In this episode, we will be talking about 7 lifestyle changes for 2021 to boost your immune system and overall improve your well-being. This episode couldn’t have been in a better time, with a global pandemic and the start of the new year.
As you kick off 2021, reflect on the past year and set goals for yourself. I think the lockdown was a great teacher for many, whether it’s about your health or career.
The key to 2021 success will require a mindset shift, not empty New Year’s promises. Don’t waste this upcoming year with stagnation. Take this new chapter as a way to grow and develop yourself as a person.
Since we are in a global pandemic and the government nor the masks won’t save us from illness, it’s time to do our part in society and strengthen our immune health.
There are several dietary and lifestyle changes to incorporate which may strengthen your body’s natural defenses and help you fight harmful pathogens or disease-causing microbes.
1. Getting enough sleep
What happens if you don’t sleep enough? Not getting enough sleep weakens the immune system. It also lowers your sex drive, lose your focus, ages your skin, and leads to weight gain. Lack of sleep is making us fat, sick, inflamed, and imbalanced [1].
In fact, according to the CDC, more than one-third of Americans don’t get enough sleep. If you find yourself in the one-third category, it’s time to realize that the first thing you should do is focus on sleep.
We’d all love to be the sleepless hustler who works like a maniac and pushes hard at the gym. We go out on weekends and always feel great after only five hours of sleep.
Newsflash: This person doesn’t exist, and if you know someone like this, they’re heading for burnout. Your brain does allow you to feel sleepy sometimes. Blocking that feeling with caffeine will short-circuit the warning signs of sleep deprivation [2].
These include:
Yawning
Moodiness
Fatigue
Irritability
Depressed mood
Difficulty learning new concepts
Forgetfulness
Inability to concentrate
Lack of motivation
Clumsiness
Reduced sex drive
Lack of Sleep Weakens the Immune System
In a study of 164 healthy adults, those who slept fewer than 6 hours each night were more likely to catch a cold. It is in comparison to those who slept 6 hours or more each night. Short sleep duration = susceptibility to infectious illness.
The participants tracked sleep using wrist actigraphy for 7 consecutive days. They were quarantined and given nasal drops containing the rhinovirus. After that, the participants were observed over 5 days [3].
Sleep deprivation may decrease the production of protein cytokines and antibodies. How much sleep do you need to bolster your immune system?
The optimal amount of sleep for most adults is seven to eight hours of good sleep each night. Teenagers need nine to 10 hours of sleep. School-aged children may need 10 or more hours of sleep.
Sleep and Vaccines
Studies have shown that sleep improves the effects of vaccines. It also demonstrates sleep’s benefits for adaptive immunity [4].
Vaccines work by introducing a weakened or deactivated antigen to the body. This will then trigger an immune response. In this way, immunizations teach the immune system to recognize the antigen. It also attacks that antigen.
Sleep is an important factor that helps determine the effectiveness of vaccines [5]. Studies show that when a person doesn’t sleep after a vaccination weakens their immune. This comes from the studies of vaccines for hepatitis and swine flu. In some cases, this reduces the vaccine’s protection and may even need a second dose of the vaccine.
Trouble sleeping?
If you’re having trouble sleeping, try limiting screen time for an hour before bed. The blue light emitted from your phone, TV, and computer may disrupt your circadian rhythm. It is your body’s natural wake-sleep cycle. Other sleep hygiene tips can be darkening, using a sleep mask, and going to bed at the same time every night.
2. Stay hydrated
Hydration doesn’t protect you from germs and viruses. But preventing dehydration is important to your health.
Our immune system is dependent on the nutrients in our bloodstream. And our bloodstream is composed of water! If we don’t have enough water, we cannot transport nutrients to each organ system.
Staying well-hydrated is also very important for detoxification pathways. It increases lymphatic draining in our body. And makes sure we are clearing out any foreign invaders and other waste materials. Dehydration can contribute to muscle tension, headaches, low serotonin production, and digestive issues.
