Vision, Purpose and pursuit

When we talk about purpose, we are talking about our reason for being and for doing. Life is meaningless without knowing and living out our purpose. Some people will commit suicide because they feel that their life has no purpose, and without purpose there is no hope. God created man in His image and gave him a purpose that included spiritual fellowship and productive service. A purpose isn’t simply an ideal; it’s something that we have strong convictions about: we believe in it and it informs our actions.

Purpose generates excitement – an excitement that enables us to leap over every obstacle. It helps us to develop tenacity. I become excited when I know what God wants me to accomplish, when I know why I’m here and when I understand the possibilities of my future. I develop endurance, that can’t quit attitude that allows me to rise above challenges. Don’t get me wrong – purpose doesn’t minimize or even eliminate challenges. It just helps me to have the drive to succeed in spite of them.

• A true purpose is God given
• Purpose motivates diligence
• Purpose causes you to prioritize

Know your purpose, maximize your potential. Giftedness alone is not sufficient; without purpose even a gifted person will fail to realize his potential. When we have purpose we will look for opportunities to actualize that purpose. Purpose challenges us to overcome our deficiencies and fears. Purpose causes us to improve through studying and practice. Purpose leads to creativity; it helps us to find the resources that are needed. Is your purpose being realized? Are you accomplishing what you set out to do?

How to Lose Tummy Fat – Get a Flat Stomach

Tommy had a fat tummy, and he wanted to get rid of it. He wanted a flat stomach so that he would look sexier and become more attractive. Not only that, but he would have more energy as well.

As he looked out the window over the town, he saw that life could be much more enjoyable and could enjoy it longer if he was in better shape. Everything seemed to take off for his cousin Jerry when he got into shape. Maybe things would be the same for Tommy. He looked down at his belly that was sticking out. He decided to make a change right now. Soda was bad. Let’s cut soda, Tommy thought. So Tommy cut soda and decided he would take brisk walks every morning at 8 AM.

If you’re wondering how to lose tummy fat, you’re not alone. The way I started was similar to Tommy’s story. I saw some changed that I needed to make, and I made them. But I didn’t change everything.

The critical thing to know when thinking about losing tummy fat is that you need to make positive changes and then get results. When you get results that take you towards your goals, you gain momentum. Then you can change more habits in your life and make more progress.

When Tommy asked himself how to lose tummy fat, he decided the answer was in action. So he observed the stupid things he was doing, like eating bags of potato chips, litres of soda pop, and watching hours of television while sitting. That wasn’t the life he wanted to live.

How to lose tummy fat – start with one action today, like Tommy!

Cut out soda.
Ride exercise bike or regular bike at a specific time.
Weigh yourself daily.
Eat four servings of cruciferous vegetables.
Play more balls.

WardrobeEssentials: 2021 Skirt Trend

WardrobeEssentials: 2021 Skirt Trend

It’s a fact: You can never own too much Skirt! It will always be in style, and now that we are spending summer, it’s time to show off those curves and be feminine when it’s comes to styling and colour or outfit combination with the perfect skirt.

In addition, one of the basic effect of skirt is that they polish up your everyday style  and pull off your classic look. And they’ve come such a long way: midis, minis, maxis, tulips, wraps, pencils, jersey knit, silks, tulle…you get the picture. Also, the material used to make them are synonymous with American culture and is a key part of Western-style and cowboy clothing. In fact, there are so many styles: Pencil skirts are classic, but you’ll also find curvier shapes and all kinds of lengths from mini to maxi. And even though skirt have a reputation for being casual, so many of these skirts can be dressed up or down! It’s all up to the individual.

So, whether you’re looking for a cute mini skirt, classy midi style or a sophisticated calf-length look, just know you’ve come to the right place. Some of these pieces are pure jean-ius! Try them with a T-shirt, button down, or tank for spring.

