By Dr. Brent Wells, D.C.

Your spine, brain, and immune system are all interconnected. What affects one will usually somehow affect another. Here are 6 biohacks for your spine, brain, and immune system.

Making sure your spine, brain, and immune system are performing correctly is important if you want to stay healthy and energetic. Taking care of them is vital to maintaining overall good health. Below are some simple biohacks you can use to help keep important bodily functions in good shape.

How Your Spine, Brain, and Immune System are Connected

Your spine, brain, and immune system are all interconnected. What affects one will usually somehow affect another. For example, your spinal cord connects to the brain’s cerebrum. This portion of the brain controls bodily movements, swallowing, breathing, and even your heartbeat. If you snap your spinal cord, it can affect how your brain operates with these vital functions.

6 Biohacks For Your Spine, Brain, and Immune System

1. Check Your Posture

One small way to improve your spine, brain, and the immune system is to check your posture.

Proper spine alignment is crucial for supporting the body’s healthy inflammation response, which in turn helps maintain a strong immune response.

 There are a few ways you can check your posture to ensure it’s correct. The first is to make sure your shoulders are straight and relaxed. If they’re hunched over, it will put extra strain on your upper spine resulting in possible back pain.

You also want to make sure to keep your feet evenly spaced apart and lined up with the edges of your hips. This helps to ensure that your weight is evenly distributed and that you aren’t shifting more to one side than the other.

Another common posture-related mistake many make it leaning over their devices, something which puts significant pressure on the neck. If you constantly are looking down at a phone or keyboard, it can tighten muscles in your chest and even weaken your back. To prevent this, keep devices at eye-level. If you’re typing, adjust your eyes so they look at the keyboard rather than bending your neck down toward it.

2. Try Meditation

A simple biohack for your brain is to meditate. In one study done by Harvard Medical School, researchers found that practicing meditation and mindfulness boosted the brain’s interoception, and it also helped to reduce stress and promote greater calm in some study participants.

One of the simplest ways to calm your brain down is to take deep breaths. To do this exercise, sit in a quiet room and close your eyes. Then, take in a deep breath. Hold this for about five seconds and then slowly let it out. Repeat this process about three times.

You might also consider writing down your feelings. Writing has been proven to help strengthen one’s memory and can and can help promote greater calm and reduce everyday stress.

3. Watch Your Diet

Another way to keep your spine, brain, and immune system healthy is to watch your diet. Your diet determines how well these parts will function. If you eat food high in sugar or fat, it not only will make you feel lethargic but can be very unhealthy as well.

Some of the best food to consume to keep your spine, brain, and immune system in the best shape possible is:

  • Salmon
  • Avocados
  • Milk
  • Walnuts
  • Blueberries
  • Beets
  • Turmeric
  • Spinach
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Garlic
  • Papaya
  • Almonds
  • Apples

Water is crucial to consume as well. Because your brain is 75% water, keeping it hydrated will keep you more focused and ensure this organ gets enough nutrients. Water will also keep your spine healthy because it will lubricate its vertebrae so you can stay flexible. You might also be surprised to learn that this liquid can flush toxins out of your immune system to help support the body’s healthy detoxification processes.

4. Get Enough Sleep

You should also make sure to get enough sleep. Sleeping plays a huge role in your health because it supports the body’s natural ability to repair itself. If you’re not sleeping, it can overwhelm your brain and getting proper sleep will help promote cognitive function and a healthy immune response to keep you focused and healthy. Most people should aim for around 7-9 hours of sleep per day.

If you have trouble falling asleep, there are a few natural methods you can use to help with this. One way is to control the amount of caffeine you consume before sleeping. Caffeine naturally raises your heart rate which can make you feel agitated when trying to sleep.

You also want to reduce any type of lighting in the room. This includes bright lights from windows and electronic devices. Light can mess with your body’s melatonin levels which can drastically affect how well you sleep. Because of this, it’s important to consider installing curtains in the room or not using an electronic device a few hours before it’s time to sleep.

5. Keep Moving

Just moving your body can do wonders for your spine, brain, and immune system. A simple 30-minute walk can increase your blood circulation, something which boosts your immune system.

In addition to this, doing easy exercises can encourage your brain to release endorphins so you can concentrate better. It can also increase new brain cells to help keep your memory in good health.

6. Get Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments can promote better circulation and movement, which, in turn, helps to maintain the body’s healthy inflammation and immune responses. By having chiropractic manipulations done, it will improve your immune system because it will encourage it to function better by supporting the body’s healthy inflammation response

You’ll also find that chiropractic adjustments can be done to improve brain functioning. By adjusting your spine and upper neck, it will invigorate your central nervous system. This can reduce headaches while also improving your mental clarity. It can also help your brain to better communicate with other parts of your body.

Chiropractic care is especially known for spine manipulations. A chiropractor can move your spine in such a way that improves your range of motion. It can also keep your spine, bones and joints healthy.

These biohacks will help to keep your spine, brain, and immune system in good health, and they’ll improve your energy and mental focus.

References

Dr. Brent Wells, D.C. founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab and has been a chiropractor for over 20 years. His practice has treated thousands of patients from different health problems using services designed to help give long-lasting relief.

Dr. Wells is also the author of over 700 online health articles that have been featured on sites such as Dr. Axe, Organic Facts, and Thrive Global. He is a proud member of the American Chiropractic Association and the American Academy of Spine Physicians. And he continues his education to remain active and updated in all studies related to neurology, physical rehab, biomechanics, spine conditions, brain injury trauma, and more.