Greetings Friend!

Happy New Year!

Yes, It is that time of year again. It is also the time when our immune systems are especially drawn upon. For those who have children, it seems that colds and flu abound in schools, and the children bring illness home and it goes around the family. Or, the same might happen in the office. Is there anything we can do? Well yes there is. I am going to share with you natural therapies for wellness and immune protection in the next few messages. Have you ever wondered why some people get sick more than others or why some seniors stay healthy in their later years while others get sick prematurely? It is because of immune response. Your health throughout your life depends on your immune response. Even though you may be fortunate enough to have inherited a strong immune system, good nutrition, lifestyle and exercise play a significant role in maintaining robust immunity. Immune defense is automatic and subconscious. It's a system that works on its own to fend off or neutralize toxins and set up a healing environment for the body. The great power of immunity is that it runs on its own. It is a part of us, yet not under our conscious control. This is the ultimate "mind-body connection." When you use natural therapies to build immunity, you experience a feeling of empowerment, of control over the fate of your life, as well as a sense of well-being that comes from renewed health.

It can be difficult to measure immune health. Every person is different and the character of immune response varies widely. There are clear indications to tell whether your immune system health may be comprimised. Click on the link below to take a quick personal quiz to monitor your immune status.

Drugs and the immune system. I want to take a moment and tell you about drugs and the immune system. You may have heard that taking antibiotics long term reduces your immunity. Drugs work in an attempt to directly kill harmful organisms. Yes, they can help in emergency situations and for short-term use. But, with long term use, our bodies build up tolerance to the drug, requiring more and more of it to achieve the same effect. Or, the drug slowly overwhelms natural immune response, and the body becomes dependent upon it, using the drug as a crutch instead of doing its own work. Drugs may also mislead the body's defense system to the point that it becomes disoriented, attacking everything in confusion. Our immune systems are challenged daily by exposure to radiation, chemical pollutants, and the repeated excessive stress most of us live under today. Many of us don't have very much to fight with. It's the reason modern fatigue diseases can so easily take hold. some of these immune deficient diseases are becoming an epidemic. There is so much more to healing than the latest wonder drug. We can see that we are the ultimate healer of ourselves.

Next message: Immunity II- Natural Therapies for building immunity.

Your Partner in Health,

Paige R. Rennekamp, CNHP
Natural Health Answers