The easy rule of thumb for how much water to drink is the smallest of half of your body weight in ounces of water. This means that if you weigh 150 pounds, you need to drink at least 75 ounces of water daily. If you drink a cup of coffee – drink an extra 1 cup of water.
3. Eat more whole plant foods
An astounding 70 to 80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut. The immune system is separated from the 100 trillion microbes of your gut microbiome by a single layer of cells a fraction of the width of a strand of hair. The two are in constant communication.
A strong microbiome empowers the neighboring immune cells for optimal function. The foods that are highest in fiber are whole plant foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Instead of focusing on a single micronutrient, like vitamin C, it’s important to eat a wide variety since they contain different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that work in synergy.
These whole foods also contain antioxidants that decrease inflammation by combatting unstable compounds called free radicals, which can cause inflammation when they build up in your body at high levels. Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous health conditions, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers.
4. Exercise more
Improvements in immunity due to regular exercise of moderate intensity may be due to reductions in inflammation, maintenance of thymic mass, alterations in the composition of “older” and “younger” immune cells, enhanced immunosurveillance, and/or the improvement of psychological stress. Indeed, exercise is a powerful behavioral intervention that has the potential to improve the immune [6].
We do not know exactly if or how exercise increases your immunity to certain illnesses. There are several theories. However, none of these theories have been proven. Some of these theories are:
Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness.
Exercise causes a change in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body’s immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they can detect illnesses earlier than they might have before. However, no one knows whether these changes help prevent infections.
The brief rise in body temperature during and right after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing. This temperature rise may help the body fight infection better. (This is similar to what happens when you have a fever.)
Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. Some stress increases the chance of illness. Lower stress hormones may protect against illness.
5. Limit added sugars
Many experts say that sugar is one of the most harmful substances we can ingest. Take a look at Western culture, where obesity and diabetes are on the rise.
According to the American Heart Association, the limit for added sugar should be no more than six teaspoons of sugar for women and nine teaspoons for men (One teaspoon is 5g). In the United States, the average person consumes more than 126 grams of sugar per day!
Sucrose is the scientific name for sugar. Plants naturally make sucrose through photosynthesis. The sucrose molecule is made up of two parts: glucose and fructose. Fructose is not needed.
Fructose can only be metabolized in the liver; any excess is converted into fat, which is then stored in the liver. A prevalent form of fructose is high fructose corn syrup.
A big impact at that – immune function decreases for hours after sugar is consumed. A research study was done by Loma Linda University in which participants were fed different forms of sugar and found that the effectiveness of white blood cells (our immune cells that fight infection) decreased up to 50% after 1-2 hours of eating sugar, lasting up to five hours!
6. Eating more fermented foods or taking a probiotic supplement
Fermentation is an ancient technique of preserving food. Fermented foods are rich in beneficial probiotics and have been associated with a range of health benefits — from better digestion to stronger immunity. These foods include yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir.
Research suggests that a flourishing network of gut bacteria can help your immune cells differentiate between normal, healthy cells and harmful invader organisms [7].
A systematic review provides evidence from a number of good-quality Respiratory tract infections that probiotics reduce the duration of illness in otherwise healthy children and adults.
Not to mention many fermented foods are rich in vitamin C, iron, and zinc — all of which are proven to contribute to a stronger immune system.
7. Manage your stress levels
Managing your stress levels and anxiety is key to your immune system. Evidence is tracing the pathways of the mind-body connection. For example, chronic feelings of loneliness can help to predict health status – may be because lonely people have more psychological stress or experience it more intensely and that stress, in turn, tamps down immunity [8].
Short-term stress can enhance the acquisition and/or expression of immunoprotective (wound healing, vaccination, anti-infectious agent, anti-tumor) or immuno-pathological (pro-inflammatory, autoimmune) responses.
In contrast, chronic stress can suppress protective immune responses and/or exacerbate pathological immune responses.
Activities that may help you manage your stress include meditation, exercise, journaling, and yoga.
