Develop a Super Human Immune System

Tis the season of colds and flu, and my urgent care clinics in Texas and Arkansas have the patients to prove it. In fact, for the past few months they have been inundated with people who have everything from respiratory viruses and sinus infections to flu symptoms and colds. The scene is nothing new. This is the “busy season” in the urgent care business, but you don’t have to fall victim to cold and flu season. I discovered a few little secrets long before I became a medical doctor that have helped me avoid getting sick, and I’m going to share them with you. You must develop a Super Human Immune System because people are counting on you. When I served as a Green Beret, being sick was not an option. The missio I was assigned to had to be accomplished, and it would not wait for me to get well. As a doctor at HealthCARE Express, the same holds true. My patients are counting on me being healthy so I can take care of them. Over the years I have developed some “tricks” to staying healthy. They are easy to follow, and I highly recommend them if you want your own Super Human Immune System. Developing this is one of the most important things you can do for your body. It simply means you build up your body’s ability to fight off disease so when you do get sick (it is part of our human existence) you can get better much faster. There are some things you can start doing today to develop your own Super Human Immune System. They include: Step 1: Retrain Your Mind Retrain your mind to not believe in getting sick. It is easy to think our environment makes us sick. The reality, however, is we are all surrounded by the same bacteria and viruses day in and day out. Yet some people are always sick, while others stay healthy. Understand that disease could also be spelled dis-ease. When your immune system is in a state of dis-ease from stress or fatigue, the same virus that was benign and helpless in your body yesterday suddenly has an opportunity to make you sick today. You have to train your mind to fight off disease. Develop an “I don’t get sick” attitude. Your attitude about health is the most important thing you can do to develop your own Super Human Immune System. Step 2: Practice Imaging Imaging is the ability to imagine something so vividly that it becomes reality. While this may sound a little far out there, it is actually a very common technique used by athletes. An Olympic athlete will often imagine their event over and over until they know it so perfectly that when they perform it, they feel they have done it 1,000 times. You can apply this to your health too. Imagine your healing hormones cruising through your veins healing you and preventing disease. If you do get sick, imagine your white blood cells killing off any wayward bacteria. Step 3: Exercise Exercise is a critical part of remaining healthy. It provides an opportunity for your blood to really flow. This in turn brings healing nutrients to the cells that need them most. Exercise also activates your lymph system to carry the toxins out of your cells and tissues and dispose of them. Exercise allows your body to become stronger, which aides you in fighting off infection and disease. Remember the difference between self confidence and self doubt is physical fitness. If you are fit, you feel better about yourself and your life. Exercise gives your mind a chance to get out the stress of the day and focus just on the body. Step 4: Stop Smoking If you smoke, it’s time to stop! This isn’t news; you already know it. Just put cigarettes away and develop a different habit. I know it’s not easy, but all you have to do is make a decision. I have helped hundreds of people quit, all because they made the decision to do so. Once you decide to quit, you will find a way to make it happen. Cigarettes make you sick. They make you more susceptible to infection. They prevent your body from healing, and they drain your bank account. Use any of these as reasons, or pick a thousand other reasons, for your reason to quit. Having a reason will help you stay focused on your decision. Step 5: Have an Hour of Power Everyone needs “me” time. Take one hour a day, and use it for you. During that hour you might exercise, journal, plan, goal set, read inspiring books or meditate. Just make sure you are doing things that you enjoy. Do not use the hour to answer e-mails, do chores or daily tasks, make phone calls, or participate in other “urgent” things that can create stress. Simply take one hour a day and make it about you. You will be amazed what this does for your inner peace. Step 6: Forgive Others Forgiving others may sound like a crazy way to stay healthy, but carrying the burden of anger about past events increases your stress. This in-tu decreases your body’s ability to fight off disease. So you don’t have to forgive people because they deserve it. Instead, forgive people because you need it. Ironically, most of the people you hold a grudge against don’t even know it, and they don’t care. Still, we treat forgiveness as though it is a gift for only those we choose. In reality, it’s a gift you can give away at anytime, and it will make your life happier in the process. There are other steps you can take to build your Super Human Immune System, but this is a start. Become healthier this season by implementing the steps above. Have a great, healthy, happy life.

[Ed. Note: For other health tips, check out Dr. Tim’s new book, The Green Beret Doctors Boot Camp: Health Plan for Life.]