Is it possible to increase your resistance?
Yes, you can increase your resistance in several ways. In this article we give you useful advice and practical tips to increase and strengthen your resistance, so that your body is better able to fight and prevent diseases in a natural way. The immune system is the body's natural defense mechanism against disease-causing microorganisms, but sometimes it can fail and a germ invades, making you sick. Fortunately, it is possible to intervene and increase your resistance, for example by improving your diet and taking certain vitamins or supplements that can strengthen your immune system. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as regular exercise and reducing stress can also help boost your immunity. In this article you will find answers to increase your resistance.
Increase resistance in a natural way
It is very important to be aware of the fact that a healthy lifestyle is the first and most fundamental step you can take to strengthen your immune system and protect your body against diseases or illness. helps prevent the onset of colds. After all, when you make healthy choices in your daily life, you improve and strengthen your body's ability to fight disease. Following general guidelines for good health is therefore essential if you want to maintain or strengthen your resistance in a natural way.
Increase resistance with 13 practical tips
- Avoid smoking
- Eat a nutritious diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Preferably choose organic products to avoid exposure to pesticides.
- for regular exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming or cycling to burn excess fat. Try to do moderately intense activities for at least 150 minutes per week
- Maintain a healthy weight by aiming for a BMI under 25. Being overweight can lead to a weakened immune system.
- If you drink, drink alcohol in moderation. For women and men, a maximum of one drink per day is allowed, but preferably none at all. Drinking alcohol can cause vitamin deficiencies which are essential for your resistance!
- Get enough sleep, ideally 7-9 hours per night. A good night's sleep is important for a strong immune system. So get a good night's sleep and... wakes up rested
- Take measures to prevent infections, such as washing hands regularly, avoiding contact with sick people and preparing meat properly.
- Keep stress to a minimum. Chronic stress can lead to a weakened immune system. Try do stress-reducing activities, such as meditation, yoga or walking in nature.
- Add probiotics to your diet, such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and fermented vegetables. These promote healthy intestinal flora and strengthen your immune system.
- Make sure you have enough vitamin D by spending time outdoors regularly and/or taking supplements. Vitamin D plays an important role in supporting the immune system.
- Eat enough fruit with vitamin C
- Increase your intake of garlic and ginger, both of which have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and boost the immune system.
- Avoid sugary foods and refined carbohydrates, which can cause inflammation in the body and weaken the immune system.
By implementing these healthy habits, you can naturally increase your resistance and better protect your body against pathogens.
Increasing resistance in the elderly
Research has shown that nutrition plays an important role in maintaining and improving resistance in the elderly. One form of malnutrition that is unfortunately common, even in wealthy countries, is micronutrient malnutrition. This form of malnutrition occurs when someone does not consume enough essential vitamins and minerals through their diet. This can occur in the elderly because they tend to eat less and often have less variety in their diet. It is therefore important that older people are aware of the importance of a balanced diet that contains sufficient micronutrients to maintain their resistance and promote their overall health.
Resistance decreases as we get older
As we age, our resistance to disease decreases and this can lead to an increase in infections and an increased risk of cancer. This is especially a problem in developed countries where life expectancy is increasing. Although some elderly people age healthily, many studies show that older people are more likely to contract infectious diseases and are also more likely to die from them than younger people.
Respiratory infections, such as influenza, COVID-19 and pneumonia, are leading causes of death among people over 65 around the world. This is because the elderly have reduced resistance and are therefore more vulnerable to infections. Scientists have discovered that the number of T cells in the body decreases as we age. This may be because the thymus, an organ that produces T cells to fight infections, shrinks with age. This can lead to a reduced response to infections.
Some scientists also wonder whether the bone marrow becomes less efficient at producing the stem cells that form the basis of the cells of the immune system as we age. This can lead to a reduction in the number of white blood cells and therefore to a reduced defense against infections. For these reasons, it is important that elderly people take extra precautions to maintain their resistance.
Increase resistance through exercise
It is a well-known fact that regular exercise is an essential pillar for a healthy lifestyle. It offers a wide range of benefits, such as improving cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure, helping to manage body weight and protecting against a variety of diseases. But what many people wonder is whether exercise can also help to strengthen resistance and keep it healthy.
When you exercise, the number of immune cells in your body can increase. This depends on how hard and how long you train can increase the number of immune cells by as much as 50% to 400%. Most of these extra cells are neutrophils and macrophages. Unfortunately, these extra immune cells disappear from your body within three hours after exercise. To make your immune system stronger in the long term and protect against diseases, it is important to to continue exercising regularly at a moderate level. This makes your immune system better able to fight pathogens and reduces the risk of infections.