In Conclusion
These healthy lifestyle practices can lessen the intensity and duration of your symptoms when you do catch a bug. Getting sick and getting better is part of a healthy life. The more you can build up that memory of different viruses, the more likely your sickness is to be uneventful.
Get to know more about boosting our immune system by watching the full video of Ep. 91 here 👇👇👇
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro 00:10 – Welcome to the show 00:53 – Today’s episode 02:05 – No empty promises for the new year 03:55 – Lockdown benefits 07:08 – Get Enough Sleep 18:13 – Staying Hydrated 23:47 – Eating More Whole Food 29:40 – Exercise More 34:38 – Limiting Added Sugars 41:15 – Eating more fermented foods or taking probiotics 45:08 – Managing Your Stress Levels 52:06 – Conclusion 52:40 – End of show
Covid-19 cases are steadily rising in the US and there is an aim for another lockdown. Evidence is showing that a more positive outlook on life and feeling happy in general is being associated with less memory decline.
The benefits of caffeine have been debated for years, most recently caffeine intake is being linked with long-term memory benefits. Organ-on-chip has the potential to transform the way we do research on human cells with the potential of benefiting reperfusion therapy.
Positivity Is Associated With Less Memory Decline: Evidence From a 9-Year Longitudinal Study
A new study finds that people who feel enthusiastic and cheerful — what psychologists call ‘positive affect’ — are less likely to experience memory decline as they age [1]. This result adds to a growing body of research on the positive effect’s role in healthy aging.
Unfortunately, we wish some memorization could last a lifetime, but emotional factors can negatively impact our ability to remember information throughout life.
A team of researchers analyzed data from 991 middle-aged and older U.S. adults who participated in a national study conducted at three time periods: between 1995 and 1996, 2004 and 2006, and 2013 and 2014.
In each assessment, participants reported on a range of positive emotions they had experienced during the past 30 days. In the final two assessments, participants also completed tests of memory performance. These tests consisted of recalling words immediately after their presentation and again 15 minutes later.
Results
Results revealed that positive affect was associated with less memory decline across 9 years when analyses controlled for age, gender, education, depression, negative affect, and extraversion (state of primarily obtaining gratification from outside oneself.)
What’s interesting is as people get older, they experience fewer negative emotions. Older adults are more emotionally gratifying memory distortion for past choices.
This is a broad statement but the positivity effect in older adults’ memories seems to be due to their greater focus on emotion regulation secondary to cognitive control mechanisms that enhance positive and diminish negative information.
Caffeine
80% of the population consumes some type of caffeine, in the US it’s at about 90%. Caffeine is a natural stimulant most commonly found in tea, coffee, and cacao plants. It works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system, helping you stay alert and prevent the onset of tiredness.
Caffeine vs Adenosine
To understand the function of caffeine one has to grasp the concept of another neurotransmitter called adenosine.
Most people initially drink caffeine in the form of a beverage. It’s absorbed in the small intestines within an hour and becomes available throughout the blood and most parts of the body, including your brain. The mean half-life of caffeine is about 5 hrs. As it starts entering your brain, it starts competing with adenosine.
How Adenosine Makes You Feel Sleepy
There are many different receptors in your brain, different ones have different effects. The one we’re interested in is the A1 receptor. Adenosine locks with the A1 receptor, it promotes muscle relaxation and sleepiness, which is why people get tired as the day progresses.
Furthermore, adenosine can bind to the A2A receptor. This binding interferes with the release of mood-improving neurotransmitters, such as dopamine.
Adenosine itself is produced primarily from physical work and intensive brain use. That is why over the course of the day your body accumulates adenosine.
The caffeine in your brain is competing with adenosine and preventing it from binding to A1 receptors. This is why it promotes wakefulness.
Caffeine doesn’t actually lock in with the A1 receptor. It’s more like something that gets in the way and occupies the lock, rather than actually unlocking it.
It similarly gets in the way of the A2A receptor, which can help promote the release of dopamine and glutamate, making you feel good after a cup of coffee.
