A Doctor’s Insight Into Immunity

After getting sick for the first time in years (a sinus infection that I helped “manage” with large amounts of herbs, vitamin C and rest), I am reminded of how complex our immune system is, and how much more we are learning about it. This link to Kelly Brogan, MD is a good intro to this doctor and her world view, with an emphasis on the intricacies  of immunity. The comments were also interesting.

http://kellybroganmd.com/immunity-emerging-truth/?utm_source=Kelly+Brogan+MD+Newsletter&utm_campaign=172406576b-Immunity+The+Emerging+Truth&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d0f977a8c5-172406576b-121829793

For the 3 weeks I was fighting the infection I refrained from eating any added sugars (I was about 98% compliant). Just before I got sick I ate more sugar than I usually do (which is very little since it seems that genetically I am prone to blood sugar imbalances) because it was the holidays. Just a reminder to self that sugar reduces the body’s immune response. An excellent explanation of this is found in this link:

http://alternativehealthatlanta.com/immune-system/sugar-and-your-immune-system/

Even though I cannot remember where I read this research, it seems that the body does not do as well with single large amounts of oral Vitamin C as smaller amounts spread out evenly throughout the day. To get your blood titer up and constant seems to be the best strategy, and to do that, you want to take about 200 mg. of Vitamin C per hour. When I was sick I used a powdered vitamin C (with bioflavonoids, which help potentiate the C) and lemon juice.

May the rest of this winter be a healthy one for you and your loved ones.

10 Tips For Staying Healthy This Winter

and one of them is NOT getting the flu shot. The following comes from an article from mercola.com: see the  ENTIRE ARTICLE (which goes into great detail about why the current flu shot is not such a great idea).

• Optimize Your Gut Flora. This may be the single most important strategy you can implement as the bacteria in your gut have enormous control of your immune response. The best way to improve your beneficial bacteria ratio is avoid apply avoid sugars as they will feed the pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, processed foods and most grains should be limited and replacing with healthy fats like coconut oil, avocados, olives, olive oil, butter, eggs and nuts. Once you change your diet than regular use of fermented foods can radically optimize the function of your immune response.
• Optimize your vitamin D levels. As I’ve previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency may actually be the true culprit behind the seasonality of the flu – not the flu virus itself. This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. Regularly monitor your vitamin D levels to confirm your levels are within the therapeutic range of 50-70 ng/ml.

Be sure to take vitamin K2 if you are taking high dose oral vitamin D as it has a powerful synergy and will help prevent any D toxicity.

• Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods. Sugar impairs the quality of your immune response almost immediately, and as you likely know, a healthy immune system is one of the most important keys to fighting off viruses and other illness. It also can decimate your beneficial bacteria and feed the pathogenic yeast and viruses. Be aware that sugar (typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup) is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice. If you are healthy than sugar can be consumed but the LAST thing you should be eating when you are sick is sugar. Avoid it like poison while you are sick.
• Get Plenty of Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you’re tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest.
• Have Effective Tools to Address Stress. We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique, which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma.
• Get Regular Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads. Be sure to stay hydrated – drink plenty of fluids, especially water. However, it would be wise to radically reduce the intensity of your workouts while you are sick. No Peak Fitness exercises until you are better.
• Take a High-Quality Source of Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.
• Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don’t use antibacterial soap for this – antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.
• Tried and True Hygiene Measures. In addition to washing your hands regularly, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. If possible, avoid close contact with those, who are sick and, if you are sick, avoid close contact with those who are well.
• Use Natural Antibiotics. Examples include oil of oregano and garlic. These work like broad-spectrum antibiotics against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in your body. And unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, they do not appear to lead to resistance.
• Avoid Hospitals. I’d recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you’re having an emergency and need expert medical care, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds. The best place to get plenty of rest and recover from illness that is not life-threatening is usually in the comfort of your own home.

Winter Immunity Starts With Breakfast

Yes, you read that correctly. Unfortunately, most people’s breakfast choices are inappropriate for both winter and immune health. The standard American breakfast of cold cereal, cold pasteurized milk, cold fruit, cold fruit juice, and coffee is a recipe for problems: too little protein, too much sugar, too cold, often too much caffeine; i.e. not enough nutrition to carry us into lunch, let alone develop good immunity. Yes, you can tweak that combo by eating cooked oatmeal that was soaked overnight in whey and water (this makes it more digestible). We can add home-made yogurt made from raw milk (again, much more digestible). By adding soaked nuts the protein content rises and again, more digestible.

However, according to a lot of research I’ve been doing about nutrition for healthy blood sugar response, strong immunity, stable energy, healing our adrenal glands and increasing our ability to handle stress, we need to consider a whole new approach: hot protein at breakfast. If you are an omnivore, this can mean lean organic/free range meat, and /or eggs, vegetables, and an appropriate amount of complex carb (whole grain bread, yams, winter squash, etc.). Lacto-ovo vegetarians can go for eggs, cheese, veggies, and a healthy starchy carb. If you are vegan, time to go for the nuts, grains like quinoa, and cultured soy (tempeh, miso), as well as veggies. What is important is warm food (if you are living in a cold climate), a good amount of protein, colorful vegetables, and not too much starchy carbs (unless you’re setting out to shovel snow! Then have another piece of toast).

This combo gives us good energy without the blood sugar spikes, provides us with both calories and nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and micro-nutrients), and a healthy balance of macro-nutrients (including fat, which we need for adequate hormone production). So try to limit yourself to one cup of java (preferably organic), or substitute green tea, and fire up the stove. I bet you’ll feel better.