How Do You Boost Your Immunity?

Some people, it seems, are endowed with a healthy immune system. They never seem to get sick and, if they do get the odd cold, they continue their daily routine and snap out of it in no time flat. Then you see others who barely have to hear the word 'flu or see someone blowing their nose and bam, they've got it!

Is it all in the head? Are you born with a strong immune system to fight off disease? Can you do something about it, if you're not? Anyway, what does it mean to have immunity? Well, a very simple explanation is that there are basically two types: active and passive immunity.

The definition of 'immune' is that your body is so strong and resistant to any disease that you will not succumb to it.

Active immunity is considered to be long-lasting and tends to be life-long. If you're in this category then, whenever you're exposed to a disease organism, your immune system will instantly start to produce antibodies to that disease. Furthermore, if you should come into contact with that disease in the future, your immune system will identify it and immediately fight it off with the stored antibodies.

Passive immunity is not inherent in your system. It is when you cannot produce enough antibodies to fight off disease, and get an external boost by injection, medication or nutritional supplements.

Healthy people with an active, innate immunity are usually referred to as being resistant to disease in general. The term immunity is usually applied to general protection against a specific organism. Even if you are generally healthy, you may from time to time need a boost in order to help fight off a virulent strain of a specific infection or virus. The more severe the disease producing organism, the more the passive immunity is applied.

The medical profession recommends boosting your inherent immunity with specific antibodies to fight off a potentially dangerous infection or virus.

A good digestion and healthy appetite are indicators of a strong immunity. "Getting better quickly is a better indicator of immune health,'' says Dr Dennis Alexander, head of molecular immunology at the Babraham institute in Cambridge.

Immune globulin can be administered to provide immediate protection from specific health threats to those who have a severely impaired or suppressed immune system. For instance, some who may normally have fairly good resistance to disease suddenly realize that their system cannot handle the sudden onslaught of germs in the hospital.

Likewise, the body under stress, i.e. disease or sudden accident, is often not capable to fight off multiple vaccines in one shot.

Judging by the large numbers of people coping with disease, the human system is inherently fragile and cannot handle multiple onslaughts, like the ones discussed above.

Many believe that if you are generally healthy and look after your health, you will only have a mild version of what's going around. "In truth, there's no such thing as a normal immune system,'' says Angus Dalgleish, professor of oncology at St George's Hospital, London, who researches cancer vaccines. He says the system is naturally very variable.

The rise of allergies, auto-immune diseases (where the body attacks itself) and inflammatory bowel disease are all indicators of immune resistance performing under par.

Both types of acquired immunity respond to peptide sequences called antigens. Antigens help the acquired immune system recognize invading bacteria, viruses and other harmful organisms (pathogens).

Leftovers, non-organic foods, and foods laced with preservatives can severely tax the digestive system. This can, in turn, clog your circulation, and create a sluggish, compromised immune system.

Going to be late, working at night, irregular eating habits, sleeping during the day, and exposing the body to stress and fatigue can all affect the digestion and body rhythms and thus compromise your resistance.

Therefore, be good to yourself. Eating nutritiously and keeping an active, happy lifestyle will go a long way to boosting your immune system. Don't worry; be happy because "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." (Prov. 17: 22)

Ann Stewart, author, inspirational writer and wellness coach, shares tips on how to fight off disease and feel your best in her weekly newsletter, Youth Makeover: youthmakeover.comBipolar Coagulator
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Coffee Caffeine: How Much Is In Your Cup?

Coffee is a complex mixture of chemical components of the coffee bean. Some of these components are partially destroyed by the roasting process; however, many of these components are not. Caffeine is one of the components that is not affected by the roasting process. With the addition of hot water, the caffeine is extracted from the coffee bean.

Caffeine was discovered in coffee in 1820. Caffeine is an alkaloid that acts as a mild stimulant. It increases the blood pressure, stimulates the central nervous system and the action of the heart and lungs, and promotes urine formation. It also acts as a diuretic and delays fatigue. Caffeine does have some positive side effects. It has been found to help treat migraines since it helps constrict the dilated blood vessels, therefore reducing the pain. It also has been documented to increase the potency of aspirin and to slightly relieve the affects of asthma attacks. It has been suggested that caffeine has been linked to possible cancers and birth defects. However, this has not been confirmed and there are no bans or warnings that have been issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).