Before Caffeine
When you first wake up, your body has metabolized away the adenosine molecules. You’re a bit groggy, but you’re waking up.
Effects of Caffeine
Stimulates your central nervous system, which can make you feel more awake and give you a boost of energy
Is a diuretic, meaning that it helps your body get rid of extra salt and water by urinating more
Increases the release of acid in your stomach, sometimes leading to an upset stomach or heartburn
May interfere with the absorption of calcium in the body
How much Caffeine
1 cup of coffee = 100 mg
1 cup of tea = 50 mg
1 can/ 12 fl oz red bull = 112 mg
1 can/ 16fl oz monster = 160 mg
1can/ 16 fl oz bang = 300 mg
Interesting Studies
This study investigated the within‐person relationship between caffeine intake and sleep duration at home.
377 participants (aged 35–85 years) completed a 7‐day diary study.
Results revealed a significant effect of sleep duration on the change tendency of caffeine use: a shorter sleep duration predicted a stronger tendency to consume caffeine, and this phenomenon was only found in middle-aged adults (aged 35–55 years) not in older adults (aged 55+) [2].
This study measured the effects of 0, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg caffeine on cognitive performance, mood, and thirst in adults with low and moderate to high habitual caffeine intakes [3].
All doses of caffeine significantly affected cognitive performance, and the dose-response relationships for these effects were rather flat.
The effects on performance were more marked in individuals with a higher level of habitual caffeine intake, whereas caffeine increased thirst only in low caffeine consumers.
Conclusions: After overnight caffeine abstinence, caffeine can significantly affect cognitive performance, mood, and thirst at doses within and even lower than the range of amounts of caffeine contained in a single serving of popular caffeine-containing drinks. Regular caffeine consumers appear to show substantial tolerance to the thirst-increasing but not to the performance and mood effects of caffeine.
A group of 1875 healthy adults, stratified for age (range 24 – 81 years), sex, and general ability, were screened for the habitual intake of coffee and tea and took part in extensive cognitive testing [4].
Multiple regression analysis with control for age, sex, socio‐demographic variables, and substance use showed that habitual caffeine consumption was significantly related to better long‐term memory performance and faster locomotor speed.
No relationships were found between habitual caffeine consumption and short-term memory, information processing, planning, and attention as measured with the Stroop Test. Moreover, no difference in sensitivity to caffeine intake between different age groups was found, suggesting that caffeine intake did not counteract age-related cognitive decline.
Reviving Cells After a Heart Attack
Researchers have unraveled potential mechanisms behind the healing power of extracellular vesicles and demonstrated their capacity to not only revive cells after a heart attack but keep cells functioning while deprived of oxygen during a heart attack [5].
The researchers demonstrated this functionality in human tissue using a heart-on-a-chip with embedded sensors that continuously tracked the contractions of the tissue.
Extracellular Vesicles
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) are nanometer-sized messengers that travel between cells known as intercellular communication.
EVs are a promising tool for the next generation of therapies for everything from autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease to cancer and tissue injury.
EVs derived from stem cells have already been shown to help heart cells recover after a heart attack, but exactly how they help and whether the beneficial effect is specific to EVs derived from stem cells has remained a mystery.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied sciences have unraveled a potential mechanism that demonstrated the potential mechanism behind the healing power of EVs.
It demonstrated their capacity to not only revive cells after a heart attack but keep cells functioning while deprived of oxygen during a heart attack.
How was this discovered? Researchers used a heart-on-a-chip with embedded sensors that continuously tracked the contractions of the tissue.
The team tested the effect of Endothelial-derived EV’s (EEVs) on human heart tissue using the heart-on-a-chip model. Organ-on-chip platforms mimic the structure and function of native tissue and allow researchers to observe, in real-time, the effects of injuries and treatments in human tissue.
Reperfusion Injury Mechanism
The absence of oxygen and nutrients from blood during the ischemic period creates a condition in which the restoration of circulation results in inflammation and oxidative damage through the induction of oxidative stress rather than (or along with) restoration of normal function.