Find out how to style different skirts to fit your personal style. And, top-rated skirt in the market that comes at an affordable price and which one is the best:

How to style different skirt:

1. An half-tucked, paired with booties and a fedora.

2. Swimsuit and flip flops.

3. Band tee and booties.

4. Henley long-sleeved rib top, tucked in, paired with sock booties.

5. Tee and ballet flats.

6. Singlet top and kimono.

Listed below are the skirt mentioned earlier:

1. HAEOF Women’s Boho Elastic High Waist Skirt

The Boho High waist skirt comes with elastic closure, while the material is enveloped with 70% Rayon and 30% Tencel Lyocell. Also, spring & summer need cute maxi skirts! No matter your body type, this must-have skirt is a good choice for your seasons and weather, especially during summer. This women’s dress perfectly shows her personality. It also comes with pockets for convenient and practical use.

The high waist skirt is suitable for travel, party, date, work, office, school, cocktail, beach, vacations, and daily casual. Perfect for summer, spring, and autumn, easy to match all kinds of tops.

2.  DREFBUFY Maxi Women’s High Waist Skirts

The DREFBUFY Maxi womens skirt are made from breathable soft cotton chambray, designed to looks like denim but without jean’s heavy feeling. The material of midi skirt is fabulous in that it is soft, lightweight, and almost silky, which is perfect for daily outfits.

The Maxi skirts are the most comfortable, versatile piece of women’s clothing and it is regarded as  some of the most timeless clothing items today. Although they undergo some slight changes, they remain the same – comfortable, chic, and always trending.

Furthermore, the maxi skirt has multi-wearing styles, which designed with elastic waistband and drawstring decoration, you can wear it as a maxi skirt or tube midi dress. The skirt are also designed with high-waist and an elastic waistband to provide you with a smooth flattering fit, a great sense of stretch, which perfectly shows off the soft waist curve of women!

The DREFBUFY is a women’s brand that combines style and comfort. They advocate women’s colorful lifestyles. The women’s casual midi skirt perfect suit for daily wear, to date, party, summer beach, vacations, travel. It can also be used for working style, nice fit pair with blouse or shirts, with flats or heels. The fashionable piece is worn for casual or formal gatherings. The maxi skirt is designed to be lightweight, easy to wear, and stunning for both daasa special and chic appearance.

How cool is that!

To crown it’s all, the Maxi skirts are suitable for all seasons, trendy, easy to wear, and are therefore worthy of investment. Styling maxi skirt as a tube dress will enhance your look and style. The 2 in 1 wearing style maxi skirts should be part of your wardrobe staple.

3. Urban CoCo Women’s skirt

The COCO Women’s skirt material is made up of 95% polyester and 5% spandex. The skirt fits perfectly well on all outfits. The western size is bigger while the Asian size is small, so always check the size information before purchase.

Note: Due to some reasons, the picture may not correspond with the original product, but the quality remains the same.

4. SheIn Women’s Draped Skirt

The sheln Women’s Draped skirt is made with soft fabrics which makes it’s more comfortable “92% polyester and 8% spandex”. It also comes in different sizes: high low skirt, long skirts for women, boho skirts, wrapped skirts for juniors.

In the same vein, it had an Asymmetric wrap split on the mid waist skirt is far around enough to walk, which inspires your charming look and personality.

CONCLUSION: If you are wanting only one “go-to” denim skirt in your collection, I’d recommend opting for the classic DREFBUFY Maxi Women’s High Waist Skirts. For a bit of a twist on a classic skirt.

Your Sure Way to Slimness

In the beginning, our Creator gave us fresh fish, meat, fowl, vegetable, nuts, seeds and fruits to use as food. In our wisdom, we replaced these foods with packaged and chemical filled foods which although convenient and readily available, is a bad imitation of what nature designed for us.

Most of these foods imposed by technology are so popular, most times, cheaper. They are however, strange to our body. The only benefit some of these chemical foods have is that they make manufacturers rich, but hurt our body. Keep them at arm’s length as much as you can if you want longevity, good health and fitness.

If you want to avoid carrying a fat tummy, then it becomes necessary you adhere to the following instructions.

Be wary:

Be wary of sugar, white flour, and corn starch, corn syrup, honey, maltose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, and all the other variations of sugar. These are sweet enemies that raise your blood sugar. They are the source of your excess tummy fats. It is counterproductive to your objective if your aim is how to lose belly fat yet you indulge in products that negate those objectives.

Individualize your diet:

Try new foods: increase the variations of the food you like and enjoy. Develop a menu that is tasty, appealing and satisfying within the weight loss friendly menu guideline. That is the only way you can give the diet program your best shot. Diets that suit your lifestyle tend to stand the test of time.

