Why do I ALWAYS keep getting sick.

Tis the season. Everyone around you is sick including yourself. So the real question is, “how did I get sick?” Can we blame the shift in temperature, the people who are sick around us, or the old wise tale of our hair being wet when going outside? Getting sick is just part of life, but what I really want to address is those who continuously get sick, week after week.

A few years back, I was that person and I never knew why. I ate healthy and always took care of my body. It would kill me to see the progress I made in the gym, only to start over again after being sick for a week. It was something I dealt with and it soon became the norm. I just continued to get back on the horse and hit the gym extra hard to make up for lost time.

Bam! That was the problem! If only I was as educated as I am now.

Sometimes we don’t need a doctor to diagnose the underlying cause, rather we just need to look at our daily habits. During this time I was struggling with deaths in the family (stress), school (stress), career choices (stress), and various other things a “Type A” person deals with throughout the year. Everything was go,go,go and no down time.

So, why did such a healthy habit like going to the gym affect my immune system? Simple, stress. Exercise is another stress we put on our bodies. Exercise can be a positive stress, but when used in the wrong way it can further weaken your immune system. Hammering it six to seven times a week, with occasional double days, can be a formula for a crappy immune system and adrenal fatigue.

Can EATING affect my health?

Eating is a huge factor in healing your immune system. During the time when a lot of stress was present in my life, I was constantly sick and I came down with something even worse, Mononucleosis. Mono, hands down was the worst thing I had ever encountered, the crappiest and weakest I had ever felt in my life! However, if it wasn’t for mono I probably would have never known what optimal health felt like. When I came down with mono, I was told (not from the doctors of course) to completely eliminate sugars and gluten like food. Keep in mind I was eating healthy before Mono. I gave it a chance and eliminated these foods for at least a month. Damn did I feel great, better than I ever had before. At that point I realized my second missing link in achieving optimal health was the elimination of the foods I was intolerant to in addition to sugar. The first missing link being rest and recovery.

Where’s the PROOF?

I will never tell a client to do something I don’t believe in. About three months ago I was working with a client who was in the same boat. They were getting sick every other week, felt like crap, and couldn’t function properly. The most rewarding thing about being a personal trainer is moments like these, in which you can take your negative experiences and turn them in to positive experiences for others. I gave my client “the elimination plan” after realizing being sick is not how they wanted to feel the rest of their life. Three months later, after eliminating sugar and other food sources from their diet, they have yet to get sick. My favorite moments from my clients experience they shared with me was, “I didn’t realize how much soda affected my clarity.”

What’s the MAIN POINT?

The point is I am not super human, but I am confident that I can go into a room with a bunch of sick people and have the best chance to make it out alive. I can more effectively fight germs around me by having a stronger immune system. If I find myself eating foods that drive down my immune system, I have a higher risk of getting sick. And the final point, if we chase overall health, aesthetics will follow. My client went on to loose 15 extra pounds while making strides in reducing body fat. Its hard to know what being healthy actually feels like, when you have excepted your current state. If you can’t figure out what is currently causing you not to feel good, take a minute and think about your daily habits. If you need help I am always an email away (wgworkoutgarage@gmail.com) and would be glad to provide you service by coming up with a plan that will allow you to reach your optimal health.