The ischemic tissue produces more reactive oxygen species but less nitric oxide following reperfusion and the imbalance results in an inflammatory response.
Findings in the research study
The researchers simulated a myocardial infarction and reoxygenation on chips that were infused with EEVs and those that were not.
They found that in tissues treated with EEVs, the cardiomyocytes could better adapt to stress conditions and sustain a higher workload.
The researchers induced injury by three hours of oxygen restrictions followed by 90 minutes of reoxygenation and then measured the fraction of dead cells and the contractile force of the tissue.
The heart tissue treated with EEVs had half as many dead cells and had a contractile force four times higher than the untreated tissue after injury.
What will be the future of Exosomal cell therapies?
In this episode, we will be talking about 7 lifestyle changes for 2021 to boost your immune system and overall improve your wellbeing. This episode couldn’t have been in a better time, with a global pandemic and the start of the new year.
As you kick off 2021, reflect on the past year and set goals for yourself. I think the lockdown was a great teacher for many, whether it’s about your health or career. The key for 2021 success will require a mindset shift, not empty New Years promises. Don’t waste this upcoming year with stagnation, take this new chapter as a way to grow and develop yourself as a person.
Since we are in a global pandemic and the government nor the masks won’t save us from illness, it’s time to do our part in society and strengthen our immune health. There are several dietary and lifestyle changes to incorporate which may strengthen your body’s natural defenses and help you fight harmful pathogens, or disease-causing microbes.
Getting enough sleep
What happens if you don’t sleep enough? Not getting quality sleep can weaken your immune system, lower your sex drive, make it harder to think straight, age your skin, and leads to weight gain. Lack of sleep is literally making us fat, sick, inflamed, and imbalanced.
In fact, according to the CDC, more than one-third of Americans don’t get enough sleep. If you find yourself in the one-third category, it’s time to realize that the first thing you should do is prioritize sleep. We’d all love to be the sleepless hustler who works like a maniac, pushes hard at the gym, goes out on weekends, and always feels excellent on only five hours of sleep.
Newsflash: This person doesn’t exist, and if you know someone like this, they’re heading for burnout. Your brain does allow you to feel sleepy sometimes, but trying to block that feeling with caffeine will short-circuit a lot of vital warning signs of sleep deprivation.
These include:
Yawning
Moodiness
Fatigue
Irritability
Depressed mood
Difficulty learning new concepts
Forgetfulness
Inability to concentrate
Lack of motivation
Clumsiness
Reduced sex drive
In a study of 164 healthy adults, those who slept fewer than 6 hours each night were more likely to catch a cold than those who slept 6 hours or more each night. Short sleep duration = susceptibility to infectious illness. The participants tracked sleep using wrist actigraphy for seven consecutive days and then were quarantined and administered nasal drops containing the rhinovirus and monitored over 5 days.
Sleep deprivation may decrease production of the protein cytokines and antibodies. How much sleep do you need to boost your immune system? The optimal amount of sleep for most adults is seven to eight hours of sound sleep each night. Teenagers need nine to 10 hours of sleep. School-aged children may need 10 or more hours of sleep.
Sleep and vaccines
Studies have clearly shown that sleep improves the effects of vaccines, demonstrating sleep’s benefits for adaptive immunity.
Vaccines introduce a weakened or deactivated antigen to the body, triggering an immune response. In this way, immunizations effectively teach the immune system9 to recognize and attack that antigen.
Sleep is an essential factor that helps determine the effectiveness of vaccines. Studies of vaccines for hepatitis and swine flu (H1N1) have found that the body’s immune response is weaker when people don’t sleep the night after receiving a vaccine. In some cases, this reduces the vaccine’s protection and may even require a second dose of the vaccine.
Trouble sleeping?
If you’re having trouble sleeping, try limiting screen time for an hour before bed, as the blue light emitted from your phone, TV, and computer may disrupt your circadian rhythm or your body’s natural wake-sleep cycle. Other sleep hygiene tips can be darkening, using a sleep mask, and going to bed simultaneously every night.
