With the government planning to make swimming free for everyone in the run up to the 2012 Olympics why not check out the whereabouts of your local pool. Swimming builds endurance, boosts muscle strength and doesn’t hammer your joints. And it is good for your brain too! Experts believe a session in the pool can help as much as medication for recharging your batteries. Concentrate on the rhythm of your stroke as you swim and let your mind drift away to enjoy the benefits.

With the season of colds and sniffles fast approaching natural ways to boost your immunity are especially relevant. Last month we took a look at how the food you eat can boost your immunity and this month we’ll take a look at some ways to boost your immunity with good sleep and exercise choices.

Douse the night light

 

Keep your bedroom as dark as possible when you are sleeping. Too much brightness during the night depresses your immune system. This is because only when it’s really dark does your body produce melatonin, a hormone that not only helps you drift off to sleep but also helps prevent colds, flu, infection and certain diseases. Not sleeping enough, or being exposed to light during the night, decreases melatonin production and boosts oestrogen levels, and higher than normal levels of oestrogen are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Recent studies have found a massive 60 per cent increased risk of cancer among women who work night shifts, and an even greater increase among women with bedrooms that are brighter than they should be. Not surprisingly, women with limited vision or blindness have an approximate 20–50 per cent reduction in breast-cancer risk.

 

Even a dim source like a bedside clock or a night light may switch melatonin production off, so keep your bedroom as dark as possible. And if light from street lamps shines into your bedroom, invest in some black-out curtains.

 

Get a full night’s sleep

 

Everybody’s different: your body may need anywhere from 6–8 hours of sleep each night. Whatever your personal sleep requirement is, make sure you get it!

 

Sleeping better may help you fight off illness. People who are sleep deprived often have raised levels of stress hormones, as well as running the risk of persistent inflammation in the blood and a decrease in immune function. Millions of chronically deprived people are putting their health, quality of life and even length of life in jeopardy by not getting enough quality sleep. There is a clear connection between sleep and health, and therefore sleep deprivation and disease, and the evidence is getting stronger.

 

Quality sleep has been linked to balanced hormone levels (including human growth hormone and the stress hormone, cortisol); these keep weight down, lead to clear thinking and reasoning, improve mood, and engender vibrant, healthy skin. Blood pressure and heart rate are typically at their lowest levels during sleep; people who tend to sleep less have higher blood pressure. New research from a Warwick study of the sleep patterns of some 10,000 Britains links cutting sleep to five hours or fewer to a doubled risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Shortage of sleep is also linked to increased risk of weight gain and diabetes.

 

Put simply, people who sleep well live longer. So if you want good health and to live to a ripe old age, do your immune system and yourself a favour and say ‘good night’ sooner.

 

Pick up the pace

 

Walking at a brisk pace every day for 20–30 minutes stimulates the production of a variety of immune cells and enhances the overall function of the immune system.

 

Researchers from the University of South Carolina and the University of Massachusetts recently studied 550 adults. Those who simply walked at a brisk pace had about 25 per cent fewer colds than those who seldom or never exercised. Results of at least three clinical trials tend to confirm this finding. In all three trials, women who were told to walk briskly most days over a three-month period developed colds only about half as often as those who did no exercise at all.

 

The research shows that during moderate exercise, several positive changes occur in the immune system. Various immune cells circulate through the body more quickly and are better able to kill bacteria and viruses. Once the exercise session is over, the immune system returns to normal. The preliminary conclusions are that moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk, will give your immune system a boost, and this in turn should increase your chances of fighting off cold viruses in the long term.

 

Exercise that increases your heart rate and moves large muscles (such as those in your legs and arms) is what you should aim for. Choose an activity that you enjoy and can start slowly; gradually increasing, as you get fitter. Aim to work out for 20–30 minutes four to six times a week. Walking briskly is very popular and does not require any special equipment or training. Other good exercises if you feel more energetic include swimming, cycling, gentle jogging and trampoline. Even if you are pushed for time, benefits can be gained simply by walking upstairs rather than taking the lift, or by walking or cycling on shorter journeys rather than taking the car.

 

Pick a fight

 

Sign up for a martial arts class, or some basic instruction in self defence, and see your immunity and your health and fitness improve.

 

One study put 11 healthy boys aged between 14 and 18 through a 1.5-hour wrestling practice session, sampling their blood before and after the session. The study found that levels of all groups of white blood cells, particularly the natural killer cells, rose significantly. The natural killer cells fight cancer and viruses by searching out the equivalent of a flag carried by normal cells. Those without such a flag are attacked by a cocktail of chemicals.

 

Another study, this time on martial arts, compared the fitness levels of nine people aged between 40 and 60 who practised Soo Bahk Do (a martial art similar to karate) with those of nine sedentary people. Those who did the martial art were found to have better levels of body fat, balance, flexibility, muscle strength, endurance and aerobic capacity.

 

Martial arts – even mild forms like Tai Chi – have long been known to confer tremendous immune boosting anti-ageing health benefits to their followers. Throughout Asia, it’s not uncommon to see large groups of elderly (people in their 70’s and 80’s) practicing Tai Chi at sunrise in the community parks. Despite their age, these people have better aerobic conditioning, balance, strength, flexibility and coordination than many typical Americans in their 30’s. Any form of martial arts will produce similar benefits. In addition to tai chi, kick boxing and Tai Kwnon Do are also excellent, but do make sure you sign up for a beginner’s class and get the okay from your GP if you are on medication or suffering from a medical condition. 

 

Work out, but don’t overdo it

 

If you aren’t an athlete or professional dancer, and are exercising for over an hour a day several times a week, give yourself and your immune cells a break and cut down on your workout time.

 

As with diet, moderation is crucial; too much exercise, or exercising to the point of exhaustion, can boost the body’s production of adrenaline and cortisol – two hormones that temporarily suppress immune function. Olympians and other highly trained athletes often report that after intense competition and training they are more susceptible to colds. The exercise slogan of the 1980s, ‘no pain, no gain’, has fortunately given way to a more realistic notion that moderate exercise confers more health benefits than strenuous exercise. Moderate exercisers have the added benefit of suffering fewer injuries as well.

 

Exercising too hard and for too long isn’t good for your immune system, so you need to aim for moderate exercise. One way to ensure that you are exercising at the right pace is to see if you can carry on a conversation while you are exercising. You should be slightly out of breath but not panting and unable to speak. So if you find yourself panting, huffing and puffing STOP! You’re exercising too hard.

 

While intensive training is what some prefer, rest assured that something as simple as a 30-minute daily walk will provide your body with all the health and immune benefits it needs. The key is, no matter how you get your exercise, to do it regularly and make sure it’s fun!

 

Work up a sweat

 

Work up a sweat, even if the barometer drops. Perspiration is a great way to remove toxins and other infection-friendly waste material from your body.

 

Have you noticed how, when you get an infection, you can also get a fever or the one area becomes hot? An increase in body temperature is your immune system’s way of actively fighting infection and disease. Sweating promotes the release of stored toxins through your skin, easing the toxic load on your body.

 

You can work up a sweat through exercise or when you do everyday tasks, such as gardening or housework. Using a sauna can also provide benefits, but – if you do have a medical condition – check with your doctor first before exposing yourself to high temperatures. You don’t need to be saturated with perspiration. Remember that overdoing exercise is not immune-system friendly – a gentle sweat will do your immune system a power of good, bringing a rosy glow to your cheeks at the same time.

 

But what if it’s too late and you haven’t managed to avoid that cold? Should you rest or try to sweat it out? Much depends on your symptoms. In general, if your symptoms are above your neck and you have no fever, gentle exercise or building up a light sweat is probably safe. Intensive exercise should be postponed until after the symptoms have gone away. However, if there are symptoms and signs of flu, such as fever or swollen glands, at least 10 days should be set aside before you resume ordinary training.

 

Next month: Boosting immunity with lifestyle choices

In their forties and fifties many women typically find that they’re several pounds (and sometimes stones) heavier than they were in their twenties. The hormonal changes that accompany the run up to the menopause mean that we are predisposed to gain more fat in the abdominal area, around the waist. So even if you find that your weight doesn’t increase with age you may still find that your body shape changes. Indeed, research has shown that menopausal women have on average 20 per cent more body fat than pre-menopausal women and most of this body fat is around their waist.

Although this increase in body fat may help reduce your risk of osteoporosis the downside is that it significantly increases your risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. New research also suggests that it can dramatically raise your risk of Alzheimer’s later in life. And if all that wasn’t enough abdominal fat is a deep, firm fat that lies close to your organs where it can disrupt levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and certain hormones in your blood lowering your immunity and raising your risk of disease even higher.

 

Unfortunately, abdominal fat is notoriously hard to shift. Dieting won’t help either because if you restrict your food intake to a low level you deprive your body of essential nutrients like fatty acids and calcium, triggering deficiency-related conditions like osteoporosis, while at the same time feeling so hungry that your mood plummets.

 

Although dieting isn’t advised in midlife there are fortunately a number of simple and effective natural ways to help you stay slim and healthy. Losing middle age spread isn’t easy but it isn’t impossible. Mid life is a more comfortable time of life. Research shows that after the age of 44 most women feel happier and more fulfilled than they have ever done before because they are less concerned about what other people think. But just because you feel more relaxed and confident about yourself this doesn’t have to mean that you need to let your waist line relax as well.  The following tips will help you stay trim and with the minimum of effort.

 

Stay active

The first step is to is to stay active and to take cardiovascular exercise like swimming, running, cycling or walking very briskly for blocks of 30 minutes at least five times a week. If your children have left home for school or university or college you may not be as active as you once were so you need to build a structured exercise programme into your weekly routine to ensure that your metabolic rate stays high enough to burn off that extra weight.

 

Strike a pose

Yoga is a great way to help tone your body. Not only will it enhance your flexibility and build up muscle mass (and the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic (fat burning rate)), but it will also relax both mind and body and dissolve feelings of stress. A 2005 study in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found middle aged women who practised regular yoga – at least 30 minutes a week – gained less weight than their more inflexible friends.

 

Lift weights

On average people over the age of 25 lose 1 pound of muscle tissue every year and this slows down their metabolism. But gaining one pound of muscle tissue increases your metabolic rate. The best way to build muscle is to strength train. A study by the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 found that women who did weight training regularly over two years were less likely to gain weight around their waist.

 

 

Eat a hormone balancing diet

When it comes to food, you should be eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly phytoestrogenic foods like legumes including soya, lentils, etc., bean sprouts, linseeds and green, leafy vegetables which help to boost your metabolism (fat burning) and to cushion the effects of hormonal changes, minimising such menopausal symptoms as hot flushes and night sweats. Keep your consumption of sweet foods (apart from fruits) and caffeine-packed drinks low. Eat plenty of whole grains (oats, brown rice, for instance) and lots of good quality proteins, such as omega 3 rich oily fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. Avoid red meat and animal produce, with the exception of dairy products which can be eaten in moderation (buy organic where possible and yogurt is the best choice out of the dairy products).

 

Plenty of H2O

Many women mistake dehydration for hunger so the next time you are hungry try drinking a glass of water and then waiting twenty minutes to see if you are still hungry. In a study by the American Obesity Society in 2006 people who swapped soft fizzy drinks for water lost 5 pounds more than those who stuck to sugary drinks (they lost extra calories from the fizzy drinks and also it probably changed their appetite too). Aim for between 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, more if you are exercising or sweating.

 

Down size meals

You’re more likely to be able to afford an executive lifestyle at midlife but massive, boozy lunches and dinners are bad news for your waist line. Eat small, regular meals and snacks instead to keep your metabolic rate (fat burning) up.

 

Snack attack

The temptation to snack on chocolate and other sugary snacks can be over powering for women with children still living at home. It can also be hard for women whose children have recently left home for school, college or university. The start of the new academic year every September can be particularly difficult. Suddenly the house is empty and feelings of loneliness can be overwhelming. It is so tempting to reach for the biscuit tin as a comfort fix but this won’t solve anything. If this sounds familiar try to ride out your craving by going for a walk, chatting to a friend or your partner or investing your energy into things you really want to do now that you have more time on your hands. If you find that you really are hungry swap sugary snacks for a small handful of unsalted nuts, pumpkin seeds or dried fruit. And remember, that even when your kids have left home they still look to you as a role model. If you don’t eat healthily or take care of yourself how can you expect them to do the same?

 

Supplement your life

In addition to eating a healthy diet to boost your metabolism and balance your hormones and blood sugar levels so that you don’t get food cravings you should also take a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement every day. A multi vitamin and mineral supplement should never be a substitute for a healthy diet but as modern farming methods and processing techniques deplete nutrients from much of the food we eat today, even if you make all the right food choices it is still increasingly difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs to keep you healthy and slim. A multi vitamin and mineral supplement is therefore a good insurance policy to guard against possible deficiencies. For weight loss make sure in particular that your supplement contains the recommended daily amount required for calcium and chromium.  (The multivitamin and mineral I use in the clinic, which has good levels of both calcium and chromium is MenoPlus – see the Resources Page).

 

A recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that women in their 50s who took a calcium supplement every day put on less weight after 45 than women who did not. And researchers at Purdue University in Indiana found women taking calcium daily lost 6 pounds over two years.

 

Chromium can help keep your blood sugar levels stable so that you don’t get food cravings after a meal. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Research Centre found that people who took chromium, multivitamins and B complex vitamins gained less weight over a 10 year period than those who did not.

 

Go green

Green tea can raise your metabolism so that you burn extra calories. According to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition an extract from green tea can help speed up fat burning. Researchers discovered that people who drank green tea containing a green tea extract used up more calories than those drinking ordinary tea. (There is a green tea extract in the Nutri Plus which is used to get rid of fat around the middle – see the Resources Page).