Get some vitamins:

Choose effective and established vitamins and mineral supplements. They go a long way to make up for inadequacies in your diet.

Caffeine and alcohol must be used in moderation. Excessive consumption of caffeine and alcohol will do your reducing belly fats program no good. Take them in moderation if you cannot totally avoid them.

Exercise to lose belly fat:

Irrespective of your situation and age, there is always an exercise plan for you. You have no excuse for avoiding exercises if you are serious about losing excess stomach fat.

Drink Enough Water:

An important aspect of good nutrition that many individuals forget is water. This is surprising given the fact that most of our body is made up of H20. Medical experts by and large agree that you should drink at least eight glasses of water every day. Water is often considered the secret weapon of weight loss, enabling people to shed pounds more easily.

Set an achievable tummy fat loss goal that is important to you and you will feel good when you achieve it.

Sales copy that converts

An effective sales copy is a key to increase sales. Today, with increased and extensive usage of the Internet and increased competition in the market of online business, a website needs to have excellent sales copy in order to attract the customers and convince them to buy the products or services offered.

In order to get your business up and running in the right direction, writing relevant sales copy is one of the biggest defining factors in the earning potential of most businesses. Writing sales copy is no mystery, but if you don’t have the skills to sell through the written word, your business will suffer as a result of this. You might need to find someone who can do this for you so that you can maximize your income. The problem is, without good relevant sales copy, your business is less likely to reach its full potential.

Your sales copy is by far the most important element of your sales page because it is the principal device for convincing people to buy your product or service on the internet. If you get it wrong your sales will slump, no matter how much you invest in advertising and promotion, however if you can get it right, your online sales will skyrocket.

https://www.fiverr.com/share/B8goZy

Sales copy that converts

An effective sales copy is a key to increase sales. Today, with increased and extensive usage of the Internet and increased competition in the market of online business, a website needs to have excellent sales copy in order to attract the customers and convince them to buy the products or services offered.

In order to get your business up and running in the right direction, writing relevant sales copy is one of the biggest defining factors in the earning potential of most businesses. Writing sales copy is no mystery, but if you don’t have the skills to sell through the written word, your business will suffer as a result of this. You might need to find someone who can do this for you so that you can maximize your income. The problem is, without good relevant sales copy, your business is less likely to reach its full potential.

Your sales copy is by far the most important element of your sales page because it is the principal device for convincing people to buy your product or service on the internet. If you get it wrong your sales will slump, no matter how much you invest in advertising and promotion, however if you can get it right, your online sales will skyrocket.

https://www.fiverr.com/share/B8goZy

Sales copy that converts

An effective sales copy is a key to increase sales. Today, with increased and extensive usage of the Internet and increased competition in the market of online business, a website needs to have excellent sales copy in order to attract the customers and convince them to buy the products or services offered.

In order to get your business up and running in the right direction, writing relevant sales copy is one of the biggest defining factors in the earning potential of most businesses. Writing sales copy is no mystery, but if you don’t have the skills to sell through the written word, your business will suffer as a result of this. You might need to find someone who can do this for you so that you can maximize your income. The problem is, without good relevant sales copy, your business is less likely to reach its full potential.

Your sales copy is by far the most important element of your sales page because it is the principal device for convincing people to buy your product or service on the internet. If you get it wrong your sales will slump, no matter how much you invest in advertising and promotion, however if you can get it right, your online sales will skyrocket.

https://www.fiverr.com/share/B8goZy

Parenting Tips for Healthy, Effective Parenting

healthyfamily1a
Cheerful Family Riding Bicycles Outdoors.

Many parents are hungry for healthy parenting tips and effective parenting advice. The Responsible Kids Network offers parenting tips to encourage and support authoritative parenting.

 

I did not expect parenting to be so hard

 

New parents may be unprepared for the exhilarating, yet exhausting, journey that lies ahead in parenting. It’s important for all parents to realize that just because a person is able to procreate, doesn’t naturally provide the patience and knowledge needed to be an effective and healthy parent. Gaining knowledge about the nature of children and healthy and effective parenting styles, will help parents to be calmer and empower parents to be more effective in raising responsible kids.

