As you may know, our immune system functions like a muscle in that must be challenged in order to grow stronger.   In fact, the modern trend of over- sterilizing our bodies and our environment (think hand sanitizer or chemical cleaning products) actually makes our bodies weaker, acting like a crutch that does not allow the body to adapt and get stronger. This article will explain how you can strengthen your immune system with Essential Oils.

Strengthen Your Immune System with Essential Oils

Essential oils possess many anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-viral properties that can be used to ease the body into health when the cold or flu strikes.  For example, Immune Support™ and Thymus™ are great for preventing or fast tracking a cold.  Breathe™, Sinus Support™ and Histamine Balance™ are great for any respitory issues.  And Parasympathetic®, Lymph™, and Migraine Support™ are great for head colds.

Essential Oils can also be used to strengthen the immune muscle and help pro-actively strengthen the immune system, making you and your family less susceptible to catching colds or the flu.

1. Clear your Sinuses 

Within our nasal cavity we have tiny, hair-like structures called cilia that line the inside of the sinuses. These cilia move back and forth to push mucus around. This is how mucous gets from these cavities into either the back of the throat or to the nose where it can be blown out.  Applying 2 – 3 drops of Sinus Support™ and/or Histamine Balance™ to a Q-tip and swabbing the inside of the nasal passages 2 – 6 times daily.  For optimal effectiveness, you can leave the Q-tip in the nasal passage for up to 20 minutes. Try to relax and focus on breathing through the nose.  This increases the speed and coordination of the cilia so they can more effectively remove the allergens and other sinus irritants.  This technique can significantly reduce the risk of sinus infections or dramatically improve symptoms and improve the time to recovery

2.  Support Gut Immunity

80% of the immune system actually resides in the gut, so the health of our gut plays a huge role in the health of our immune system.  Not only does the gut lining serve as a physical barrier and the first line of defense between our body and any pathogens we might swallow, but healthy gut flora helps us process and eliminate toxins and reduce inflammation. To support a healthy gut lining, consider the topically applying essential oils in the Gut Repair Kit™, including Parasympathetic® to support the healing parasympathetic state, Anti Inflammatory™ to reduce intestinal inflammation and Intestinal Mucosa™ to support intestinal mucosal lining which in turn can support healthy gut flora and trap harmful bacteria and infectious organisms.   To learn more about supporting gut immunity, click here.

3. Improve Sleep

Sleep is the time when our bodies and brain can rest, repair and regenerate.  On the flip side, sleep deprivation can contribute to the stress response, which further depresses immune function and elevates inflammatory chemicals. If you are feeling under the weather, try to get to bed as early as possible. This will help you detoxify the brain.  If you are unable to fall asleep, Circadian Rhythm® can help trigger the natural release of melatonin to help you fall asleep.  If night waking is a concern, consider Liver™, Pancreas™ or Hormone Balance™.  Click here to read more about oils to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

4. Detoxify the Body and the Brain

The detoxification system supports the removal of viruses and pathogens along with waste products and toxins.  Helping the body to move bacteria out of the system, helps reduce the burden on the immune system.  The following oils help to support optimal detoxification:

Parasympathetic®:  The autonomic nervous system has two states: the “fight-or flight” sympathetic state and the “rest-and-digest” parasympathetic state. The parasympathetic state supports the body to detoxify and heal. Your body cannot detoxify and heal when you are under stress.  Another key stressor and toxin creator is an impaired digestive system. If you are not absorbing and assimilating nutrients, it puts another stress on the body, and the undigested food particles add to the toxic burden. To ensure optimal detoxification, you can apply the Parasympathetic® blend (available here) to the vagus nerve (behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone) before meals to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system “rest-and-digest” state.  To learn more about how Parasympathetic® can support detoxification of the brain, click here.

Lymph™ The lymphatic system removes waste from every cell in the body. It works as the body’s septic system, removing the byproducts and wastes created from metabolizing nutrients. Just like the drains in your home, the lymphatic system can get congested and stagnant, and toxins can build up. The more you can help the lymph fluid flow, the more quickly you can move toxins out of the body.  Attempts to detoxify the body when the lymph system is congested often lead to detox and healing reactions. The lymphatic system aids the immune system in removing and destroying debris, dead blood cells, pathogens, toxins, excess fluid, and waste products from the cells and the interstitial spaces between the cells.

Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system does not have a central pump—it only moves as the muscles squeeze it along. So the lack of movement makes the lymphatic system stagnant, with waste accumulating and excessive toxins building up.  Lymph™ blend helps keep lymph flowing to move toxins out of the body. Liberally apply 2 to 3 drops of Lymph™ to both sides of the neck, the lymph nodes under the arms, and around inguinal ligament (bikini line area—think where your leg creases when you lift it) to ensure optimal drainage and health.

Liver™ The liver is the primary organ of detoxification. It filters toxins and bacteria from blood and neutralizes the toxins in preparation for elimination. The liver needs energy and vitality to keep up with the increased toxic burden.  Liver™ helps support optimal health and vitality of the liver and is ideal during a detoxification or any kind of digestive repair effort that might release extra toxins (like yeast die-off ).  Apply 2 to 3 drops of Liver™ directly over the liver (right side of the body, under the breast) two to three times daily. The blend is especially helpful when applied before sleep during a detoxification effort as so much of the liver’s work occurs while we are sleeping.

