We’re always looking for new, more convenient, better, faster ways of being more healthy.

We keep hoping that someone, somewhere, will come up with that magic wand which, at the press of a button or the popping of a pill, will boost our immune system and keep us happy and healthy to the end of our (preferably very long) life!

But the fact is, that in hundreds (if not thousands) of years, we haven’t really discovered anything fundamentally new. The same old, simple principles apply. We just seem to forget or avoid them in our science and consumer driven, “fix me now… and do it quickly” world.

What we’ve known for centuries still holds true, and if you want to have a great immune system and stay strong and healthy throughout your life, there are some simple principles to live by that will give you a great chance of doing just that.

1. Water, water everywhere…

People must get bored hearing it – surely we all know about it – and it’s such a simple thing to do. Just make sure you drink enough water. That’s all there is to it. Pure water. It has a fundamental effect on all of our systems, boosting our brain power, cleansing all of our organs, giving our skin a youthful glow…

It seems crazy that our lives are so busy that we can’t simply drink a cup of water every now and again. If you can remember to have a cup of coffee, or a cola, you can remember (or even better replace them with) a glass of water!

2. Must I really move?

Yep, exercise is the next thing on the list – dreaded by some, loved by others. Once you start exercising it can become a healthy addiction. But it doesn’t have to mean getting hot and sweaty at the gym or on the court. It can be as simple as making sure you walk more… take the steps rather than the elevator or walk to the shops rather than jumping in the car.

Some exercise like Yoga or Tai Chi aren’t particularly sweaty sports anyway. If sporty exercise isn’t your thing, simply try to find ways of squeezing more movement into your day. Your lymphatic system, which drains much of the waste matter from your tissues, can’t get rid of it without the movement of your muscles to pump it along.

So if nothing else, while you’re sitting being a couch potato or slumped over your computer all day, just picture all that waste and rubbish building up in your body, unable to move until you do. You really don’t want your body to be a rubbish dump, so get moving to help it! Your immune system will improve, and 9 times out of 10, so will your mood!

3. Zzzzzzzzzzzz……

However boring it might seem (particularly to teenagers who often resist sleeping any more than they absolutely must to survive!) sleep is one of our immune system’s greatest friends.

It’s quite an amazing thing when you really think about it, that we can virtually shut ourselves down for a period of time to allow all of our systems to recharge. When you actually get sick, going to sleep is normally the first thing we want to do, to give your body a chance to heal and rebalance itself. Getting more sleep before you get sick gives your body regular times to rejuvenate, rest and repair itself to reduce the chances of your getting sick in the first place, and putting you in a stronger position should you get sick.

Various studies have been done to identify whether how much sleep we get matters very much, as well as whether the time that we get our sleep makes any difference. The conclusion seems to be that although some people can function absolutely fine on 4 or 5 hours sleep in every 24 hours, most adults do need, on average 6 to 8 hours of good sleep out of every 24 hours.

There is some evidence to suggest that getting at least 4 of those hours between the times of 10.00 pm and 6.00 am is definitely preferable and a more natural pattern for most people.

The key thing is that if you’re getting enough sleep, you will almost certainly find it easy to get up in the morning and feel refreshed. If that’s not the case, try to ensure a long and peaceful night’s sleep for a period of a week or two and see if it makes any difference. If you still struggle, you may want to take a look at your diet, in case you’re putting your system under strain and that’s what’s causing you to feel drained.

4. Improving your diet

Eating in a way that ensures you’re getting all the nutrients you need, and in a way that suits you as an individual can have an astounding effect on your feeling of health and well-being.

Explore this site for loads of tips on how to eat more healthily without losing any of the wonderful flavour and enjoyment of food and about Personalised Diet Planning , which shows you exactly what to eat to suit your body!

Foods that can boost a suppressed weak immune system are:

Vitamin C rich foods like kiwi, kale, spinach, red bell peppers, limes, pineapples, papaya, grapefruit and raspberries.

Vitamin D rich foods like mushrooms, salmon, mackerel eggs and plenty of exposure to sunlight.

Essential Fatty Acid rich foods like fermented cod liver oil, oily fish, blue green algae, spirulina, seaweeds, walnuts, sardines, flaxseeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds.

Detoxing on a regular basis can also give your whole system a rest, and a chance to recover before you begin to send less healthy food through your system again!

5. Relaxation and stress relief

It’s so important to give ourselves the chance to switch off, relax and consciously relieve the stresses of everyday life, which can boost a suppressed immune system. Too many of us try to do this by slumping in front of the TV, watching stuff we’re not particularly interested in, snacking on something convenient, before we fall into bed…

Taking time out to relax properly in whatever way suits you best, whether it’s Yoga, tai Chi, meditation, going for a long walk, reading quietly or exercise of some kind, can be a huge boost to your system, helping you to cope with much higher stress levels the rest of the time. A quiet time of reflection at the beginning or end of each day (or both) can reap rewards way out of proportion to the small amount of time allocated to it. Those rewards are physical as well as the obvious mental and emotional stress relief that it affords.

So it’s nothing new – nothing earth shattering, just the same wisdom that has been passed down through the centuries, if we can only listen to it and put it into practice. Any one of the above factors will make a difference if they’re currently missing from your life. Put all five into place and you will be amazed at the transformation.

Take care and stay healthy

Leah

The Naturally You Coach

About the Author: Leah Salmon, The Naturally You Coach, is a best selling author of 6 books, editor of The Naturally You Magazine, a whole foods and personal development coach, raw food workshop teacher and homeschooling mother of 5. Leah helps people boost their energy, beat their cravings, stabilise their weight, reverse symptoms of disease using personalised dieting planning with whole foods and her signature 7 step Naturally You Coaching program. Join her FREE mailing list in the yellow box on the right of the page to get a Free Top Ten Health Boosting Recipes Book

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