 

I am hoping to parent differently than I was parented

 

Many times a parent may be aware of times that didn’t go so smoothly in his or her own childhood and wish to parent differently once he or she has children. At all ages and stages of our children’s lives, we may remember back to how our parents may have reacted in similar situations. Prior generations did not have the information that we now have available about healthy parenting. But family loyalties and legacies in each of our families has shown to significantly impact our parenting.

 

I am nice to my child but then he misbehaves

 

Parents and other caregivers sometimes hope that if they act nicely to a child, the child will act nicely in return. This is referred to as the “strings attached” approach. Adults (and some older children) can relate to the concept of fair giving and receiving, but most children are not mature enough to respond this way. By expecting this level of maturity, a parent is being unfair to a child. The executive role of parenting cannot be done through love and understanding alone. Effective discipline promotes self esteem, self-respect, self-control and preserves a positive parent-child relationship.

 

Am I a bad parent when I get angry with my child?

 

Anger is a natural and inevitable emotion and it’s okay to feel angry with a child. The key is for parents to learn healthy ways to express angry feelings to a child. Anger is usually a secondary emotion, so figuring out what the underlying feelings may be (frustration, disappointment, embarrassment, etc.) can be helpful in managing how to express anger. At these emotionally charged times, parents are role-modeling for a child how to handle anger.

 

My child and I are so different and we’re always clashing

 

The make-up of who a child is consists of ages and stages of development, uniqueness, maturity level, and situational factors. The uniqueness of a child (or any person)includes the individual nature of temperament, intelligences, brain dominance, giftedness, and learning styles. If these unique traits of a child do not “match” the unique traits of a parent, then there may not be “goodness to fit” and power struggles and miscommunication may result. When a parent is able to better understand these unique traits in a child, and how it may differ (i.e. conflict) with his or her own unique traits, the parent becomes calmer and more confident in parenting.

 

Is it okay to spank my child?

 

Spanking, and other forms of corporal punishment, is not a healthy or effective way to discipline children. The goal of discipline is to teach children proper behavior and self-control. Spanking may teach children to stop doing something out of fear. Despite some underlying attitudes and beliefs that spanking is an effective way to discipline children, extensive research strongly indicates any form of corporal punishment will negatively impact a child’s self esteem and the relationship between parent and child.

 

My spouse and I don’t have the same style of parenting

 

Reconciling different parenting styles may be a challenge for many spouses. Consistent messages from parents to children is a key element of healthy and effective parenting. Many times when we court and marry our spouse, we have not even thought about parenting styles, and then we have children and parenting style differences may suddenly surface. Parents should take time when children are not present to work on a consistent “parenting philosophy” that can accept and even honor different parenting styles. Working together, rather than against each other, will help support and nurture responsible kids.

 

How can I be a good parent?

 

A healthy and effective parent is an intentional parent, who understands a child’s needs. There are no “perfect parents” just as there are no “perfect children.” Striving for perfection in all areas of parenting can only cause frustration and stress. Parents are given numerous chances each and every day to provide healthy authoritative parenting for their kids.

 

Show your love. Tell your kids you love them every day by sending messages of “I believe in you, I trust you, I know you can handle life situations, you are listened to, you are cared for, and you are very important to me.”

 

Be consistent. Your rules don’t have to be the same ones other parents have, but they do need to be clear and consistent. (Consistent means the rules are the same all the time, and followed by all family members.) Establish a “parenting philosophy” with your spouse.

 

Prioritize your relationship with your child. Building a strong relationship with your child should be top priority, and when communicating with a child, it’s most effective to remember to preserve the strength of the bond. The importance of strong, healthy bonds between parent and child cannot be overstated, because these bonds serve as the foundation upon which all other life relationships are formed.

 

Listen to your child. Active listening is the greatest gift to a child. Learn to accept, although not necessarily agree with, what your child is saying. Temporarily put aside your own thoughts and values and show empathy when listening to a child, trying diligently to see things from his or her perspective.

 

Strive for an emotional connection with your child. Understanding your child’s emotions will help you understand what motivates his or her behavior. Emotions are the real fuel of power struggles with your kids. When you identify those emotions, you can choose strategies to teach your child what he or she may be feeling and how to respond to those feelings in a more appropriate way.

