Have you ever noticed that some people are always healthy while others seem to pick up every cold and flu that comes along? Have you ever wondered why? The complete answer is complicated, but simply put, it depends on the strength of a person's immune system.

Symptoms of lowered immunity include frequent colds and flu, herpes (cold sores), allergies, continual fatigue, Candida yeast overgrowth, painful joints and muscles, parasite infections, eczema, psoriasis and inflammatory disorders. Our natural immunity gives us the ability to resist disease and infection. We are all born with innate immunity, or the ability to react to foreign substances. We also have learned immunity, which is the ability to learn, to adapt, and to remember. Learned immunity is why we don't contract chickenpox or measles more than once. When allowed to face these conditions without the interference of vaccinations or drugs, and while maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the body builds natural immunity.

Understanding immunity
Immunity involves the production of antibodies (specific proteins), which are designed to destroy particular invaders called antigens (foreign, unusable protein molecules). The immune system is constantly searching for antigens that don't belong to the body. Its basic strategy is to recognize the enemy, mobilize forces, then attack. Potential antigens include drugs, pollens, insect venom, chemicals in foods and drugs, malignant cells and foreign tissue from transfused blood or vaccinations. Immunity, which is a complex and delicately balanced system, can deal with a wide range of pathogens, such as viruses, fungi, bacteria, and parasites, when it is strong. The immune system circulates via the lymphatic vessels, which permeate every organ in the body except the brain.

The lymphatic system is sometimes referred to as the body's other circulation and elimination system. It is the body's most important tool in maintaining immunity to disease. Lymphatic vessels contain lymph, which is a pale thick fluid consisting of fat laden liquid and white blood cells. Lymph nodes, tonsils, thymus, bone marrow, spleen, liver, pancreas, lungs, and the intestines are also part of the immune system. As part of an immune response, white blood cells are mobilized and deployed to areas of the body requiring their assistance. Lymph nodes, which contain filters, may swell when the lymphatic vessels drain infection to the nearest area where an immune response can be organized. Lymph nodes most commonly recognized are in the neck, underarm and groin areas. In times of illness and compromised health, these nodes can become inflamed, swollen, and blocked, which sets the stage for toxic storage and development of disease conditions within the body.

Improving immunity
The body knows how to be healthy, and it will keep us that way if we cooperate with it by supplying the necessary nutrients for it to do its job. As great as the immune system is, it can only work if it is properly cared for. This means consuming nutritious food, assuring that the body's organs of detoxification are working efficiently, and obtaining adequate exercise and rest. Avoiding things that depress immunity, such as chemicalbased household cleaners, overuse of antibiotics and other drugs, pesticides, exposure to environmental pollutants, stress and processed foods, is also necessary in ensuring healthy immunity. Lowered immunity results in impaired healing ability and lowered defense against infection.

Strong immunity is also dependent on acid-alkaline balance within the body and a healthy ecology in the gastrointestinal tract. This requires consuming a diet containing enough raw food to provide enough nutrients, especially enzymes and amino acids.

When the gastrointestinal tract is healthy and adequate nutrition is supplied, the body can manufacture the other enzymes, vitamins, hormones, and natural antibiotics it needs to be in optimal health and maintain a fully functional immune system.

If we don't take steps to have a healthy lifestyle, toxins begin to accumulate in the body. As a result, acid conditions develop in tissues and organs. In an attempt to restore a healthy balance, the body will initiate periodic cleansing episodes utilizing conditions such as colds or flus. The purpose of these healing crises is to mobilize stored toxic debris from the tissues and eliminate it from the body in mucus secretions. When the body is internally clean and in chemical balance, there's no need for these cleansing reactions, which explains why some people suffer from frequent colds and flus and others do not.

Balance acid-alkaline
First and foremost in achieving vibrant health and strong immunity is a diet that supplies adequate minerals for the body to achieve and maintain acid-alkaline balance. When the cellular and intra-cellular acid-alkaline ratio, or pH, is balanced, oxygen levels generated in the cells are optimal. As pH becomes more acidic, oxygen levels decrease, providing a friendlier environment for viruses, parasites and fungi.

The main alkaline minerals of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium are contained in raw fruits and vegetables. Unprocessed sea salt is high in organic sodium, which the body requires most in its natural process to neutralize acids. Therefore, eating a diet high in raw fruits and vegetables will strengthen immunity. On the other hand, excessive meat, sugars, dairy products, soft drinks, alcohol and processed foods produce strong acids in the body and upset the body's chemical balance, thereby weakening immunity.

We can monitor acid-alkaline levels in the body by testing the pH of our saliva and urine first thing in the morning using pH strips available in most health food stores.

Clean the colon
Strong immunity also depends on efficient elimination of toxins and wastes. The main organs to focus on are the colon, lymph system, and liver. The colon depends on fibre in the diet for efficient and comfortable elimination. Raw vegetables and supplements containing oats, psyllium husks and flax seeds are rich in fibre, which absorb and hold toxins, such as chemical pollutants, dead cells and waste matter, in the intestines for proper elimination.

When embarking on a health improvement regimen, cleansing the colon with an herbal preparation is an excellent first step. Colon therapy can also be very helpful.

Move the lymph
The lymphatic system is generally not well understood and therefore ignored by many as a vital factor in achieving a strong immune system. Whereas our blood circulation system has the heart to pump blood through vessels and veins, the lymphatic system depends on body movement to transport cellular wastes through the lymph vessels and nodes and on to the liver for separation and elimination via the colon.

The best activities for exercising the lymph system are walking, deep breathing, rebounding on a mini-trampoline and massage.

Love the liver
Liver health is central to the health of the lymphatic system. The majority of lymph fluid in the body is produced by the liver. Another important function of the liver is to produce bile to emulsify fat in food so it can be better digested in the intestine. Healthy bile is alkaline, which also aids in creating an alkaline environment in the small intestine so that pancreatic enzymes can be effective in further digesting food matter. A store of bile is retained in the gallbladder ready for use when fatty foods are eaten.

When the diet has been predominantly acidic for some time, the body will reabsorb sodium from the bile to conserve alkaline minerals, leaving the bile with an acid pH. As a result, bile begins to crystallize and form stones in the liver and gallbladder, which create blockages in the liver ducts. As the stones accumulate, they can cause irritation and a gallbladder attack.

Correction of this condition requires the adoption of healthy eating and lifestyle practices so bile can become alkaline again. In addition, some internal cleanses have been effective in flushing crystallized deposits from the liver and gallbladder.

Keeping the immune system strong is the key to vibrant health and to being able to enjoy all that life has to offer. When we pay attention to our diet and lifestyle, we work proactively with our bodies to produce the strong immunity that is readily available to all of us.

Ron Garner, BEd, MSc, is the author of Conscious Health (Namaste Publishing, 2006), winner of the NAPRA Nautilus Award for 2007 in the health and healing category. www.conscioushealth.ca

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