Stay Hydrated
Hydration doesn’t necessarily protect you from germs and viruses, but preventing dehydration is essential to your overall health.
Our immune system is highly dependent on the nutrients in our bloodstream, and our bloodstream is made mainly of water! If we don’t have enough water, we cannot correctly transport nutrients to each organ system. Staying well hydrated is also very important for detoxification pathways, increasing lymphatic draining, and making sure we are clearing out any foreign invaders and other waste materials. Dehydration can contribute to muscle tension, headaches, low serotonin production, and digestive issues.
The easy rule of thumb for how much water to drink is a minimum of half of your body weight in ounces of water. If you weigh 150 pounds, you must drink at least 75 ounces of water daily. If you drink a cup of coffee – drink an additional 1 cup of water.
Eat More Whole-plant Foods to Boost Your Immune System
An astounding 70 to 80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut. The immune system is separated from the 100 trillion microbes of your gut microbiome by a single layer of cells a fraction of the width of a strand of hair. The two are in constant communication.
A strong microbiome empowers the neighboring immune cells for optimal function. The foods that are highest in fiber are whole plant foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Instead of focusing on a single micronutrient, like vitamin C, it’s essential to eat a wide variety since they contain different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that work in synergy.
Eating whole foods also contain antioxidants which decrease inflammation by combatting unstable compounds called free radicals, which can cause inflammation when they build up in your body at high levels. Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous health conditions, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers.
Exercise More
Improvements in immunity due to the regular exercise of moderate intensity may be due to reductions in inflammation, maintenance of thymic mass, alterations in the composition of “older” and “younger” immune cells, enhanced immunosurveillance, and/or the improvement of psychological stress. Indeed, exercise is a powerful behavioral intervention that has the potential to improve the immune.
We do not know exactly if or how exercise increases your immunity to certain illnesses. There are several theories. However, none of these theories have been proven. Some of these theories are:
Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness.
Exercise causes change in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body’s immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they can detect illnesses earlier than they might have before. However, no one knows whether these changes help prevent infections.
The brief rise in body temperature during and after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing. This temperature rise may help the body fight infection better. (This is similar to what happens when you have a fever.)
Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. Some stress increases the chance of illness. Lower stress hormones may protect against illness.
Limit added sugars
Many experts say that sugar is one of the most harmful substances we can ingest. Take a look at western culture, where obesity and diabetes are rising. According to the American Heart Association, the limit for added sugar should be no more than six teaspoons of sugar for women and nine teaspoons for men (One teaspoon is 5g). The average person consumes more than 126 grams of sugar daily in the United States!
Sucrose is the scientific name for sugar. Plants naturally make sucrose through photosynthesis. The sucrose molecule is made up of two parts: glucose and fructose. Fructose is not needed. Fructose can only be metabolized in the liver; any excess is converted into fat, then stored in the liver. A prevalent form of fructose is high fructose corn syrup.
A big impact is that immune function decreases for hours after consuming sugar. A research study by Loma Linda University in which participants were fed different forms of sugar found that the effectiveness of white blood cells (our immune cells which fight infection) decreased up to 50% after 1-2 hours of eating sugar, lasting up to five hours!
Eating more fermented foods or taking a probiotic supplement.
Fermentation is an ancient technique for preserving food. Fermented foods are rich in beneficial probiotics and have been associated with various health benefits — from better digestion to stronger immunity. These foods include yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir. Research suggests that a flourishing network of gut bacteria can help your immune cells differentiate between normal, healthy cells and harmful invader organisms.
A systematic review provides evidence from several good-quality Respiratory tract infections that probiotics reduce the duration of illness in otherwise healthy children and adults.
Not to mention many fermented foods are rich in vitamin C, iron, and zinc — all of which are proven to contribute to a more robust immune system.
