Here's your good news for the day: Devon Still's daughter might be well on her way to beating cancer.
Leah Still, whose battle against pediatric cancer has become a national storyline, went in Tuesday for a special body scan that detects cancer connected to the nervous system. The news was overwhelmingly positive: Doctors didn't find any cancer.
Leah and her NFL football father were overjoyed. According to Still's Instagram page, there's only one thing to do when you get the best news of your life:
You flex.
Leah isn't completely out of the woods yet -- she'll have to undergo an MRI that will search for cancer in other parts of her body. But the lack of any cancer in the brain or nervous system, where the disease originated, is excellent news for the young girl and her father.
That second test will probably come soon, but in the meantime, Still and her father are choosing to celebrate this huge achievement.
Easy Ways To Boost Your Immune System
Eat well
"Too much sugar curbs immune system cells that attack bacteria," says Dr. Kalpana DePasquale, a physician and Founder at St. Augustine Ear, Nose & Throat. "Eat more fruits and vegetables that are rich in nutrients like vitamins C and E, plus beta carotene and zinc. Shoot for five cups of fruits and veggies a day."
Avoid isolation
"Study shows people that have connections with small or large groups of people have stronger immune systems," DePasquale says.
Don't smoke
"Smoking allows Hydrogen Cyanide into your lungs, which prevents cilia, the small hair cells that transport secretions and bacteria out of the lungs, from working properly,” says DePasquale. "Decreased ciliary clearance increases the likelihood of toxic chemicals building up inside the lungs and predisposes smokers to pneumonia. The tar found in cigarette smoke also damages the immune cells that exist in in the lungs and prevents them from functioning properly.”
Avoid alcohol or drink in moderation
"Excessive alcohol consumption inhibits the function of your white blood cells which can lower your resistance to infection," DePasquale explains. "Excessive consumption will impede the ability of the liver to store important vitamins and prevent the body from absorbing enough protein. Lastly, alcohol intake can also create changes in the cells and molecules that outline our immune response."
Decrease stress
"Chronic stress exposes your body to a steady stream of stress hormones that suppress the immune system," says DePasquale. Dr. Kathy Gruver, a health and wellness expert and author of Conquer your Stress with Mind/Body Technique adds, "Anything we can do to lower stress is going to help our immunity." She recommends a technique that she calls mini meditation. "Concentrate on the breath and on the inhale think, 'I am' and on the exhale think, ‘at peace,’ and repeat."
Think positively
"Studies show that working with things like affirmations, visualizations and meditation can help our immune function," Gruver said. "First saying things like 'I am healthy and well' is going to be better than, 'I hope I don't get sick.' Anything we do that adds stress depletes the immune system. So, using affirmations can help."
Improve your gut health
"Over 70 percent of your immune system lives in your gut," says nutrition expert Kusha Karvandi. "This consists of not only helper T cells, but mainly good bacteria that helps fight off pathogenic (bad) bacteria and viruses. Most people have damaged gut flora (good bacteria) and a damaged gut wall --when the gut is damaged many foods will not completely digest and the undigested particles will make their way into the bloodstream wreaking havoc on the brain, immune system, metabolism."
