Preventive Lifestyle
A Complete, Natural and Holistic Approach to Health & Nutrition
What is Nutritional Immunology?
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Nutritional immunology is the life changing preventive science that studies the link between nutrition and our immune system.
Our immune system.
When it comes to diseases, our immune systems are responsible for; defending, cleansing and repairing. This means that when a virus, antibody or bacteria enters our bodies, our immune systems become battle grounds, and starts to fight off these external unwanted sources.
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As you can imagine, if we do not have strong immune systems then we become sick easily. Fighting off illnesses' even like the common cold, end up taking much longer and can become more severe than they really should.
So, what are the implication of a weakened immune system? Our immune systems are unable to defend us against diseases and even cancer (Dr Chen, 2016).
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The link between nutrition and our immune system.
You are probably wondering now; how does the food we eat impact our immune systems? Let's take a brief look into this because there is direct link!
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Often when we are feeling well, we don't worry too much about what we eat and may focus more on foods that are 'satisfying' to our taste buds. When do we actually start to watch what we eat? Most people will only start eating healthy when they are already sick, to help them recover faster. Is this really the way to do it? No, it is not! Through Ni's research it is evident that prevention is much better than cure! Therefore, it is essential for every single person to understand why Ni plays a vital role in our daily lives.
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People often believe that if an individual does not present symptoms of a certain disease, then this person is healthy. This unfortunately is a myth. Diseases exist in our bodies for a long period of time before any external symptoms are present. This is why prevention is extremely important! If we can ensure that our immune systems are strong early on, then our immune systems can defend our bodies from pathogens and other foreign agents (Dr Chen, 2016).
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When we think about nutrition, we usually think of the basic nutrients like; proteins, calcium, minerals and vitamins. Ni focuses on 3 main nutrients called; phytochemicals, antioxidants and polysaccharides. These nutrients are the ones we normally lack and that are especially beneficial for our immune health (Dr Chen, 2016). Find out below what these nutrients are about!
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PHYTOCHEMICALS
Phytochemicals are plant chemicals that are found in and unique to all fruits, vegetables and herbs. Phytochemicals give plants colour, flavour and aroma (Dr Chen, 2016).
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Phytochemicals are extremely important for our immune systems. Research has shown that phytochemicals have immense healing and disease-preventing properties. They can prevent infections, increase wound healing, reduce the likelihood of coronary heart-disease and most importantly, inhibit and eliminate cancer causing agents in cells and cancer cell growth (Venkatalakshmi, Vadivel, & Brindha, 2016).
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How can we ensure we are getting enough of these nutrients for a healthy immune system?
Dr Chen's research has discovered that our bodies need a large amount of phytochemicals, antioxidants and polysaccharides in order to function optimally. When we talk about these nutrients, we do not talk about supplements and multivitamins. These are extracted and isolated from plants and can cause side effects because of added chemicals. Ni recommends consuming these nutrients as a whole plant in order to ensure our bodies absorb and get the full benefits (Dr Chen 2016).
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Unfortunately, this is not so easy now days due to environmental, behavioural, biological, societal and genetic factors. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2018), 50% of Australians over the age of 18 did not eat the recommended 2 serves of fruit a day, and 93% did not eat the recommended 5 serves of vegetables per day.
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Thankfully, with the science of Ni, Dr Chen and her team have researched for over 30 years the plants that contain the most of these 3 nutrients. Through this research they have developed cutting edge products for our own convenience, that are unique, specifically and carefully selected to ensure long-term health and well-being.
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What else can we do to strengthen our immune system?
Ensuring we get a good sleep is vital in maintaining healthy nervous systems and keeping our hearts healthy. There is a link between having enough sleep and the health of our immune systems.
When we combine a healthy plant-based diet with moderate exercise, such as daily walks, our bones, muscles and joints are kept strong. Our stress levels can also be reduced and chronic illnesses prevented.
Reducing stress in our lives is imperative, as stress releases a hormone that directly impacts our immune systems and overall health (stroke, heart disease and diabetes) . Finding time to relax and do things that you enjoy is important in maintaining a strong immune system (Dr Chen, 2016).
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