Third: Start doing things that boost immune function (Draft)
Exercise boosts immunity! A nice combination of aerobic (think biking, hiking, competitive sports, walking, swimming, whatever you enjoy) and strength-training (weights or machines; doesn’t have to be bodybuilding, just enough resistance to tone muscles and strengthen bones) will boost your energy levels, improve your metabolism, balance your mood, keep your heart healthy, and also boost your immune function.
Being happy boosts immunity! Yes, your state of mind impacts the state of your body. Being happy can require a two-pronged approach:
First, ongoing viral infections (not just HIV, but hepatitis or even mono) induce “sick behavior,” characterized by lethargy and a lack of interest in many activities. Sound familiar? Yes, “sick behavior” is depression, with the same neurochemical basis. Scientists now believe that “sick behavior” is an adaptive response to encourage you to rest when ill; the problem is, with HIV, the “sick behavior” is ongoing! If you find yourself experiencing any signs of depression, antidepressants might well be a good idea. It’s not your fault, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s just an adaptive response to a viral infection, and medication to manage it is a good health practice!
As an added bonus, those old-school tricyclic antidepressants, imipramine in particular, have been shown to reduce inflammatory cytokine production by up to 40%! Without further research, I wouldn’t hop on imipramine for those effects alone; tricyclic antidepressants are old-school for a reason. But a lower-than-standard dose might have some positive effects – an area for future research.
Second, take a look at your life. Are you doing things you enjoy? Do you like your job, your friends, your home? Are there changes you can make to improve these or other aspects of your life?
Do you have goals? Reasonable, attainable goals, and a plan to reach them with steps along the way? A sense of purpose gives us a reason to get out of bed in the morning. The purpose need not be grandiose; what matters about your goal is that it matters to you. Maybe your goal is to tend the garden and make it beautiful, or to play with the dog so it stays healthy and happy. Maybe your goal is to find something interesting to write about on your online journal each day. Maybe you want to take courses and get a college degree in a subject that interests you . . . even if you’ll never have a job in that field. Maybe you want to change careers. Whatever works for you!
Herbs can boost immunity — or can harm you. A number of herbs have physiological effects, and many others have no documented effect. Some herbs can boost immunity, some can suppress immunity in good ways (by inhibiting cytokine production), and some can do weird things you don’t want done.
See the Herbs pages for details.