Gall Bladder™ The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile which helps us emulsify fat for digestion and carries toxins and old hormones out of the body. Ideally, the gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine where it breaks down the fat for the body to absorb, before being eliminated from the body in the stool. When we eliminate the bile, we eliminate toxins with it.  Unfortunately, stress, toxicity, hormones, or diets too low or too high in fat can make the bile thick, viscous, and stagnant which impedes its ability to flow both to the small intestine and out of the body.  If toxins, do not exit the body, they can be reabsorbed, further adding to the body’s toxic burden and contributing to hormonal imbalances and gallbladder challenges. Applying Gall Bladder™ on the right side of the body under the bra under-wire or along and slightly under the right rib cage two to three times daily may help support optimal flow of bile.

Kidney Support™  The kidneys play a vital role in detoxification, regulating the flow and balance of fluids in the body, filtering the blood, and helping remove waste from the body through urination.  In Chinese medicine, the kidneys are considered the seat of courage and willpower. They control the volume, composition, and pressure of fluids in all the cells. Blood flows through the kidneys at its highest pressure, filtering out toxins and directing nourishing materials to where they are needed.  Kidney Support™ applied over the kidneys (lower back, size of a fist starting at bottom rib), over the forehead or around the outside of earlobes can help support the kidney’s ability to release toxins.

5.  Raise Your Core Temperature

Increasing  our core temperature actives the Immune System.  As our core temperature rises, it reduces the microorganism load in the body.  For example, at 101 degrees most bacteria are unable to survive and at 102 degrees the viruses are unable to replicate and spread in the body.  This is one of the reasons that the body naturally spikes a fever when we are fighting an illness.   In fact, elevated temperature activates immune cells such as lymphocytes to destroy cells infected with viruses and neutrophils to target infectious bacterial cells. Temperature increases also improves enzymatic activity to create an environment that is unkind to the infectious microbes.

You can support the increase in your core temperature with hot oils, a hot bath or a combination of the two.  I love to add in Epsom Salt as the combination of Magnesium and sulfate are easily absorbed through the skin and into blood stream, helping to carry in minerals and eliminate toxins.  Essential oil blends that contain hot oils, such as Parasympathetic™, Immune Support™ or Thymus™ can further increase your heat levels which will help you to sweat out toxins.  Healing baths to boost core temperature are ideal for both boosting the immune system and nipping a cold in the bud.  Click here to learn more about healing baths.

6.  Release Toxic Emotions

Toxic emotions and negative thought patterns triggers a chronic and prolonged stress response that contributes to chronic infammation and oxidative stress in the body. Toxic emotions include anger, fear, grief, anxiety, depression or low self worth.   These toxic emotions can lock the body in a stress response that shuts down the part of the immune system (natural T-suppressor cells) that inhibits the over production of inflammatory activity.  For example, research shows that fear triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than 30 different hormones. These chemical reactions generated by toxic thoughts and emotions can impede the immune system and trigger hyperactive inflammatory processes.

Essential oils can travel directly to the limbic system, the emotional center of the brain, through the olfactory channel, rending them an ideal remedy for releasing toxic emotions.  To learn more about how to use essential oils to release toxic emotions, click here.

7.  Support Your Immune Organs

The Thymus and the Spleen play critical roles in the immune system.  Their vitality and health enhance your ability for an optimal immune response.

Thymus™ – The thymus gland, located in front of the heart, plays an important role in the immune system, maturing infection-fighting white blood cells made in the bone marrow. Stimulating the thymus by gently tapping on the gland (thymus thumping) or using essential oils is thought to increase the release of white blood cells. To stimulate immune function against infections, viruses and bacteria, apply 2-3 drops on the thymus (on breastbone at third rib) in a clockwise motion for 30 seconds and then stimulate the thymus by gently tapping.

Spleen™ – The spleen, located in the left upper abdomen, is an important part of the immune system. It helps fight certain bacteria, like those that cause pneumonia and meningitis and serves as a reservoir for blood, filtering and purifying the blood and lymph fluid that flow through it. A damaged spleen makes you more susceptible to infections. You can support the spleen by applying 2- 3 drops over the spleen (left side of the body, under breast) or around the earlobes.

Resources

Ready to get started? Click the links below to order today:

• Anti Inflammatory™ available here
• Breathe™ available here
• Circadian Rhythm® available here
• Gall Bladder™ available here 
• Gut Repair Kit™ available here
• Histamine Balance™ available here
• Hormone Balance™ available here
• Immune Support™ available here
• Intestinal Mucosa™ available here
• Kidney Support™ available here
• Liver™ available here
• Lymph™ available here
• Migraine Support™ available here
• Pancreas™ available here
• Parasympathetic® available here
• Sinus Support™ available here
• Spleen™ available here
• Thymus™ available here