Your Immune Systems Surprising Disrupters

Support Your Local Immune System

Most people think of the immune system as a kind of shield, it’s automatic and it’s always standing guard, ready to fight off what doesn’t belong. 

Now while that’s true, the immune system is so much more!

It’s a living, dynamic network that’s constantly in a conversation with your gut, your hormones, your nervous system, and every other cell in your body.

• When your immune system is strong, you feel it: more energy, fewer colds, faster recovery, and better overall balance.
• When it’s sluggish, you feel that too: fatigue, lingering coughs, frequent sniffles, slower healing.

The Shocking Reality

Your immune system can be weakened within minutes simply by the (innocent) everyday choices you make which really reflect Eleanor Roosevelt’s wise words: “I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.”

The Surprising Immune System Disrupter 

You may already know that one of the biggest culprits is sugar.

Research as far back as the 1970s shows that consuming sugars, whether glucose, fructose, or sucrose, reduces the activity of neutrophils, your white blood cells that act like “first responders” against bacteria. 

Just 100 grams of sugar (about what you’d find in a soda or a candy bar) can weaken immune defenses for about 5 hours, and sometimes even longer. That means if you enjoy a sugary snack mid-afternoon, your body may be more vulnerable until well into the evening.

The Hydration Highway

Another factor that often goes unnoticed is hydration. Your immune system relies on lymph, a clear fluid that carries immune cells throughout the body. When you’re dehydrated, lymph thickens, making it harder for these “soldiers” to move and respond.

Even mild dehydration increases cortisol (your stress hormone), which further suppresses immune activity. Water is essential, and water with chlorophyll offers even greater support by keeping the body clean and oxygenated.

Alcohol, Processed Foods, And Your Gut

Alcohol also takes a toll. Even moderate drinking reduces your immune cells’ ability to identify and eliminate invaders.

Processed foods do their damage more quietly. Additives, refined oils, and preservatives create a steady stream of low-grade inflammation. Your immune system ends up spending energy putting out those fires instead of focusing on real threats.

And then there’s the gut, the true epicenter of immunity. Did you know around 70–80% of immune cells live in the gut?

If digestion is sluggish, elimination poor, or the microbiome out of balance, your whole immune network weakens. That’s why working on gut health is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen immunity.

This is where your “gut” herbs like Body Detox or Bwl-Bld really shine. They help keep elimination moving and toxins clearing. A cleaner body is a healthier body. (wink wink)

Practical Everyday Builders & Allies

The good news is your immune system will respond quickly when you give it steady support. Perfection isn’t required, just consistency.

Here are some proven ways to strengthen your defenses:

• Colorful, Whole Foods: Each color (greens, reds, oranges, purples) provides different antioxidants that protect immune cells. 

Aim for about 80% nourishing foods and 20% fun. Think of it like this: if you’ve had 8 good choices today, there’s room for 2 fun ones.

The KEY is FLEXIBILITY - if you’re feeling under the weather, around sick people, or already run down, it’s wise to lean even more toward nourishing foods and keep treats minimal until your body feels stronger.

• Hydration: Water and chlorophyll-rich drinks keep lymph moving and cells communicating.
• Movement: Walking, stretching, or light exercise stimulates circulation, helping immune cells patrol.
• Deep, consistent sleep: This is when your immune system “learns” and builds memory by teaching cells to respond faster the next time they encounter a threat.
• Herbs: Formulas like HRP-C, Olive Leaf and AL-J, provide gentle yet powerful support, strengthening immunity. And since so much of your immunity lives in the gut, don’t forget your colon allies too - Body Detox or Bwl-Bld to help the body stay clean, resilient, and ready.
• I know I repeated these 2 herbs twice … that is HOW important they are!

A Bigger Body Systems Picture 

Your immune system doesn’t work in isolation. It’s part of a larger orchestra, tuned to the rhythms of your whole body. Sleep, nutrition, stress, mindset, movement, each section plays a role.

That’s why I created the BODiWELL Framework; eight interconnected elements of wellness that cover everything from nutrition and sleep to stress and life elements like water, oxygen, and sunshine.

But here’s the key: you don’t need to work on all eight at once. Use BODiWELL like a checklist. Notice which pieces you’re already doing well, and then ask: Which one or two need more support right now? That’s where you start.

When supported with steady, nourishing habits, your immune system and your whole body responds.

Final Thought On Your Immune System

Your immune system mirrors your daily habits.

A cookie here or a glass of wine there won’t undo everything, but consistency really matters. Each choice either strengthens or drains your inner defenses.

💡 Your immune system doesn’t ask for perfection. It asks for consistency because every steady habit is a signal of strength to your body.