 

Evaluate the behavior, not the child. Be intentional about self-esteem building and address misbehavior directly, rather than through evaluating the child. It’s better to say “I see you’re having trouble sharing with your friend,” rather than “Don’t be selfish, you need to share.

Lisa

healthyfamily1a
Cheerful Family Riding Bicycles Outdoors.

10 Tiрѕ For Prоmоting Sаfеtу in thе Workplace

accidentpreventionworkplaceWe gеt аѕkеd mаnу timеѕ how уоu “рrоmоtе” safety in thе workplace; ѕо it ѕееmѕ uѕеful tо quickly summarise our tор tеn tips.

Thеrе аrе no ѕimрlе аnѕwеrѕ – to make rеаl сhаngе уоu hаvе tо want сhаngе аnd thе kеу fасtоr thаt undеrрinѕ аll оur аdviсе iѕ tо clearly show a соmmitmеnt; ѕо Tiр 1 muѕt оbviоuѕlу be…

Tiр 1: Hаvе a сlеаr аnd rеаl роliсу. Thе рареr itѕеlf wоn’t сhаngе muсh but mаking sure уоu understand уоur business, its risks аnd whаt thе solutions you are going tо uѕе iѕ thе vitаl first ѕtер that undеrрinѕ еvеrуthing еlѕе уоu dо.

Tip 2: Invоlvе уоur ѕtаff. Thе lаw iѕ соnсеrnеd we соmmuniсаtе, cooperate and со-оrdinаtе – аnd they’re аll vаlid роintѕ – but liѕtеn to уоur staff, watch hоw thеу wоrk аnd undеrѕtаnd whу thеу work thе wау they dо. Thе next few steps аrе аbоut reflecting what really hарреnѕ and finding ѕоlutiоnѕ.

Tiр 2: Riѕk assessments. Gоing through the buѕinеѕѕ lооking аt what you, how уоu dо it аnd what соuld be done bеttеr аllоwѕ уоu to undеrѕtаnd whаt nееdѕ imрrоving, what the rеаl risks асtuаllу аrе and also allow уоu to undеrѕtаnd hоw реорlе wоrk in rеаlitу.

Tiр 3: Uѕе thе riѕk assessments to deliver improvement. Thе mоrе уоur staff ѕее уоu making an еffоrt the mоrе thеу will buy in tо a nеw сulturе. This iѕ аbоut рhуѕiсаl imрrоvеmеntѕ in the wоrkрlасе, better guаrding, mоrе ѕрасе – but it’ѕ аlѕо аbоut understanding whеrе Supervision needs to bе bеttеr, undеrѕtаnding whу ѕtаff mау take ѕhоrt сutѕ.

Tiр 4: Talk аbоut ѕаfеtу. It’ѕ all tоо соmmоn fоr ѕаfеtу to be mentioned оnсе a mоnth аt thе еnd оf a staff meeting whеrеаѕ sales tаrgеtѕ are mеntiоnеd daily; еԛuаllу we’ve аll heard the еԛuivаlеnt оf “hurrу uр – but tаkе саrе”. Your mеѕѕаgе nееdѕ to bе clear аnd unаmbiguоuѕ – dоn’t mix the mеѕѕаgе or givе thе imрrеѕѕiоn оf liр ѕеrviсе they саn ԛuiсklу еliminаtе the positive thingѕ уоu say.

Tiр 5: When реорlе rероrt accidents – investigate thеm аnd find out whу they hарреnеd. It’ѕ nоt about finding blame – it’ѕ about undеrѕtаnding whу and аddrеѕѕing those рrоblеmѕ.

Tiр 6: Wаlk thе раtсh. Mаkе ѕurе уоu, уоur management team аnd supervisors walk thеir аrеаѕ of rеѕроnѕibilitу and сhесk оn safety; ѕаfеtу inspections еffесtivеlу.

Tip 7: Manage аnd Suреrviѕе. It’s obvious but аll too often wе fаil to manage ѕаfеtу as we manage оthеr аѕресtѕ оf thе wоrkрlасе. Dоn’t ignоrе bad practice, mаkе sure реорlе are wеаring thеir PPE whеrе required. Staff dо respond when we mаnаgе thеm еffесtivеlу.

