural substances than synthetic ones. They contain an impressive amount of vitamin C with so many health benefits.

Vitamin D & Vitamin K2 MK7:

The only natural source of vitamin D is the Sunlight. Other than that, there are two other sources of Vitamin D that are sold as supplements — one from sheep’s wool and another from lichen (algae). Deficiency in Vitamin D is linked to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer among others.

I learned that the best way to take this Vitamin is directly from the Sunlight for about twenty minutes. And the best time to do so is between 6 am and 8 am when the Sun’s rays are soothing and not that harsh.

If it is taken as a supplement then it must be taken along with Vitamin K2 MK7. Vitamin K2 MK7 helps vitamin D to be stored in the correct places. The ideal range of Vitamin D should be above 30 ng/mL and no more than 80 ng/mL.

Vitamin B complex:

Usually, leafy greens are said to be a good source of Vitamin B other than legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits, and animal products.

When my father came back home after the operation, he was low on hemoglobin, 9.6HB to be precise. So, I decided to increase the blood count naturally by raw juicing. Each day I used to make 1 liter of green juice consisting of Kulekhara (Hygrophila Spinosa T), spinach, lettuce, watercress, parsley, cilantro, leek, celery, and some herbs. Just after sixteen days, when I received the new blood report, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was 12.1HB! An increase of 2.5 points! To be honest, my dad didn’t like the taste at all, but the benefits were huge. Vitamin B not only helps in increasing blood count but also helps in increasing energy levels, boosting memory, and maintains proper nerve function.

Vitamin A:

Like vitamin D, vitamin A is also a fat-soluble vitamin. Having a teaspoon of organic coconut oil or olive oil along with it increases the absorption of such vitamin in the body.

Along with green juice, I also used to make about 700ml to 1-liter raw carrot juice per day for my dad during his recovery period. It used to take me a lot of time to prepare — from going to the grocery to buy the vegetables, washing them thoroughly, dicing, and then slow-juicing. But the effort was so worth it. Vitamin A helps to protect the eyes, protect the immune system, and is great for the skin.

Also, it is wise not to exceed the recommended daily dose of these vitamins which could lead to toxicity. I used to prepare these juices in a little larger quantity right after my dad’s operation because his body was depleted of nutrients.

Fiber:

Unfortunately, fiber is not found in animal products. Some good sources of fiber are legumes, nuts, and seeds, psyllium husk, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

It is part of the food that is not digested by our system and doesn’t give us calories. It keeps the colon in good health by helping the good bacteria to flourish in the gut, creates “roughage” by absorbing water so that the intestine can easily pass the waste out of the body and prevents constipation.

That’s why it is a good reason to eat whole fruits instead of juicing them. The fruit pulp is the portion that the body uses as a fiber.

Water:

Hydration is super important for the body. This is because almost all the organs in the body need water to function properly. Although there is no exact amount of water everybody should be consuming daily, but on average 2 to 3 liters of water per day would keep the functionalities of the body to be running smoothly. If you are exercising, then, of course, your body would require more water.

Here are some do’s related to drinking water that I have found to be very helpful:

• Drinking a glass of water upon waking up helps to rehydrate the body after hours of sleeping.
• Sipping water throughout the day helps with proper functionalities of the body.
• Drinking more water when you are running a fever helps the body to come down to normal temperature faster as the toxins flush away.

Sleep:

Our body heals and repairs itself when we get proper rest in the form of sound sleep. The optimal sleep time may vary from person to person but on average, we need 7–8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

The body goes through a lot of wear and tear each day from stress, physical exercise, and daily work. As such, a type of protein called cytokines is produced while we are in sleep which heals the body from all kinds of inflammation.

Also, it is important to have the last meal of the day at least two hours before bedtime so that instead of working on digestion, our body can focus on repairing itself.

Exercise:

A lack of exercise and physical activity can lead to loss of strength, mental fatigue, and low energy among many other negative consequences. Not only do we need to exercise regularly to stay agile, but we also need to move our bodies frequently throughout the day and avoid the tendency to sit at a stretch for long hours.

For instance, if you sitting for a while, standing up and moving around a bit would help to avoid bad posture and back pain. Doing exercise also releases the feel-good hormone called endorphins which helps to lower depression.

Below are a few different types of exercises and their benefits:

• Aerobic exercises help with improving muscle strength, circulation, and enhance oxygen transportation.
• Anaerobic exercises help with endurance, building muscle mass, and strengthening bones.
• Stretching helps with flexibility.
• Racket exercises like tennis help with good cardiovascular health.
• Rebounding on a trampoline helps with lymphatic system drainage.

De-stress:

Stress is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Every single day as we are exposed to the high pressure of living life, our bodies tend to build up an excessive amount of emotional, mental, and physical stress. It manifests as anger, irritability, headache, fatigue, insomnia, feeling conflicted/tense, and so on. Hence, an outlet becomes a necessity.

Even though we frown upon rest and recovery time, overlooking such could lead to serious health problems over time. Therefore, some downtime should be scheduled each day for relaxation to unwind the daily pressure build-up.

Here are some peaceful activities to try:

• Practicing mindfulness while eating/walking/reading
• Meditating
• Practicing relaxation breathing techniques
• Listening to pleasant music
• Playing with pets
• Journaling

To Sum It Up All:

Our health is the most precious thing we own. Therefore, we must protect it. When the body is taken care of, the body heals itself and develops a strong immunity.

Eat nutrients.

Hydrate.

Sleep well.

Move a lot.

And de-stress.

Disclaimer: All of this information I have written here is strictly from my research and experience only. If you wish to apply any or some of the tips I have provided here, kindly consult your doctor before. Please note that this is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice.

Note:

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