#24:Chapter14:Principle4:Boosting your immune system

Our bodies constantly deal with mutated cancer cells, long before we are diagnosed with cancer. Most people don’t develop cancer, because their immune system is up to the task of destroying the cells before they take over. Too many toxins and not enough nutrients eventually take their toll on all of our systems, especially our immune system. Our bodies are wonderfully designed to heal themselves, if only we help them. Most of western medicine’s cancer treatments further compromise our immune systems, right when we need it most. In addition to getting rid of toxins and meeting our nutritional needs, we can boost our natural immunity in order to help our bodies to heal.

• How the immune system works
• Autoimmune disease
• Our microbiome and immunity
• Lymphatic circulation
• Top 10 immune-boosting substances
• Recipes

How the immune system works

The immune system is a network of cells, vessels, and organs working together to protect the body from pathogens. Key components are lymph nodes, organs, and tissue, the spleen, the thymus, and bone marrow. Lymph nodes trap bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens and immune cells kill them. Immune cells are lymphocytes (T-, B- and Natural Killer cells), neutrophils, and monocytes/macrophages. These are all types of white blood cells. WBCs are made in the spleen, thymus, and bone marrow.

Breasts are part of the lymphatic/immune system as well as the endocrine system and, in my opinion, should not be parted with willy-nilly. Please research the role of these organs and weigh the cost of compromising both systems, before you have them removed to simply prevent getting breast cancer. They are vital to your health and healing. It is possible to be monitored more closely if you are at increased risk and, frankly, you might need breasts if you do suffer health challenges.

Chemotherapy kills fast-dividing cells to target cancer. Unfortunately, bone marrow gets caught in the crossfire. Both chemotherapy and radiation damage the immune system for at least 9 months after treatment.1 The last thing you need is to succumb to other things because of a weakened immune system. If you do choose those treatments, it’s important you protect and boost your immune system through the ways we’ve discussed.