The amount of caffeine found in the coffee beans varies. On average, a regular cup of coffee contains approximately 90 to 150 mg of caffeine. Coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker has about 115 to 175 mg of caffeine while other coffee makers may brew coffee with about 80 to 135 mg. Typically, espresso has about as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. On average, a standard espresso cup would have about 100 mg of caffeine. However, the serving size for espresso is much smaller. The actual content of caffeine per milliliter in an espresso is much higher than in a regular brew. Also, caffeine is assimilated quicker when ingested in a concentrated dosage such as an espresso cup.

The amount of caffeine found in coffee blends will also vary. The following are examples of the caffeine content for different coffee blends:

-Brazilian Bourbons: contains 1.20% caffeine
-Columbia Excelso: contains 1.34% caffeine
-Columbia Supremo: contains 1.34% caffeine
-French Roast: contains 1.22% caffeine
-Costa Rican Tarrazu: contains 1.35% caffeine
-Vienna Roast: contains 1.27% caffeine
-Decafs: contains 0.02% caffeine

People hypersensitive to the caffeine found in coffee may decide to drink decaffeinated coffee. This way, they can still enjoy the great coffee taste, yet avoid the caffeine. Coffee can be "decaffeinated" by treating the green beans with solvents called chlorinated hydrocarbons. Once the solvents are removed, the beans are then roasted by ordinary procedures. Most people become accustomed to decaffeinated coffee and do not have to worry about the effects of caffeine.

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Morton's Neuroma

Interdigital neuroma more commonly known as Mortons neuroma is an entrapment of a nerve that passes into the toes of the foot. The nerve gets entrapped or pinched by the metatarsal bones, which are the bones just behind the toes. Typically this type of foot pain is the result of wearing shoes that are too narrow or in the case of women, high heel shoes. Other factors that will cause this condition can be the specific architecture of a persons foot structure as well as occupational hazards such as those who work low to the ground forcing them to kneel down for long periods. An example would be someone who spends long hours planting flowers in a garden; the ball of the foot is being constantly overstretched.

This condition can be very painful. Typically, a person will be walking in shoes (although the condition can be painful out of shoes as well), and will develop a sharp pain just behind the third and fourth toes.

This pain may then radiate into the toes and manifest itself as overt pain, numbness, tingling or burning. This is the most common location for Mortons neuroma, but this condition can also affect the other toes as well. On occasion this pain may also travel backwards further into the foot. Many people will relate that they can feel a clicking in the affected area. This is actually the nerve moving up and down between the pressures of the adjacent metatarsal bones. People find that if they remove their shoes and rub the area for a couple of minutes, the pain will subside, only to return once they start walking again.

There are a number of treatments for this condition depending on the severity. Sometimes, just identifying the certain pair of shoes that sets off the pain and no longer wearing them will eradicate the problem.

Anti-inflammatory medication can be helpful, but this should be considered temporary relief and should not be considered for long-term treatment, as there are potential systemic problems with taking this type of medication for long periods of time.

A foot specialist (podiatrist) may recommend an orthotic device, which is a sophisticated arch support, custom made to the foot structure of the patients foot. The purpose of which is to control the abnormal structural components of the foot, which is contributing to the condition. Many times a neuroma spacer pad can be build into the orthotic which then attempts to spread apart the adjacent metatarsal bones and thereby remove the pressure on the nerve, thus reducing pain. I generally reserve this type of treatment for patients who are not candidates for other types of treatment as I consider it a stop gap measure.

Injection of the area can also be very helpful. Some doctors will inject cortisone in an effort to reduce inflammation of the nerve. Others may recommend injecting denatured alcohol, which attempts to sclerose, or deaden the nerve. Both can be very effective. My preferred treatment is multiple injections of denatured alcohol. Any where from one to seven injections repeated on a weekly basis are necessary. I have found the success rate to be in the 80-85 percent range.

When all else fails, surgical excision is usually recommended. This is an out patient procedure where the entrapped nerve is removed. As with any surgery there are potential complications and your doctor should explain these to you. The two biggest complications are misdiagnosis of the neuroma, the nerve is removed and the patient still has pain. The second, more common complication is not resecting enough of the nerve and being left with what we call a stump neuroma. These can be particularly painful and frustrating for the patient.

For more information on various types of foot pain, please visit:
foot-pain-explained

Dr. Marc Mitnic is a practicing podiatrist with over 25 years of clinical experience in the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle and lower leg.Lithium Bipolar Disorder
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