Tip 8: Whеn dоing the ѕаfеtу inѕресtiоnѕ – invеѕtigаtе anything that kеерѕ сrоррing uр. Fixing a blосkеd firе еxit еvеrу wееk is bеttеr than leaving it blocked; but undеrѕtаnding why thingѕ get left thеrе аnd рrоviding a solution iѕ the bеѕt answer. Agаin it shows viѕiblе еffоrt оn уоur раrt and that mеѕѕаgе just reinforces еvеrуthing thаt’ѕ gone bеfоrе.

Tip 9: Keep еnсоurаging ѕtаff tо rероrt рrоblеmѕ, ассidеntѕ аnd even ѕоlutiоnѕ.

Tiр 10: Mаkе ѕurе you put реорlе thrоugh thе right training – thе right ѕаfеtу trаining аnd thе right ѕkillѕ trаining аllоw everyone tо work in thе wау you hope fоr.

Thеrе are no ѕimрlе solutions – signs аrе often promoted as a wау of imрrоving safety – thе оdd оnе mау help, mоѕt ѕimрlу warn of residual riѕk – but a ѕuddеn flurrу of posters is uѕuаllу viеwеd bу ѕtаff аѕ windоw drеѕѕing. This iѕ key – еvеrу ѕtер you tаkе muѕt bе clear аnd аim tо deliver rеаl сhаngе.

Lisa

Five Key Strategies for Your Business to Innovate and Evolve

To continually evolve and generate innovative thinking is the one of the most daunting challenges that any business will face today. We see a few businesses doing this incredibly successfully, such as Apple. They continually break the mold and introduce stunning products to the market that solve a problem that didn’t even exist.

So what is it that companies like Apple do to stay ahead?

1. Effective leadership

One of the key aspects is their leader, Steve Jobs. He is a leader in the true sense of the word and despite all well-known setbacks continues to lead Apple beyond everyone’s expectations. One of the ways your business can continue to grow and flourish is through careful implementation of a leadership development programmer, because just like anything else in business the only way to improve leadership is by learning and then putting that effective learning into practice.

2. Clear business mission

Your business needs a mission. This gives everybody a clear focus on what they are working for and why. Without a clear mission that all your employees are working towards, you will find that individual agendas are followed with more focus and energy. All energy should be focused on achieving this mission which overrides everything your business does. This mission should be set early and should remain and be changed very little. It should be the driving force behind everything you set out to achieve and match your businesses purpose.

3. Solid business objectives

Once you have created your business mission will objectives that your business wants to achieve. You have three key areas to satisfy, your shareholders, your employees and your customers. These objectives can have greater flexibility and evolve as the business grows. Setting objectives will be dependent on a number of factors such as the state of your market, your growth strategy, the culture of your business and how that fits within wider global demands, your products and how effectively they service your customers and your vision of how you want your company to grow.

Your business objectives need to been clearly defined and take into account all key stakeholders, they need to provide the required results while ensuring they sit within the overall mission of your business.

Business objectives are a real challenge to decide and implement especially if they have to be created from adverse challenges such as the economic climate or threats from globalization. There are three key points that should be considered when setting objectives:

• Will this make a profit?

• Will this reduce our cost?

• Will this save us time?

4. Developing leaders not workers

One way to do this is by developing leaders within your organization. This means that you are building a team of leaders who are willing to take responsibility for themselves and others within the business to achieve your objectives, but also to be creative and bring new ideas within their role about how to do things better.

This innovative way of working requires a level of trust with your employees and at some companies means employees even get time within their working week to work on individual projects that are then implemented by the company.

By fostering a culture of developing leaders and continually backing this up by allowing employees to share in the success of the business through genuine implementation of their ideas and trusting them to manage projects your employees will help your business innovate. This will also support a culture of diversity and inclusion where employees take ownership for growing your business.

5. Courageous conversation

Communication is so important in a successful organization and this doesn’t just mean day to day conversations but building strong communication frameworks where individuals can have a say in how the business operates and provide both positive and negative feedback without feeling they will be victimized or ignored. Courageous conversation is ensuring employees understand they can bring ideas and challenge existing beliefs for the great good of the business.

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Tips to Enhance Body Immunity

In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the people have been taking the required precautions like the use of mask, social distancing, minimal personal interactions, etc. Despite the observance of these measures, it is quite important that one should possess good immunity to fight the new Corona virus infection and other illnesses.

