Stress And Your Immune System

I wasn’t going to blog today but then something popped into my head that I figured I should talk about after yesterday’s rant and the fact that…

I woke up sick this morning with a nasal drip.  Ugh.

This was due to the very dry and cold air in my apartment over night but it also has to do with my compromised immune system right now.  A friend on one of my fitness groups then pointed out that I am under a lot of pressure and that stress could be causing some of my problems.  She is totally right; I know stress has been causing a lot of my issues over the last year but I often forget the havoc it can wreak on your body.  It can cause:

      • Fat Retention (i.e. obesity or difficulty to lose weight)
      • Gastrointestinal Distress
      • Mood Changes (depression, irritability, etc.)
      • Muscle Tension
      • Sleep Problems

And many other symptoms!  So this is probably one of the major factors contributing to my frustrations (which just makes me more stressed, see the circle?). 

As for the bouts of sickness this week, I know it has to do with a compromised immune system.  Not only has stress increased in the last 2 or 3 weeks, but my eating choices have gotten worse accordingly, thereby decreasing my immune system – especially from all the sugar I’ve had recently (Article: Sugar as an Immune Suppressant).  The smallest things can trigger a reaction in me right now, even foods that I can normally handle eating.

Of course, this brings me right back round to my belief that I’m due for some sort of detox, or rather an “Immunity Building Diet”.  What pops into my head?  Whole30 or Practical Paleo

So that is where I’m at.  I’ve made no decisions yet on what I will do from here on out.  Grad school is what it is and it can be basically defined as being chronically stressed most of the time.  I do my best to alleviate it but the work still needs to be done.  The only thing I can control is my diet and exercise!  So I’m off to figure out a plan.  For now, I’m just eating plain, simple foods that I know don’t affect me negatively.  I’m also going to take a few days off from intense exercise until I feel I can handle the impact it puts on my body.  Then I will work on a more concrete plan for the long term until I feel back to full health!

Have you ever done a detox or other diet to help your immune system?

4 thoughts on “Stress And Your Immune System

  1. Stress is definitely no fun and I know that it’s definitely has wreaked havoc on my body. That and then I don’t get enough sleep either. It is a vicious cycle. I hope that you feel better soon! Curious to hear what detox you decide on.

  2. I was going to suggest one of the plans from Practical Paleo. Maybe the auto-immune one? I know it is super boring, but it is only 30 days. 4 weeks. You can endure for that long. Good luck! And feel better!!!

    1. I was concerned about following the meal plan because of prep time. Maybe I will just follow my own Paleo diet minus nightshades (the things you avoid also for autoimmune). We’ll see! My sister packed me lunch today, with lots of recipes out of Practical Paleo!
      ~Ang

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: