The Immune System.

To be immune means to be protected. So it makes sense that the body system that helps fight off sickness is called the immune system. The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body. White blood cells, also called leukocytes, are part of this defense system. There are two basic types of these germ-fighting cells. One is phagocytes, which chew up invading germs. The other one is lymphocytes, which allow the body to remember and recognize previous invaders. Leukocytes are found in lots of places, including our spleen - a small organ near the stomach that controls the quality of blood cells and helps fight infections.

Leukocytes also can be found in bone marrow, which is a thick, spongy jelly inside our bones. Our lymphatic system is home to these germ-fighting cells also. Our lymphatic system is in form of swollen "glands" on the sides of our necks. Although we call them "glands," they are actually lymph nodes and they contain clusters of immune system cells. Normally, lymph nodes are small and round and you don't notice them. But when they're swollen, it means your immune system is at work. Lymph nodes work like filters to remove germs that could hurt you. Lymph nodes, and the tiny channels that connect them to each other, contain lymph, a clear fluid with leukocytes (white blood cells) in it. We have lymph nodes in several other places on our body: behind our knees, in our armpits, and in our groin - just to name a few.

Though we have this great system in place, it's not enough to keep us from getting sick. Well, everyone gets sick sometimes. But our immune system helps us get well again. Sometimes a person has a problem with his or her immune system. Allergies are one kind of problem. It's medical condition that causes one to react badly to a particular substance. The immune system overreacts and treats something harmless as something really dangerous to the body .

Other immune system problems may develop due to an illness like cancer or HIV/AIDS - an immunodeficiency condition. It's a medical condition in which the body does not have the normal ability to resist infection.

We can't prevent most immune system disorders, but if they happen, they can be treated with medicine and we will feel good and be healthy again. Immunologists are doctors who specialize in immune system problems. So if anyone has an immune system problem, the doctors can help and such a person will stay strong and be able to fight off illness.

We can help our immune systems with hygienic practices, eating nutritious foods, getting plenty of exercise, and getting regular medical checkups. - You may like to read: Note on Our Health.
It's our immune system that makes us feel great everyday.

For more about me, read my first post Who Am I? or the About Me page.

Note On Our Health

Anyone who does not take cognizance of his/her health has taken the risk of losing his/her life.

There is so much illness in the world today, much of which is because of pollution which leads to toxicity in our cells, tissues and blood. We are all slowly being poisoned. We need to remove those poisons from our bodies to be healthy.

We consume dead, processed foods with preservatives and additives. We are also subject to chemically contaminated air and water.

As health is the condition of our body, mind and spirit, either free or not from illness, injury or pain, it's noteworthy to examine the key factors that influence our health in either (positive/negative) ways.

We can improve our health if we appraise our lifestyle, exercise well, sleep well, maintain a healthy body weight, limit alcohol intake and avoid smoking.

Our ability to adapt to and manage a healthy lifestyle is the basis of reducing the risk of losing our lives and maintaining and extending our lifespan. Though some people will not believe this as a fact, perhaps because of their strong religious beliefs or other reasons some of which I highlighted on the About Me page, but it's a fact.

The necessity of good health is not limited to a particular religion, caste, creed or gender. Most diseases have their origin in mind. A person can be said to be healthy when his or her body is healthy and the mind is clear and calm. While many people may not have material problems, they may be unhappy or agitated at the psychological level. They may suffer from insomnia due to stress, or feel depressed, irritable and aimless. All these are the result of an unbalanced mind.

Maintaining a good health is an ongoing process, many people do not realize this, and even if they do, they may still disregard it. Whether we work at home or in an office, we need good health in order to perform our duties well. When people talk about health, they usually refer to the condition of the body. However, health does not merely mean being free from physical pain or the symptoms of disease. The mind is of crucial consideration in the overall assessment of wellbeing.

Some people are unable or do not have the advantage to exercise everyday for some reason but just make sure you get some sort of physical activity. Taking at least fifteen minutes out of the day to just walk and keep your metabolism going is the right path to staying healthy and fit. A healthy lifestyle can protect our bodies from joint pains, memory loss, heart diseases, eating disorders, wrinkles and other ageing complaints which will occur in life. So that it may keep us living a youthful life and remains us looking young as well.


Unfortunately, most of our attempts to become happy relate only to the body. We strive for materialistic ends, such as lucrative income, status, a big house, an expensive car, jewelry and so on, because we believe these things will make us happy. Seldom do we give attention to our mind and soul, which the time and resources we spend in trying to fulfill our physical needs and desire, we are still unable to achieve lasting peace and happiness through satisfaction of bodily needs. This is because we have not learned how to listen to our mind and soul.


Mind you - everything we eat does one of two things: it either nourishes us or poisons us. Food that has been over-processed and contains preservatives acts like slow poison. The entire modern food handling process, where emphasis is on long shelf life, is turning our food into poisons. In order to keep the body healthy, it is fundamental to follow a wholesome diet, consisting of fresh vegetable proteins in the form of lentils, beans, milk products, dried fruits and the like. You may read - Benefits of Being a Vegan.
Besides healthy food, we also need sufficient sleep, fresh air, and proper physical exercise, such as dancing and sports.

We should note that our ability to adapt to and manage a healthy lifestyle is necessary to maintaining  a healthy, fulfilled and balanced life which is will ultimately extend our lifespan.

For more health tips:
The Immune System
7 Healthy Eating Tips