FIGHT FIRES AND FIX
FLAWS
Your immune system defends you against
external invaders, but it also plays a critical
role in recovery from injury and the repair and
maintenance of various body structures. Your
immune system has its priorities and tends to
rank fighting off invaders above general
repair and maintenance. (Getting the guy out
of your kitchen is more important than doing
the dishes.) But all of these jobs are important
in the body—and if something doesn’t get
done, there will eventually be consequences.
Let’s use another analogy.
Think of your immune system as a team of
firefighters. Their top priority is to defend
against potentially damaging threats—fires.
But they also have to do routine maintenance
and repair jobs, like fixing damaged tools,
washing fire trucks, sleeping, and eating. Your