The Five Top Secrets to Avoid Getting Sick

OPTIMIZE YOUR VITAMIN D3

This takes the number one position for a reason: if you're vitamin-D3 deficient, and many are, your immune system will not activate to do its job.

Vitamin D3 also functions in many different tissues and affects a large number of different diseases and health conditions. So far, scientists have found about 3,000 genes that are regulated by vitamin D3.

Just one example of an important gene that Vitamin D3 regulates is your ability to fight infections, including the flu. It produces over 200 antimicrobial peptides, the most important of which is cathelicidin, a naturally occurring broad spectrum antibiotic. At least five studies show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D3 levels. That is, the higher your vitamin D3 level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections.

Plus, studies have shown you can decrease your risk of cancer by MORE THAN HALF and lower your risk of many other common diseases like diabetes, heart disease, depression, hypertension and Alzheimer's disease-simply by optimizing your vitamin D3 levels.

OPTIMIZE YOUR INSULIN AND LEPTIN LEVELS

Eating sugar and grains will increase your insulin level, which is one of the fastest ways to get sick and also experience premature aging. Leptin is another heavyweight hormone associated with disease and the aging process.

Like your insulin levels, if your leptin levels become elevated, your body systems will develop a resistance to this hormone, which will wreck havoc in you body.

EXERCISE

If you are exercising regularly, just as if your vitamin D3 levels are optimized, the likelihood of your acquiring an upper respiratory infection decreases quite dramatically, and studies have clearly show this.

In one such study, staying active cut the risk of having a cold by 50 percent, and cut the severity of symptoms by 31 percent among those who did catch a cold. The researchers noted that each round of exercise may lead to a boost in circulating immune system cells that could help ward of a cold virus.

It is a well know fact that exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. The job of these cells is to neutralize pathogens throughout your body. The better these cells circulate, the more efficient your immune system is at locating and defending against viruses and diseases trying to attack your body.

Upon reviewing 40 papers published between 2006 and 2010, researchers found that exercise reduces he risk of about two dozen health conditions, ranging from cancer and heart disease to type 2 diabetes, stroke, dementia and depression.

EAT PLENTY OF RAW FOOD

One of the most important aspects of a healthy diet that is frequently overlooked is the issue of eating your food uncooked, in its natural raw state.

Unfortunately, as you may be aware, over 90 percent of the food purchased by Americans is processed. And when you're consuming these kinds of denatured and chemically altered foods, it's no surprise we have an epidemic of chronic and degenerative diseases, not to mention way too many cases of colds and flu.

LEARN TO COPE WITH STRESS

Many people with serious chronic illnesses have had previous emotional stress that contributed to their problem.And for most of the serious illnesses, the trauma stems back to their childhood.

But according to a least one recent study, it doesn't take serious trauma to cause these changes. Even normal everyday emotional experiences can have a detrimental impact ion your future health.

Emotional stressors can also predispose you to an infection while making cold symptoms worse. Finding ways to manage daily stress as well as your reactions to circumstances beyond your control will contribute to a strong and resilient immune system.