Strengthening Immune System Naturally to Avoid Infections

What Are Infections?

Infections are nothing but a disruption caused in the normal functioning of our bodily systems by a foreign microorganism (coming from outside). When they disrupt the body organs, they cannot work optimally, leading to reduced capacity, which is termed as illness.

Are All Microorganisms Disease-Causing?

No. There are many types of microorganisms, and all are not disease-causing. Some are beneficial too. In fact, some are essential for our digestion and metabolism. Our digestive system, especially intestines, are host to trillions of microorganisms that aid in the digestion of the food that we eat. There are probiotic drugs that help in increasing the number of gastric flora (gut microorganisms). Some types of viruses, bacterias, fungi, and protozoa do cause disease and are not supposed to be present in our body.

Does the Presence of Disease-Causing Microorganisms Mean Infection

No. Many a time, disease-causing organisms are just present in our body without causing disease. Such a presence is known as 'asymptomatic.' They are just present without causing any harm. Therefore, their presence only will not amount to an infection or a disease. After some time, they go away on their own, or in some cases, they stay in the body for a very long time, sometimes for years, without causing disease.

Why Microorganisms Cause Disease in Some People and Not in All?

Here the role of the immune system comes in. We have been hearing about the word 'immunity' quite a lot for the last few months after the emergence of COVID-19. Immunity is nothing but the natural defense system of the body or the immune system that protects us from any foreign invasions. This means they guard our body just like our armed forces guard our country. If our immune system is strong, it means our immunity or capability of fighting disease-causing microorganisms is strong. People with strong immunity do not fall sick even if disease-causing organisms enter the body.

On the other side, people with weak immunity, or with a weak defense system tend to get infected and fall sick with the same microorganism.

How to Develop a Strong Immunity?

1. Maintain Total Good Health:

Preventing infectious diseases is much better than getting infected and then trying to get it treated. To prevent infections and to keep our immunity strong, we need to keep our overall health in good condition. It means if we already have some disease, it becomes easier to get another disease. It could be an infective or non-infective disease. Even if one has a non-infective disease, such as diabetes (type 1 or 2), high BP (blood pressure), high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, digestive problems, weak liver, or any other lifestyle-related disorder, they become prone to catching infections.

Lifestyle-related diseases or chronic diseases (diseases that affect us for a long time) make our immunity very weak. The body is continuously spending a lot of energy to repair itself due to damages caused by these diseases. Such people with chronic diseases also catch infections very easily, be it seasonal flu, common cold, cough, fevers, digestive infections, etc. Therefore, it is important to keep total health in good condition to have protection against infections, including COVID-19.

2) Take a Healthy and Natural Diet:

Food is the most powerful medicine. If we eat the right kind of food, we will not develop chronic diseases, and our risk of catching infectious diseases also will be very low. Eating the right food involves:

• Avoiding processed food that is purchased in ready-to-eat form. It includes fast foods, packed, and snacks. These foods are manufactured in factories and are without any nutritious value. They should be less than 10 % in our daily diet.
• Cooking in a healthy way, and avoiding overcooking. Limit the use of refined oil and processed pastes. As much as possible, use raw and filtered oil and fresh ingredients.
• One must include all food groups to get balanced nutrition, including fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, pulses, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Eating a variety of foods in each group helps in getting a unique nutritional mix from each food item helps in keeping harmful microorganisms away.

3) Staying Connected with Nature:

Our body is an extension of nature. The more closer we are to nature, the healthier we are. A typical urban lifestyle is devoid of fresh air, sunlight, and greenery. One must try to get exposure to all the natural elements on a daily basis. Going for a walk, breathing in the fresh air, sunlight, and staying in close proximity with plants and trees helps maintain strong immunity.

4) Physical Activity:

Our body is not designed to lie on the bed and sit on a chair for long periods. It must remain physically active for at least 8 hours a day. But in modern-day city lifestyle, this rarely happens. Work is mostly desk-based that involves plenty of sitting and very less moving. In such a scenario, it becomes easier to get infectious diseases. To make up for this, one must exercise at least 30 minutes per day for at least five days a week. Pathogens do not survive when there is sufficient oxygen in our body cells. Therefore one must include aerobics, cardio, and breathing exercises (Pranayama) in their workout schedule.

5) Positivity:

Our mind has a strong influence on our bodies. Keeping a positive mindset with energizing and elevated thoughts go a long way in keeping a strong immunity. One must always have a feeling of gratitude towards everyone. One must train the mind to stay away from weak and negative thoughts such as anger, frustration, jealousy, resentment, guilt, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, worthlessness, etc. As these thoughts sap body energy and release harmful chemicals in the body, which weakens the immune system.

With these lifestyle strategies, not only the risk of getting infectious diseases gets minimized, but one can avoid lifestyle-related chronic diseases as well.

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