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OPTIMISING IMMUNITY
BUILDING DEFENCE AGAINST
SICKNESS
Nutritionist Zoe Dent looks at how you can bolster your body’s
natural defence against illness to reduce your chances of getting sick.
Y our immune system is your body’s
natural defence against illness –
so it should be an ongoing goal to
keep it as strong as possible.
During these times, more and more people
who have never previously spared it much
thought will be realising the importance of
improving their health. The keys to a
balanced immune system and better overall
health are optimising your diet, movement
and sleep, while reducing stress.
Diet and gut health
When it comes to diet, a low-processed,
antioxidant-rich whole foods diet can
support the body’s ability to repair itself and
ensure optimal gut health.
Over 70% of the body’s immune cells are
located in the gut walls, which explains why
good gut health is key to robust immunity.
This can be achieved by consuming a
variety of pre and probiotics, and soluble
and insoluble fibre, while avoiding toxins,
pharmaceuticals and chemicals which can
degrade our gut health.
Specific probiotic strains that have
been studied in the prevention of colds and
viruses have been shown to shorten the
duration and severity of illness through their
impact on the gut. A balanced microbiome
provides the building blocks for our immune
system and plays a regulatory role keeping
it in check.
We also have immune cells located in the
THE QUICK READ
• The keys to a balanced immune system
and better overall health are optimising
your diet, movement and sleep, while
reducing stress
• Movement can increase the circulation
of white blood cells which can kill
pathogens (germs) and can also
positively affect mental health and sleep
• When we’re stressed, the immune
system becomes weaker and makes us
more susceptible to infection
• When it comes to diet, a low-processed,
antioxidant-rich whole foods diet can
support the body’s ability to repair itself
and ensure optimal gut health.
24 | NETWORK WINTER 2020