The human body is an incredible specimen. Given proper

nourishment, healthy amounts of physical strain, and adequate conditions to

recover and adapt, it becomes resilient enough to withstand incredible mental

or physical stress.

Until you get sick.

If you get sick, you better hope your immune system is up for the challenge. This guide is designed to give you a deeper understanding of the actionable health choices and patterns that research has shown to support a healthy, resilient immune system.

It’s a helpful resource, but it’s not a replacement for actual medical diagnosis, treatment, or advice. For that, you should visit your medical provider(s).

Article ShortcutsNutrition & SupplementationDon’t ‘Diet’Eat a Nutrient-Dense DietImmune System-Supporting Essential NutrientsEat High-Protein With Every MealAvoid Inflammatory Foods and BeveragesTake High-Quality SupplementsExercise and MovementKeep Building Muscle Move OftenDon’t “Over-do” CardioInclude Active RecoveryLifestyleMaster Good HygieneGet Outside EverydayDon’t Sacrifice Sleep or DowntimeActively Manage StressHealthy People Have Healthy Immune Systems

Before we explore the “how to maintain good immune health” content, it’s important to briefly outline what your immune system is and what it’s supposed to do.

Your immune system is a collection of several biological processes that work to restore or maintain normal physiological conditions, no matter what types of pathogens we ingest or come in contact with.

It’s supposed to protect you from potentially harmful or infectious bacteria, parasites, yeasts, molds, or viruses.

Think of the immune system as two major categories:

Innate (or humoral) immunity consists of mechanical, chemical, and biological barriers and acts as a first line of defense against pathogens. These include mucous membranes, enzymes, pH (acidity/alkalinity), as well as temperature and oxygen levels. Adaptive (or cell-mediated) immunity is antigen-specific and relies largely on the health of your white blood cells. It’s the part of the immune system that “learns from experience” so to speak.

Several lifestyle factors influence the health and

resilience of both innate and adaptive immune function. This guide addresses

them in three parts:

Nutrition and Supplementation Exercise and Movement Lifestyle

Each of these categories is important for immune health, but it’s difficult to argue any single category is more or less critical than the others. They’re all intertwined in such a complex way that even modern science struggles to tease out what’s actually happening with acute and long-term immune function when certain interventions are implemented.

For example, when you sleep poorly or travel across time zones, something changes with your immune resilience. But you can make a few adjustments to your workouts, nutrition or supplementation to protect you from negative outcomes. That’s just one example.

The process of achieving better immune health is simple. It

may not be easy, but it is simple. Even Hippocrates knew this long ago.

If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.Hippocrates c. 460-377B.C.

Nutrition & Supplementation

Don’t ‘Diet’

To best support a strong, resilient immune system, eat a nutrient-dense diet. What does that mean?

Eat enough calories to maintain normal metabolic function.