Manage Your Stress Levels and Boost Your Immune System
Managing your stress levels and anxiety is key to your immune system. Evidence is tracing the pathways of the mind-body connection. For example, chronic feelings of loneliness can help to predict health status – maybe because lonely people have more psychological stress or experience it more intensely. That stress, in turn, tamps down immunity.
Short-term stress can enhance the acquisition and/or expression of immunoprotective (wound healing, vaccination, anti-infectious agent, anti-tumor) or immuno-pathological (pro-inflammatory, autoimmune) responses.
In contrast, chronic stress can suppress protective immune responses and/or exacerbate pathological immune responses.
Activities that may help you manage your stress and boost your immune system include meditation, exercise, journaling, and yoga.
In Conclusion
These healthy lifestyle practices can lessen your symptoms’ intensity and duration when you catch a bug. Getting sick and getting better is part of a healthy life. The more you can build up that memory of different viruses, the more likely your sickness will be uneventful.
Learn more about making your immune system strong this 2021 here 👇👇👇
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro 00:10 – Welcome to the show 00:53 – Today’s episode 02:05 – No empty promises for the new year 03:55 – Lockdown benefits 07:08 – Get Enough Sleep 18:13 – Staying Hydrated 23:47 – Eating More Whole Food 29:40 – Exercise More 34:38 – Limiting Added Sugars 41:15 – Eating more fermented foods or taking probiotics 45:08 – Managing Your Stress Levels 52:06 – Conclusion 52:40 – End of show
Most people have heard of the term fasting. Most will recognize fasting from Ramadan, which requires people who follow the Muslim faith to be abstinent of food and water from sunrise to sunset. Intermittent fasting is very similar. The approach is to consume no calories for 16 hours then consume your required calories within an 8-hour window. This process is repeated and done every day, 16 hours of no food consumption, and 8 hours of eating. No calories are to be consumed during the 16 hour fast. The exceptions are water, coffee, sugar-free gum, and zero-calorie sweeteners. Diet sodas have zero calories but venture away from those types of drinks.
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
INCREASE IN METABOLISM
The way intermittent fasting indirectly boosts your metabolism is through norepinephrine. During acute starvation, short-term calorie negligence, your body increases norepinephrine levels. Norepinephrine causes an increase in the release of glucose.
We associate a decrease in metabolism when we do not consume calories for long periods of time. When you are unable to consume calories, your body will naturally slow down and decrease its metabolism to adapt
In intermittent fasting, your metabolism does not decrease because the fasting is short term. It increases, you initially put mild stress on the body which equals a higher work demand. There is a higher work demand because now your body has to break down fat stores for energy. Before you allow your body to go into starvation mode, you flip over to eating. Once you start eating your body has a natural decrease in stress because it is now getting calories from an outside source. The body adjusts back to your baseline, slowly raising the threshold and becoming more efficient.
IMMUNE FUNCTION
One of the main ways intermittent fasting boosts your immune system is a concept called autophagy. Autophagy is the process of programmed cell death. It is also the ability to find damaged cells and destroy them. During fasting, the body is breaking down glucose, fat, and ketones for energy. On the immunological level, it is also breaking down white blood cells for resources to rebuild. White blood cells is a general term used to associate all our immune cells. Our body naturally breaks down damaged cells and uses those components to create new mature white blood cells for the future.
Intermittent fasting also decreases oxidative stress and inflammation. Long-term effects of oxidation and inflammation increase the risks of developing cancer and other chronic diseases. A decrease in chronic disease, in turn, helps decrease the workload of the immune system. Cell regeneration is escalated during intermittent fasting. While intermittent fasting the human body is always in optimal shape.
BRAIN HEALTH
The origins of fasting came from philosophers. Their intention was to increase mental capacity and function. Those Greek thinkers found a correlation; fasting increased their cognition and provided a cleaner more efficient way of thinking. Clearly, it worked because we now refer to them as philosophers. You take the work and time needed to consume food and put that effort into brain function and mental processing. This is also aided by autophagy, except this time with brain cells. Intermittent fasting may even regenerate damaged neurons, which is what neurologists are currently researching. The same way you clean your immune system you can cleanse your brain, intern leading to increased mental acuity and cognitive ability.
