When I was 27, I was consumed by the glitzy world of corporate success, New York nightlife and a fast paced lifestyle that made me feel invincible. I was promoted four times in seven years, and each time I excelled, I pushed harder.
I hardly thought about my wellbeing and swaggered under the knowledge that my body would always pull through for me. After all, I was young, fit and athletic, I could handle anything, right?
Wrong. As I became overworked and overwhelmed by the stress of my job, my body started to fall apart. I caught infection after infection, I became allergic to sugar and gluten, and my energy levels hit rock bottom.
I would collapse into bed at 9 pm and wake up exhausted the next day—my muscles radiating with fatigue. I went through a battery of tests which all came up inconclusive: “There’s nothing really wrong with you- take these antibiotics”, all the doctors would say. And so I did.
I destroyed my gut and my immune system, and I learned the hard way that without my health, I actually had nothing.
Build Your Fortress & Focus On Prevention
“Immunology” is the word biomedical science uses to describe the study of immune systems. It examines the functioning of immune systems in both healthy and diseased states.
Currently, Western medicine emphasises the treatment of illness and disease rather than its prevention in the first place.
This approach leaves people in the dark about what they can do to nurture wellness and build their “fortress” to keep their bodies strong and balanced.
Let’s turn this around and shift our way of thinking.
“Immunergy” is the term I’ve given to taking your power back, rebuilding health and fortifying your immune system.
Energy is your life force and, if you nurture your energy with good food, healthy habits and emotional care, it will flow through your body to support and strengthen your immune system every single day.
It took me many years to repair the damage I’d inflicted in my twenties, and since this time, I’ve explored many different modalities and methods to take care of my body.
Below, I share my 5 most powerful tips to restoring your energy levels, and keeping your immune system strong and balanced.
Slow Down Your Breathing
When you get stressed, your breathing becomes shallow and your body becomes flooded with adrenaline. If you stay in this state for a long time, your immune system gets suppressed and you can fall sick very easily.
A healthy adult should be taking no more than eight to ten breaths a minute. However, most adults breathe much faster at about 15 or more breaths a minute. Remember: breathing properly is all about breathing into your belly.
You should be able to see your belly expand outwards as you inhale, and your shoulders shouldn’t lift. If they do, then you’re breathing shallow, superficial chest breaths which aren’t helping you.
One of the best tools available on the market today is the “Breathslim”. It costs about $50 USD and if you use it 20 minutes every night before you go to bed, it will train you to breathe deeply and slowly.
This will equip your body with the oxygen it needs to produce healthy cells, your metabolism will speed up, excess weight will drop off, and you’ll sleep like a baby.
2. Sprint Like A Cheetah
The best thing you can do to enhance your immune system and live a long and happy life, is to actively strengthen your heart and lungs. In my experience, it’s not really about spending hours on the treadmill. Scientific studies have confirmed that sprinting in short spurts is much more effective.
Each morning I do my “cheetah sprints” and I have found that very quickly, it has enabled my breathing to slow, I am grounded and present for the rest of the day and my heart feels stronger. The basic steps are:
• Warm–up and stretch your muscles
• Take a slow two minute jog to get the energy flowing through your legs
• Once you feel warmed up and limber, start your sprints. Do what feels comfortable. If you can only do 10 second sprints, that’s okay. Start off doing 10 seconds and then slowly build up to 30 second sprints.
• Rest for 60 to 90 seconds while you catch your breath
• Repeat three times
• Do this at least three times a week. If you can do it every day, this is ideal.
Don’t try and be a superhero and start off doing 30 second sprints if you’re not in the best shape- build up gradually so that your heart and body can get used to the intensity. If you have any concerns about whether this is right for you, please consult your healthcare professional beforehand.
3. Get Your PH Balance Right
Buy yourself a self-testing kit and see where your urine and saliva pH levels sit. It’s cheap (about $12) and you can perform the test at home.
If your body is too acidic, illness, bacteria, and yeast will thrive. Your body will attempt to neutralise the acidity by taking minerals away from your vital organs and this will then compromise your body’s healthy functioning.
However, there are lots of things you can do to correct your overly acidic system. Eating more alkaline foods such as spinach, avocados, green beans and broccoli will help. Cutting out processed foods is also key.
Alternatively, dissolving a quarter of a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drinking this three times a day will also assist in alkalising your body.
Take the time to consult an integrative doctor or naturopath to gauge what combination works best for you. We’re all unique, and expert guidance makes a huge difference in accelerating your efforts to optimum health.
4. Look After Your Gut
These days, nearly everyone seems to be suffering from some kind of gut-related affliction: gluten intolerance, Leaky Gut, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s disease- the list is growing rapidly, and it’s only now that we’re really starting to understand how critical a healthy gut is to overall health.
Prolonged poor gut health can lead to a wide range of serious illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, autism spectrum disorder, chronic fatigue and chronic acne. So, it’s important to restore and nourish your gut:
- Consult your integrative doctor and get a stool test done. It will show you exactly what state your gut is in and what remedial action you need to take.
- Drink bone broth regularly.
- Invest in a high quality probiotic.
5. Connect With The Earth
Earthing is a powerful immunity booster. All you need is some grassy earth or a sandy beach,and your bare feet.
When you walk barefoot on the grass or on the beach, you hook into the electromagnetic energy from the Earth. This energy courses up your body and strengthens your adenosine triphosphates (which is the part of your cells that is responsible for absorbing and transporting energy, as well as detoxing).
It enables you to restore the natural electrical state within your body, and this can reduce inflammation, pain and stress, and help you sleep better.
It’s incredibly rejuvenating- listen to your body and feel into how much you need. Even just 20 minutes a day will make an enormous difference.
Boost your immune system and revel in life!
If you do these 5 simple and amazingly nurturing things, your energy levels will be off the charts, and your immune system will be strong and robust. And you know what? You deserve it and you’re worth it—so stick with it!
You can find much more information on living a holistic lifestyle in these free magazines and on our YouTube channel.
Robert Kirby – Mind/Body Transformation & Integration Expert
