Boost Your Immune System: Poor Nutrition and Lack of Exercise

There is nothing simple about our immune system. Scientists continue to study the complexity of the processes and structures that work together in our bodies keep us healthy year after year. As we transition from one season to the next, there are new threats that attack our environment and can potentially send our bodies into a tailspin if we have not prepared ourselves for the battle. This includes preparing and protecting both the fixed and the mobile parts of our immune defenses; the fixed are systems of our body that keep threats from entering, while the mobile are cells and systems that kick into action when the body detects a threat. There is no one thing that you can do to completely support your immune system, but rather a series of daily habits that will help you to stay on top of your health and wellness all year long.

This Immunity Series will start by looking at immune detractors – things that keep our immune system from functioning at an optimum level. Part One will examine the basics behind nutrition and exercise and then discuss what dōTERRA offers to turn these two detractors into supporters of your body. Part Two will discuss stress, lack of sleep, and toxicity in your body and the simple things you can do and the essential oils to use to bring your system back into balance. Finally, Part Three will look at simple daily habits you can employ to keep those threats from attacking your body to begin with – diffusing on a daily basis, applying oils topically, and cleaning with essential oils.

The rest of the Healthy All Year Long Series will provide detailed looks at a variety of factors that influence you and your family’s health and wellness throughout the seasons and the essential oils and products that can keep you supported and primed to battle the seasonal and environmental threats.

So, let’s begin…

NUTRITION

THE BASICS

In order to support your fixed immunity, your bodily structures must be supported on a daily basis so that they are in tip-top condition during those times when environmental threats are high. Fueling your body with a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals is your best way to keep energy high and structures functioning at their best. While I can recommend a variety of products to help to support your body, they will have to do twice the amount of work if you are not eating a healthy and balanced diet to begin with. This is the first adjustment you can make in your daily lifestyle to help your body to support itself during times of immune threat.

THE NEXT STEP

dōTERRA offers a variety of products for assisting you in balancing your body’s nutritional content. We highly recommend starting with the dōTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack®, which is a specially formulated combination of nutrients, antioxidants, and metabolic support. Researched and developed by dōTERRA’s team of scientists doctors, this amazing daily support program has the potential to transform your health and wellness to optimum levels with its trio of core products – Alpha CRS®+ Cellular Vitality Complex, xEO Mega®Essential Oil Omega Complex, and Microplex VMz® Food Nutrient Complex. All three are intended to be taken together as a daily supplement to directly support your energy, vitality, and wellness. While it is recommended to take four capsules per day, some people find that they need to start small and work up to the full dose. I recommend listening to your body and starting with one capsule, then gradually working up to the full dose as you continue to stay in tune with your body and make the other lifestyle adjustments recommended in this article. Like I mentioned before, it isn’t just one magic change to your lifestyle that will completely support your immune system, but rather a combination of a variety of factors.

Supporting a healthy weight is also an important factor in your wellness, and dōTERRA’s Slim & Sassy® Metabolic Blend can help you to curb those cravings while working with your new eating routine and the exercise routine discussed below. It is so simple to use by either putting a few drops in your daily water bottle, diffusing it throughout the day, or applying it topically with some Fractionated Coconut Oil. dōTERRA also offers a simple Slim & Sassy® Metabolic Blend Softgel that you can take throughout the day to support your metabolism if you aren’t a fan of the flavor or scent, or if it is just easier to pop one on-the-go.

EXERCISE

THE BASICS

We all know that exercise is a good thing for your body. While the amount of exercise differs per person and depends on the end results that you want to achieve or maintain, one thing is certain – exercise is a necessary component of supporting your immune system and keeping your body in the best shape possible. If your body is not in good shape before you are hit with threats, you cannot expect it to support you when attacked. Working with the positive changes in your diet, I recommend adopting an exercise routine that energizes you and does not make you too uncomfortable. This may be as simple as going for a 30-minute walk three times a week or practicing some yoga or pilates. You may decide to go full-on and join a gym for optimum health. Or you may find that your body needs some serious help.

Let’s get real – if you can’t make it up a flight of stairs without getting winded, how is your respiratory system – part of your fixed immunity – supposed to fight off environmental or seasonal threats? If you pull a muscle carrying in a bag of groceries, how can you expect them to support a fatigued body that is attacked during the transitional times of the year? Now is the time to make the choice to amp up your body’s fixed immunities in order to be proactive about your overall health and wellness.

THE NEXT STEP

dōTERRA helps you to transition into a phase of exercising your right to health and wellness and control over you own healthcare by offering products that support you. Mito2Max® Energy & Stamina Complex, when taken as a supplement, can provide your body with natural way to support energy production and healthy circulation as you begin your transformation journey into health and wellness. Get rid of those over-the-counter shots of energy or the highly-caffeinated and sugar-laden energy drinks, and do yourself a favor by introducing Mito2Max® to your world. Your body and mind will thank you for it and so will your wallet when you cut out the expensive synthetic bursts of energy from your life. I’m not going totally crazy and suggesting that you give up your daily dose of java, so don’t lose your minds! Baby steps…

Many people have also found that drinking some Slim & Sassy® Metabolic Blend in their water before or during a workout gives them an extra energy boost. Other essential oils that are great to sip in your water during a workout or throughout the day are our citrus oils – Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, or Wild Orange. Not only may they help to support your immune system, but they also provide an amazing kick of flavor to the water that you may be resistant to drink. Remember that as a general rule of thumb you want to consume 8 8-oz. glasses of water per day, but that depends on your activity level, diet, and lifestyle.