This means that exercise can not only contribute to general good health, but can also help build and strengthen healthy resistance. Regular exercise is just one of many factors that influence overall health and immunity, but it can certainly be a useful and effective way to strengthen your immune system and keep it healthy.
What are neutrophils and macrophages?
Neutrophils and macrophages are both types of immune cells involved in the body's defense against pathogens. Neutrophils are white blood cells that play an important role in fighting bacterial infections. They can move quickly to places where bacteria are located and can kill these bacteria by eating and destroying them.
Macrophages are another type of white blood cell that also play an important role in defending against infections and diseases. They are involved in detecting, consuming and destroying pathogens and foreign substances in the body. In addition, they can also clear damaged cells and contribute to the healing process. Macrophages also play a role in activating and regulating other immune cells in the body.
What should I do to strengthen my resistance by training?
Significant health benefits can be achieved with many types of aerobic activity (e.g. walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or dancing). Research shows that you can increase your resistance with just 20 to 40 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day. Below are several ways to control intensity during aerobic exercise to achieve your exercise goals.
Take the “talk test”
The “talk test” is a simple way to measure the relative intensity of exercise. You can talk, but not sing, while performing a moderate-intensity activity. At high intensity you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing to breathe.
Can you lower your resistance if you exercise too much?
Yes, excessive exercise can weaken the immune system and thus lower resistance. This mainly happens when someone trains too much and too intensively without taking sufficient rest and recovery time between training sessions. If the body does not have enough time to recover, it can lead to a excessive production of the stress hormone cortisol, which can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of disease. Intense exercise can also temporarily reduce the number of immune cells, which can cause an increased risk of infections. It is therefore important to exercise regularly, but also to take sufficient rest and recovery time between training sessions and to listen to the body to prevent overtraining.
what is the difference between innate immune system and the adaptive immune system?
The immune system is our natural defense mechanism against pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. It consists of different types of cells, molecules and tissues that work together to protect us from infections.
- The innate immune system is our body's first line of defense against pathogens. It consists of cells and molecules that are always present in our body and can respond quickly to an infection. The innate immune system does not work specifically against a particular pathogen, but is able to recognize and fight a wide range of pathogens. The innate immune system works quickly and efficiently, but does not provide long-term protection against a specific pathogen.
- The adaptive immune system is a more specialized system that develops after exposure to a specific pathogen. The adaptive immune system works slower than the innate immune system, but is able to recognize and fight a specific pathogen using antibodies and immune cells that specifically target that pathogen. The adaptive immune system also has a memory function, allowing it to respond more quickly and efficiently to an infection upon subsequent exposure to the same pathogen.
Water is essential for strong resistance
Increase your resistance by drinking water! Drinking water can help improve your body's overall resistance. Staying hydrated helps your body naturally remove the bacteria and toxins that cause infections. With the help of water, oxygen and nutrients are distributed throughout the body and waste products are flushed from the body. This helps keep diseases at bay. Your resistance determines the health of your body and determines your ability to fight diseases. Drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, is seen as a preventative form of maintaining health. So water is still the best thing you can drink. Each person is different, but aim to drink 2 liters of water per day. That can be difficult to do. Your body becomes dehydrated after hours of sleep, so drink plenty of water as soon as you wake up. If you have trouble drinking enough water, set reminders throughout the day or drink a glass of water before each meal. Hot tea without caffeine can count as part of your daily water intake.Low resistance symptoms
Signs and symptoms of low resistance is susceptibility to infections. Someone with low immunity is more likely to get infections than most other people, and these diseases can be more serious or more difficult to treat. You may also experience an infection that a person with a stronger immune system wouldn't get. A doctor can do a blood test to determine whether someone has low resistance. The test will show whether someone has sufficient antibodies.Infections that people with low resistance often get include::
- pneumonia
- meningitis
- bronchitis
- skin infections
People with low resistance are also more likely to:
- autoimmune diseases
- inflammation of the internal organs
- blood disorders or abnormalities, such as anemia
- digestive problems, such as loss of appetite, diarrhea and abdominal cramps
- growth and development delay in babies and children
Low resistance due to stress
Modern medicine has realized the close relationship between body and mind and the possible weakening of your immune system. A wide variety of ailments, including stomach problems, cancer, hives and heart disease, have been linked to the effects of stress.
When you are stressed, the stress hormone cortisol is secreted. It reduces the fighting power of your immune system because it reduces the production of lymphocytes in your body. As a result, your resistance weakens.
Increasing resistance advice
Increasing your resistance is the key longevity! If you would like personal, tailor-made advice to increase your resistance, please contact us via the blue contact button on the right.