The immune system is essential for our survival. Without it our bodies would be open to attack from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and more. It keeps us healthy as we come across a large number of pathogens.

It is spread throughout the body and involves many types of cells, organs, proteins, and tissues. It has special ability to distinguish our tissue from foreign tissue. Dead and faulty cells are also recognized and cleared away by it.

If it encounters a pathogen, a bacterium, virus, or parasite, it mounts a so-called immune response. An immune response is a reaction which occurs in our body for the purpose of defending against foreign invaders. A toxin or other foreign substance, which induces an immune response in the body thereby producing antibodies, is called antigen.

Central to its ability to mobilize a response to an invading pathogen, toxin or allergen is its ability to distinguish self from non-self. The host uses both innate and adaptive mechanisms to detect and eliminate pathogenic microbes.

Innate immunity is the defense system with which we are born. Innate immunity involves barriers that keep harmful materials from entering our body. These barriers form the first line of defense in the immune response.

If pathogens successfully evade the innate response, we possess a second layer of protection, the adaptive immune system, which is activated by the innate response. It adapts its response during an infection to improve its recognition of the pathogen. This response is retained after the pathogen has been eliminated in the form of an immunological memory, which allows the adaptive immune system to mount faster and stronger attacks each time this pathogen is encountered.

Tips to enhance immunity –

The following are important tips that will help us to enhance our immunity:

Have an adequate sleep –

Sleep and immunity are closely linked. During sleep, the immune system releases proteins called cytokines. Certain cytokines need to increase when we have an infection or inflammation, or when we are under stress. Sleep deprivation may decrease production of these protective cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when we don’t get enough sleep.

It is normally recommended that adults should aim to get 7 or more hours of sleep each night, whereas teens need 8-10 hours and younger children and infants up to 14 hours.

Eat more whole plant foods –

Whole plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes are rich in nutrients and antioxidants that may give you an upper hand against harmful pathogens by boosting immunity. By eating all different colors of plant-based foods, we are more likely to get a strong and varied nutritional profile. In fact, whole foods, plant-based diet contains 64-times the amount of immunity-boosting antioxidants compared to a diet that includes meat and dairy.

Eat healthy oil –

Healthy fats like olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil and foods rich in omega-3s are highly anti-inflammatory. Since chronic inflammation can suppress our immune system, these fats may naturally combat illnesses. A low-level inflammation is a normal response to stress or injury.

Reduce stress –

The stress suppresses it, increasing susceptibility to colds and other illnesses. It is difficult to define stress. Most scientists studying the relationship of stress and immune function, however, do not study a sudden, short-lived stressor; rather, they try to study more constant and frequent stressors known as chronic stress.

Do regular exercise –

The regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to a healthy immune system. It may contribute by promoting good circulation, which allows its cells and substances to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently.

Stop smoking –

Smoking can suppress it because nicotine can lead to decreased neutrophilic phagocytic activity. It can also inhibit the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) thus impairing the ability of neutrophils to kill pathogens. Within the lungs, smoking triggers a release of inflammatory agents that lead to persistent chronic inflammatory syndrome.

Meditate daily –

It has been found that the benefit we experience from meditation isn’t strictly psychological; there is a clear and quantifiable change in how our bodies function. Meditation is one of the restorative activities that may provide relief for our immune systems, easing the day-to-day stress of the body.

Limit added sugar –

When we eat a big dose of sugar, we temporarily damp down our immune system’s ability to respond to challenges. The effect lasts for several hours. So if you eat sweets several times a day, it may be perpetually operating at a distinct disadvantage. Further eating sugary foods can produce excessive inflammation that serves no useful purpose but promotes aging and disease.

The bottom line –

Our immune system is essential for our survival. Our lifestyle can affect how well it can protect us from germs, viruses, and chronic illnesses. Replacing bad health habits with good ones can help keep it healthy. The above tips if followed adequately can go a long way toward strengthening our immunity.

Our immune system is crucial for our survival since it helps us protect from myriads of illnesses. Our lifestyle is closely linked to our immunity. By adopting the tips mentioned in the article, we can enhance our immunity.

Lisa.