Wondering How to Improve Immunity and Stay Healthy? Cut Out the Stress!
You may be thinking, “easier said than done.” But the reality is, you do have control over the adverse effects stress has on your life. Let’s look at a current example. Think about all the information that is continuously pouring in about COVID-19. If you spend hours in front of your television watching a sensational cable news network, you will be left in a state of fight or flight, raising cortisol levels, thus making you sick. If you carefully curate the information you are taking in from reputable, pragmatic, and reliable sources, you will be left feeling empowered, educated, and prepared.
Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to protect and safeguard your mental well being, especially now. Let’s look at some of the most helpful techniques and coping mechanisms you can utilize to promote a healthy mindset and immune system.
In this week’s installment of Immunity The Hache Way, let’s take a look at stress, how it affects your immune system and some ways to minimize and cope with the stress so many of us are experiencing right now.
Can Stress Make You Sick?
The short answer is yes. As we stated in our blog Stress Management Tools for Better Health, stress undermines the immune system by forming an imbalance in corticosteroid levels. This imbalance not only makes the body more susceptible to the common cold, flu, and other viruses like COVID-19, but it opens the door to all kinds of acute and chronic diseases.
Stress comes in many shapes and forms. It’s insidious by nature, permeating every cell of your body. Left unchecked, stress has the power to wreak havoc on your health, your peace of mind, your relationships, your career, your finances, and most importantly, your immune system.
To counteract our high-stress lifestyles, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications are now being prescribed at an unprecedented rate; it’s safe to say that we’re facing a crisis of the mind. This mental health crisis has never been more evident than now as we collectively navigate the unknown waters of dealing with COVID-19. So much so that the CDC has issued guidelines on how to cope with the stress of adapting to the reality that our lives have and will be changed in unimaginable ways moving forward.
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” is secreted by your adrenal glands and plays a vital role in the function of your body. Cortisol is responsible for the following processes:
- Immune function
- Insulin release for blood sugar maintenance
- Proper glucose metabolism
- Regulation of blood pressure
- Inflammatory response
Though cortisol is known as the stress hormone, it surprisingly has many positive effects; it prepares you for potentially threatening situations and primes your body to more efficiently process pain.
Too Much Cortisol Is A Problem
Prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream can cause adverse effects. Raised cortisol levels can be due to chronic stress or enduring a particularly difficult time in your life like the loss of a loved one, losing a job, dealing with illness, or needing to move. If stress isn’t kept under control, excess cortisol can lead to the following health problems:
- Lowered immunity
- Inflammatory response
- Impaired cognitive performance
- Suppressed thyroid function
- Decreased bone density
- Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
- A decrease in muscle tissue
- Increased blood pressure
7 Ways to Destress and Improve Immunity With Microcurrent and Other Methods
It is our wish that during these difficult times, you can find glimmers of hope and encouragement through learning how to communicate with and take care of your body. It all starts with a healthy immune system, and that’s why we’ve developed the Hache Protocol Immune Boosting Plan as a way to help you optimize your immune system to prevent infection and to ensure your immune system stays strong if you do become infected.
We definitely encourage you to watch our free webinar and download the Immune Boosting plan here, because you’ll learn the exact supplements and other specific remedies we recommend to help fight COVID-19 and other viruses. But in addition to the Plan, here are 7 more ways you can destress to start building a strong immune response:
1. Mindfulness
The practice of mindfulness involves intentionally becoming aware of what is going on within and around you—your bodily sensations, your thoughts, your feelings, and your environment—in the present moment.
Practicing mindfulness is done with a sense of compassion for, and non-judgment of, yourself and others. You are directly experiencing the moment, and all that is happening in the present by simply accepting it for what it is. You can learn more about mindfulness, including free mini trainings, at Mindful.org.
2. Easy 1 Minute Power De-Stress
Try this exercise next time you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, or before situations that typically trigger stress and anxiety for you.
- Find a peaceful, quiet spot to sit or lie down.
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
- Breathe deeply through your nose. Allow your stomach to push your hand away. If your other hand doesn’t move, you’re doing it right.
- Exhale fully through pursed lips.
- Continue breathing slowly in and out 5-10 times.
This exercise can be done practically anywhere, it’s free, and it’s simple enough that even a child can do it. You’ll be amazed at how effective it can be at bringing your stress levels down fast!
To learn more about stress management, read our blog, Stress Management Tools for Better Health.
3. Meditation
Meditation is a practice that safeguards your mind and body form outside stressors by focusing your attention on a single point of reference. It can involve focusing on your breathing, bodily sensations, or on a word or phrase, known as a mantra. The goal of meditation is pivoting away from distracting thoughts and feelings and focusing on being in the present moment. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University examined nearly 19,000 meditation studies and found some promising results to suggest that mindful meditation can help ease psychological stress.
