How can you boost your immune system?

As people know, I have had a couple of bouts of depression in my life, and I found that affected my immune system.  I also have an illness that I take a daily pill for that can make me ill.  But your immune system can be affected by other illnesses and factors.  So is there anything we can do to help it, and therefore us?

According to the http://www.health.harvard.edu/ website, "There is still much that researchers don't know about the intricacies and interconnectedness of the immune response. For now, there are no scientifically proven direct links between lifestyle and enhanced immune function."

 That is interesting - as there are also many sites that give us suggestions as to actions we can take that "may" boost our immune system.

• Naturally, incorporating a healthy lifestyle (diet, exercise and routine) will help us anyway.
• Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and helps to strengthen the immune system:  it can be found in tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, pink grapefruit, asparagus amongst others.  When absorbed from the intenstine, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipiproteins and accumulates in the blood, skin, liver, and adrenal glands.
• Protein: includes meats such as fish, beef, and chicken. You can also get it from Spinach, Avocado, Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts.
• Cut back on refined white sugar and can sugar - they are reported  to weaken the immune system.  Replace with natural sugars (our body needs sugars - although we must limit amounts).
• Focus on anti-viral foods - these have been shown to improve immune function in tests:  these include lemon, cabbage, onion, flaxseed.
• Increase vitamin a food, and vitamin B12.  I actually take a multi-vitamin every morning.  I am not saying that you should use these as replacements - the best intake for vitamins is naturally. B12 is an essential nutrient for nerve function, brain function and red blood cells.  Found in fatty fish, eggs, beef, chicken, turkey, oysters, crab. Vitamin A is in Lettuce, sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, fish.
• Vitamin D is also important - get out in the sunshine as much as you can (safely of cours). But also found in salmon, tuna, orange juice, sardines and eggs.
• You need to flush out toxins - so try and drink water or green tea.
• People are also advised to not smoke, drink responsibly, get adequate sleep, monitor your weight and blood pressure, and control cholesterol (but all these are a natural choice for living better anyway).

I guess the word is live as healthily as possible - watch your diet (still have treats now and then) and stay active.  It certainly cannot hurt!!!