Seasonal Tune-Up: 4 Ways to Strengthen Your Immune System

Protecting your immune system is always essential when you have HIV. It's particularly important during the holiday season, when family (or lack of it), financial challenges, holiday preparations, weather changes and end-of-the-year work demands create the perfect storm of stress. But even if you're feeling frazzled, you don't have to get sick. We asked nurse-naturopath Roni DeLuz, RN, ND, PhD, to share some holistic approaches to keeping immune systems strong. (As always, check with your health provider before implementing them.)

Green drinks. Whether you order one at the juice stand, purchase it in powdered form at the health-food store or whip one up fresh at home, drinking your vegetables allows you to consume more nutrients per swallow than chewing. Green drinks detoxify the body, cleansing the blood of toxins, poisons and harmful buildups caused by artificial chemicals in food, pharmaceutical drugs and the environment. They are also excellent sources of vitamins and minerals; antioxidants, which fight immune-damaging free radicals; chlorophyll, an excellent detoxifier; enzymes, which help the digestive process – all of which are good for immune health. Making a green drink at home is as easy as combining green veggies of your choice into a food processor, juicer or blender. Wheatgrass, a particularly powerful food available in health-food stores, requires special equipment. But word to the wise: if you normally consume a lot of fast- and processed foods, stay close to the bathroom in case your body detoxifies quickly, causing you to have a bowel movement. Cost: varies widely, from roughly 25 cents to over a dollar a day.

Antioxidant berry drink. Raspberry, blueberry, pomegranate, grape, blackberry, Gogi berry, cranberry -- nothing tastes more delicious than a drink of fresh berry juice. Berry juice offers several servings of nutrition in one small, enjoyable dose and increases your immune function by stopping free-radical damage and pumping your body full of antioxidants. Too busy to juice? Buy powdered red-drink online or at your health-food store. Cost: varies widely; plan on spending 50 cents per serving.

Food (digestive) enzymes. As we age or when we experience a chronic illness, our body loses digestive enzymes. We metabolize food less effectively, our cells, tissues and muscles miss vital nutrients they need to function optimally, and our immune system, most of which is located in and around our gut, doesn't function as well. Digestive-enzyme supplements can offset this loss, greatly improving digestion, increasing our resistance to viruses, eliminating toxins, destroying free radicals, reducing inflammation and helping to cleanse the digestive tract. They are also inexpensive, typically costing less than 25 cents daily. Consume 500 mg five minutes before or after meals. Available at health-food stores. (Note: In most cases digestive enzymes can safely be taken with medications; however, check with your health provider first.)

Glutathione. Research suggests that maintaining healthy levels of the peptide glutathione may slow the AIDS' progression. Glutathione enhances our white blood cells' ability to destroy viruses and cancer. The human liver produces glutathione naturally, but our bodies produce less as we age. A typical dosage of 500 mg daily costs $15-$20 per month at most health-food stores. There are no established side effects.

Glenn Ellis is a Philadelphia-based health writer and lecturer (www.glennellis.com).