Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2.
God gave us the ability to fight off these illnesses with a miraculous mechanism called our immune system. It is obvious, now more than ever how our immune system plays a critical role in our health. Much like our guardian angels and the Holy Spirit, our immune system silently functions every minute of the day, works to improve our lives, and often times goes unnoticed or underappreciated. Though our immune system is an involuntary response in our bodies, we can do our best to assist it in accomplishing the important task of warding off illnesses which the enemy has placed in our path. Please go wash your hands and read the rest of this article.
Foods that Support Our Immune System
Nutrition plays a role in supporting our immune system. Foods containing high levels of vitamins A, C, and E as well as minerals iron and zinc all can play a vital role in supporting our immune system. Citrus fruits contain an abundance of vitamin C. Grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes and clementines all contain vitamin C.
Vitamin C is not stored in the body, therefore it is important to eat a citrus fruit or vitamin C containing food every day.
Red bell peppers are a powerhouse of vitamin C as well. Often times red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C than citrus fruit. A nutritious bell pepper contains beta carotene which helps keep your eyes and skin healthy. Antioxidants help heal your body and protect against infections. Broccoli is one of the healthiest foods to eat due to its antioxidant and fiber content. To maintain high nutrient levels, try cooking broccoli for the least amount of time possible, or not at all. Other foods like garlic, ginger, spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, and apples may help boost our immune system by adding a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Dr. Neil Nedley from the Wiemar Institute outlines a simple way to support our immune system. It is defined as NEWSTART. NEWSTART is an acronym for the important aspects of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in Divine Power make up the NEWSTART plan. I believe these are all great steps we can take to not only improve our immune system but delay many common illnesses that are plaguing our world today. For more information on NEWSTART go to newstart.com.
Maintaining a Healthy Immune System
There are many facets to maintaining a healthy immune system. I use the word maintain literally. It is not enough to eat “healthy” when we are ill or take a vitamin C tablet when we are feeling under the weather. Our immune systems are always at work. We must always be at work living a healthy lifestyle to glorify God with our bodies for which He paid the ultimate price. I’ll leave you with a quote from Mrs. White in her book Counsels on Diet and Foods which puts all of this into perspective. After reading this quote please wash your hands, pray, and eat as if you were eating to glorify our Savior with your body.
“Many have expected that God would keep them from sickness merely because they have asked Him to do so. But God did not regard their prayers, because their faith was not made perfect by works. God will not work a miracle to keep those from sickness who have no care for themselves, but are continually violating the laws of health, and make no efforts to prevent disease. When we do all we can on our part to have health, then may we expect that the blessed results will follow, and we can ask God in faith to bless our efforts for the preservation of health. He will then answer our prayer, if His name can be glorified thereby. But let all understand that they have a work to do. God will not work in a miraculous manner to preserve the health of persons who are taking a sure course to make themselves sick, by their careless inattention to the laws of health. CD 26.1
