Adaptive Immunity

The adaptive immune system is the third layer of your immune system - each layer is more complex and more targeted than the other.  The adaptive immune system regulates acquired immunity and is uniquely able to respond with specificity to pathogens.

When a microbe enters your body - your innate immune system (layer 2)  looks for specific patterns or structures that are most common to most pathogens.  These structures and patterns are general enough that innate immune cells can lock on and destroy.  But if a pathogen enters that is different from a recognized pattern or structure - the innate immune system signals for the adaptive immune system to take over due to its ability to handle new pathogens. 
Vaccines work by triggering the adaptive immune system to make antibodies specific to the pathogen being immunized against. 
Your adaptive immune system can not only do this, but it creates an immunological memory of the pathogen in case you encounter it again.
This is the most powerful part of your immune system because of its specificity, immunological memory, and it is ablity to differentiate between you and non-you.  
It is vital we work to maintain the adaptive system because it protects us from never before encountered pathogens and autoimmunity. A weak adaptive immune system opens us to more severe illness and the development of autoimmunity
There are two key factors in maintaining and strengthening the adaptive immune system: sleep and nutrition. And both are equally important.
Do not compromise sleep - this coming from someone who used to challenge herself to sleep as little as possible. Lost sleep cannot be made up. You don’t need to be an early riser or early to bed - follow your innate sleep rhythm, but you need 7 hours minimum.  
There are those who will say, especially as they get older, I do not need as much sleep as I used to - you may think that, but your body doesn’t know it.  One reason adaptive immunity begins a rapid decline as we age is lack of sleep and lack of nourishment.  As you get older do not trust how sleepy you are, how hungry you are, or how thirsty you are.  Sleep, eat, drink following the rules: 7-8 hours of sleep, tons of vegetables, whole grains, some healthy fat, and some protein; ½ oz. water for every pound of body weight.  Make this a habit while you're younger - so as you get older - and the feedback loop is less reliable - you can still maintain good health.
Nutrition: the aspect of nutrition that impacts the adaptive immune system is your micronutrient profile.  Eggs and toast, a ham sandwich, and a bag salad with chicken does not meet micronutrient needs.  For that you need variety. A great example of deep micronutrient nourishment is the Wahl’s Protocol.  It calls for 3 cups of leafy greens, 3 cups of sulfur containing vegetables (mushrooms, onion family, brassica family) and 3 cups of colorful vegetables / berries.  Here is a link to a Wahl’s Cheat Sheet. 
My passion is vibrant longevity - so everything in the jolie meal programs is first and foremost making sure you get all your micronutrients. When you do, I know you become more disease resistant, heal pathologies that may be forming, and strengthen your immunity and regenerative mechanisms.  With this, you can be at your optimum which means you are strong, resilient, and recover well.

Julia
​xo