To Your Health
September, 2007 (Vol. 01, Issue 09)
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It is through sleep that the immune system regenerates. If you consistently neglect rest and sleep, your immune system will suffer. This may not be immediately apparent; the body is wonderfully made and will find ways to compensate, for a time.

But suddenly, years later, the exhausted immune system will cease performing, and you will wonder what happened to your health.

Dr. Phillip Maffetone coached world-class athletes, and those who followed his advice improved their performance beyond their dreams. All he said was, "Slow down." His heart rate formula was 180 minus the athlete's age. He started athletes at that number and had them maintain the heart rate while increasing performance, in a process of backing off and retraining. As a result, Dr. Maffetone enhanced the athletes' immune systems instead of breaking them down, as overtraining does. Sometimes pain doesn't mean gain!

The Body's Response to Stress

Quick weight-loss programs stress the immune system, especially if the program restricts calories, protein or fat so severely that nutritional imbalances occur. In contrast, the classic Mediterranean diet has been thoroughly researched and found suitable for both weight loss and disease prevention. Numerous cookbooks are available to guide you in this delicious and easy-to-prepare cuisine.

A pile of green vegetables including spinach, broccoli and asparagus. - Copyright – Stock Photo / Register Mark Stress requires the body to utilize more nutrients than usual, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies and health problems. Dr. Candace Pert, author of Molecules of Emotion, describes emotions as particles called neuropeptides. Neuropeptides can cause or aggravate allergies, pain and other conditions. For instance, an emotionally stressed individual may simultaneously develop a stomachache and headache. Reduce stress and enhance your immune performance by creating a balanced life with adequate rest, relaxation, meditation or prayer, proper diet, exercise, stretching and massage.

Structural Imbalances and the Immune System

Nerve impulses communicate to the immune system the need for an immune response. When an invader enters your body, the first response is a nervous system signal. However, if spinal vertebrae are misaligned and pinching on a nerve, messages to the immune system may be impaired, and the immune system will not respond correctly.

In addition, malfunctioning muscles affect both body alignment and nerve signals to the immune system. When muscles, the main support for joints, pull with equal strength, skeletal alignment is straight. But if one muscle is "turned off," the related joint is wobbly.