“While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us…”
– Benjamin Franklin
As Benjamin Franklin suggests, while it is impossible at times to control the many things that happen, we do have some control over what happens inside our bodies. Our bodies are a reflection of our inner health. If we eat well and exercise, our bodies are more likely to perform well.
When we eat junk food and forget to care for our bodies, fail to wash our hands or engage in other activities that promote sickness, often we become sick. Most people give up during the winter, with the feeling that it is impossible to stay healthy and not get sick. This simply isn’t true.
Your Body May Always Be Under Attack… But You CAN Fight Back…
No matter the time of year your body is always susceptible to attack; it could be the common cold, the flu, food poisoning or some other virus you contracted at the play ground while watching your best friend’s four year old. Disease is everywhere. That doesn’t mean you are powerless to control disease. There are many steps you can take to bolster your immune system yearly. What are these steps?
We’ll talk more about them later. First, you have to understand how disease works and when you are most likely to become ill. Once you understand this everything else will fall into place. So, when are you most susceptible to illness?
During winter people are more likely to become symptomatic largely because they are indoors. Without adequate ventilation, anybody that stays indoors for any length of time is subject to attack. Some people are also sedentary more so in the winter than at other times during the year when the weather is warm and inviting. If you find you are a couch potato during the cold, winter months, you are probably more at risk for illness. Unless you follow proper hygiene habits and ventilate your home daily.
Even if you do this, there are no guarantees you will not get sick. If however, your body is in good shape, you may be able to reduce the severity of your illness.
Anyone can become sick any time of the year however, even during the warm months of summer. While it sound’s scary, there is good news. Our body’s immune systems are always ready to attack foreign invaders. Unless your immune system is compromised (as is often the case with patients that have autoimmune disorders) the chances are not high you will have to fight the virus you contracted at your office party for months on end.
Most people, even those that do not use medication, will overcome the common cold and similar viruses within a week to ten days.
If you do have a disease that compromises your immune system you are more at risk for disease, but this does not mean you have to succumb to disease. You can still fight back, and you should fight back. The methods you employ to foster good health however, may be more stringent than those offered in this guide alone. Be sure to talk to your healthcare specialist if you suffer from a disease that makes it difficult for your immune system to fight the common cold and other foreign invaders.
There are of course many other organisms besides viruses that can attack your body, including bacteria. Fortunately bacterial infections are typically treatable with antibiotics. While medication only alleviates symptoms in most viral attacks, medication usually wipes out bacteria or the cause of attacks in patients with these types of disorders.
