Recap: Tips for a healthy immune system | Jenna Macciochi

What It Covers

Immunologist Jenna Macciochi explains how the immune system functions throughout the body and shares evidence-based strategies to strengthen immunity through diet, stress management, and breathing techniques.

Key Questions Answered

• •Anti-inflammatory diet patterns: Follow Mediterranean-style eating with diverse fruits, vegetables, olive oil, lean protein, and oily fish rather than fixating on individual superfoods, which provides broader immune support and reduces chronic inflammation.
• •Gut barrier permeability: Every meal causes temporary gut leakiness that triggers inflammation. Poor diet and medications worsen this barrier function, creating chronic low-grade inflammation that affects mood, energy, and accelerates aging through immune activation.
• •Physiological breathing technique: Elongate exhales through the nose after normal inhales to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This mechanical process slows heart rate via respiratory sinus arrhythmia, reducing stress hormones that suppress immune function.