The beauty of meditation is that it is free, accessible to everyone, and can be done at any time. Try taking a few moments at the beginning of your day to meditate, or even on your lunch break! No matter your age, socioeconomic standing, or physical ability, meditation can help you calm down and keep your immune system functioning properly.
4. Exercise
Think back to the last jog or hike in the woods you took. Remember that really nice warm and fuzzy feeling you got when you finally sat down on the couch afterward? That’s your body rewarding you for treating it right with a flood of endorphins. Avid runners refer to this phenomenon as a “runner’s high” and tout its ability to calm anxieties and stressors. Exercise boosts immunity by ensuring your body can function as it should when it encounters viruses and bacteria.
In the past 95 years, 629 papers dealing specifically with exercise and immunology have been published, many of them reporting a positive correlation between the two. We still don’t fully understand why exercise boosts immunity. One explanation is that each stint of exercise causes a temporary increase in immune system activity by increasing the number of white blood cells and immunoglobulin present in the blood, decreasing your susceptibility to disease.
Just make sure not to overdo it, as you can end up doing more harm than good. A recent study found that regarding strenuous exercise, up until about the 90-minute mark, immunity remained robust. After that point, a decline was noted. So, remember to take it easy when using exercise to promote immune function by incorporating moderate exercise into your routine.
Examples of moderate exercises:
- Bike riding
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Light weightlifting
- Tai chi
- Brisk walking
- Cleaning the house
- Gardening
The goal is to get your heart rate up and the blood flowing without leaving yourself exhausted and potentially in a position to harm immune function.
To learn more about body-friendly exercises, read our blog, 8 Exercises for People in Pain.
5. Sana Therapeutics Stress Relief Kit
This affordable supplement bundle can help reduce stress across the board, whether it’s caused by missing nutrients or environmental stress. Included in the bundle:
- Sana Therapeutics Stress Relief Tea- This specially crafted organic tea supports stress relief and promotes relaxation. Expertly blended and delicious to drink, this tea blend contains white mistletoe, bean hip, St. John’s wort, birch leaves, ginkgo leaves, stinging nettle, lemongrass, and natural flavor.
- Adrenergy-Use this specialized adrenal supplement to give you the adrenal support you need to get through stressful situations naturally.
6. Sana Therapeutics Health Blanket
Wrap yourself in the comfort of relief from stress and anxiety with the Sana Therapeutics Health Blanket. Look forward to the following benefits:
- Immediate reduction of stress and tension, whether they be mental or physical, and overall sleep improvement.
- Recurrent use strengthens the immune system and increases resistance to seasonal infections and allergens.
7. Microcurrent For Stress Relief
Microcurrent therapy can be helpful for conditions such as depression, ADHD, and PTSD. Microcurrent electrical stimulation, also referred to as cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), has been approved by the FDA to treat insomnia, anxiety, and depression (as long as it has the right frequencies!). A 1999 study found that CES can produce substantial benefits in the short‐term symptomatic relief of stress‐related disorders.
Microcurrent Accessories for Treating Stress
Several microcurrent accessories will assist you in finding reprieve from stress and are compatible with your Avazzia Life Evolution or Avazzia Pro Sport III.
- ViaQi–This handheld PEMF device works to minimize the effects of stress on the body.
- Conductive Ear Clips–We’ve heard from countless patients about the success they’ve had with treating the effects of stress and anxiety with the Conductive Ear Clips – just plug them into your device, clip them to your ears, and run those Alpha frequencies through them. You’ll feel the stress melt away!
To learn more about these accessories, please read our blog, 7 Essential Microcurrent Accessories, and Why You Need Them.
Building a Stress-Free Life
As we stated earlier, building a life that is minimally impacted by stress is your responsibility. But don’t stress out when it comes to stress reduction! It’s actually a lot easier than you ever imagined to regain the peace of mind and serenity you deserve. Use methods like the ones above to eliminate stressors from your life and find appropriate and successful coping mechanisms. Your immune system will thank you by protecting you from harmful bacteria and viruses like COVID-19.
If you would like to connect with others who are actively looking to protect their immune system, please join our Pain Free for Life Support Group on Facebook. Our talented and experienced staff are also standing by to answer any questions you may have; we would like to extend the offer of a complimentary consultation.
Bonus: For the complete Hache Protocol Immune Boosting Plan, check out our free webinar and download your copy today!
Resources
Mindfulness meditation may ease anxiety, mental stress
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK230961/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/20888836_Infectious_episodes_in_runners_before_and_after_the_LA_Marathon