Intermittent fasting can increase a hormone called BDNF. Studies show that The chemical Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is decreased in depression and other brain issues. An increase in BDNF can make you feel better on a neurological level. During Intermittent fasting more of the BDNF proteins are present in your brain so the likelihood of you getting depressed or even sad should decrease.
SELF CONTROL
How many times have you been hungry at an inconvenient time? You consistently put off food because you are too busy to eat. Intermittent fasting allows you to be on a schedule. You can only eat for 8 hours a day. The human body adapts to this schedule, so you are just hungry for those 8 hours. The food eaten during the 8 hour period has to be nutrient-dense, it has to provide for the whole daily value. If you consume empty calories, like processed food, junk food won’t hold you over. You will be struggling with fasting. The cravings developed will be for healthy foods because the body knows what foods provide the most nutrition. Simply, you’ll feel better because clean food will be going into a clean body.
Intermittent fasting leads to higher productivity. With intermittent fasting, you will be better at planning because you are already on a schedule. If you can mentally change your hunger and cravings, you can change any aspect of your life.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I’ve been fasting on and off for the past few months. The goal is to be as adamant with intermittent fasting as possible; unfortunately, things do come up, and schedules can change relatively quickly. My 16-8 intermittent fasting is consistent for most of the month. I do notice the differences when I stray away from fasting for a few days compared to when I am persistent. I feel that intermittent fasting did indeed increase metabolism, immune function, brain health, and self-control.
Wintertime is associated with sickness and uncomfortably cold weather. Not everyone lives in a warm climate, and some of us don’t mind the winter season. Being a native Chicagoan, I’d like to give you a few tips on getting through winter.
What to do to Stay Healthy During Winter
Increase your Vitamin C
According to Mayo Clinic, the daily recommended intake of vitamin C is 90 mg, with an upper limit of 2,000. Don’t be afraid to hit that upper limit. Vitamin C is water-soluble, so you’ll filter out whatever your body does not use. Vitamin C is the building block of your immune system, and making sure you get enough daily is crucial to staying healthy. IV doses of vitamin C have been shown to cure certain cancers, so you can only imagine how valuable it is to your body.
Wash Your Hands and Cover Your Mouth
I’m sure that is what you tell your kids, but do you do it as much as you should? About 40% to 60% of people admit to not washing their hands, and roughly the same amount does not cover their mouths when sneezing or coughing. Instead, you should wash and scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds and use your arm to cover your mouth. Don’t be part of the problem, do the simple hygiene routine that can stop the spread of infection.
Turn in Early
Getting enough sleep is an essential aspect of staying healthy. Inconsistency in sleep and sleep deprivation decrease immune cells in your body. When it’s time to fight a virus, your body is weaker, leading you to get sick more easily. Knocking out early will give you more energy to tackle the next day’s challenges. Plus, there is nothing more comforting during a cold night than snuggling up in a warm blanket and falling asleep.
Moisturize
Our skin gets dried out more frequently during winter. It is essential to keep your skin healthy and happy. Moisturizer helps treat damaged skin. Skin is our first barrier against germs. Make sure it is hydrated and satisfied. It just feels right having healthy skin.
Dress for the Weather
Hoodie and short-season are over; you may be able to get away with it in fall but not winter. Keeping your body warm promotes circulation. Why put yourself through the trouble of feeling colder than you should. Not dressing appropriately causes your body to focus on internally staying warm. This takes away from your body’s ability to fight germs. If you don’t like winter, don’t make it worse for yourself. Dress warmly.
Closing Thoughts
Winter can be rough and uncomfortable, especially when you’re not used to them. Staying healthy during this season is especially important because this is the time most people are getting sick. It is crucial to take plenty of vitamin C, wash your hands, and cover your mouth, get plenty of rest, moisturize, and dress warmly.
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