Boost Your Immunity and Change the World

19 Oct Boost Your Immunity and Change the World

Welcome to Healthy Housecalls with Angel, a weekly round-up of tips, tools, and strategies to help you live longer and live better with lifestyle medicine. Like it? Forward to a friend, who can subscribe here.

A growing body of scientific research has unraveled the biological, physiological, and psychological basis for kindness.

Studies have shown that acts of kindness can improve physical and mental health. When people are kind, they experience “the helper’s high”- a euphoric state accompanied by the release of dopamine and endorphins, the ‘feel good’ chemicals in our brains.  In addition to helping people overcome stress, generosity helps them feel good about themselves. 

Whether it be a kind compliment, a birthday card or even a hug, acts of kindness have been shown to increase the release of oxytocin in the body, reduce blood pressure and lower the heart rate. These heart protective effects in turn reduce stress which gives the immune system a boost.

In a study at the HeartMath Institute, in Boulder, Colorado, volunteers were asked to cultivate feelings of care and compassion for just 5 minutes. Saliva samples revealed that their levels of s-IgA, the body’s first line of defense, increased by around 50% and remained elevated for some time.

Research has shown that the natural killer cells that are a part of the immune system go up by 50%-70% with a kind touch, thus boosting the immune system!

A variety of factors, including the type of kindness, the age and gender of the helpers, and the definition of well-being, affected the impact of compassion:

• Formal acts of kindness like volunteering and donating money to charity had lower benefits than informal acts of kindness performed directly by the people.
• Informal and direct acts of kindness like helping an elderly neighbor had a greater impact on well-being than formal channels of generosity.
• Informal acts of kindness were spontaneous and helped form social connections.
• Informal givers experienced “the helper’s high.”
• The younger the giver, the greater the impact on their well-being and psychological functioning.
• The older givers experienced higher levels of physical health.

Can you now see why we all need the healing touch of kindness? I hope that each day, you’ll look for opportunities to perform small acts of kindness.

Kindness is a superpower because it can change the world for the better.

Community and a supportive network are important. If health and wellness without the toxicity of other social networking spaces are on your mind, check out my Fit & Functional for Life community. The community brings together people from all walks of life to learn these skills in a safe, encouraging space.

You can join today for FREE and discover new ways to redefine what a path to health and well-being can look like for you.

Click the link below to learn more and get started!

Have you had your Nutri-Physical this Year?

Did you know that Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency can cause irritability and difficulty focusing?

If you’re struggling with constant fatigue or just not feeling your personal best it may be time to get your Nutri-Physical!

Nutritional Spotlight

Nourishing a Healthy Gut & Immune System

Prebiotic + is a unique blend of gut health ingredients that supports your digestive health and immune function. Unlike traditional fiber-based prebiotic formulas, which can cause gas and bloating and take days to begin working, Prebiotic + goes to work in hours and does not cause excess gas or bloating.

Benefits of Thorne’s Prebiotic +:

• Promotes and nourishes the “good” bacteria in your gut
• Supports a balanced microflora that keeps your gut happy and healthy
• Supports healthy metabolic processes
• Promotes urinary tract heath
• Each dissolvable disc mixes easily in water or your preferred beverage
• Good digestion and a normal blood sugar level are promoted by the polyphenol blend

Struggling to find a path to wellness that fits you?