Resilient Immune System

At this time of year, our immune systems have been heartily challenged - from lack of sunlight and vitamin D, less physical movement due to cold weather keeping us indoors, and eating fewer fresh, whole, natural foods.

We have been systematically encouraged to think of our bodies as weak, flawed, faulty, or fragile - but nothing could be further from the truth.

As a society, our medical and technological advances are groundbreaking, life-saving, and awe-inspiring - but they've got nothing on the nuanced precision and dynamic synergy that makes up our physical body's immune system.

No drug, no procedure, no therapy, and no intervention we've yet created can rival the innate beauty and harmonic resonance of our natural human form, simply living and thriving as it is designed to.

We are living, pulsing, breathing masterpieces that science has still only barely begun to understand.

In Celebration of the Immune System

The blueprint for our highest expression of human excellence in fitness and form is already laid out in our unique DNA. Left alone, the body naturally seeks equilibrium - homeostasis. So long as we are alive, our body is programmed to persevere, to improve, and to maintain balance.

Therefore, the best way to support our physical health and wellbeing is to remove any obstacles that interfere with our body's natural tendency toward healing.

How do we do this? By recognizing and honouring our innate needs - instead of pretending we are fleshy machines that can be bullied and forced into submission.

Our physical body is a masterpiece of efficiency and excellence, and I've come to believe that the best way to "boost our immune system" and support our health and wellbeing is by implementing simple and effective habits of living that support our natural immune response.

It's time to treat our body like an ally, not an enemy.

Health is Not Found in Obsession - or Obedience

Over the past few years, the collective worry about exposure to so-called pathogens reached such a crescendo that it created a pivot point in my career and sent me down a path of re-evaluating my entire worldview when it comes to health.

For some, that looked like obediently submitting to experimental technology and fear mongering, but for me - as a holistically-trained health professional - I could not turn my back on what I knew to be true:

Our immune system is the most sophisticated, cutting-edge "technology" we have available to us - and it's folly to think we can outmaneuver it.

The building blocks of a healthy lifestyle have little to do with medical insurance or avoiding pathogens. They're also not found in optimizing our workout, following rigid habits, or finding the perfect green supplement - but our health does have a great deal to do with our stress levels, emotions, nutrition, fitness, and sleep habits.

In other words, our immune system is solidly a function of our lifestyle.

Redefining Health through the Lens of Resilience

In the clarity of time, my views on how best to support our immune system have shifted as I've redefined my perspective on health. I am now much more likely to emphasize the additive, intangible things---like healthy relationships, sunlight, sleep strategies, and actively pursuing joy in one's daily life.

If you're never sick - because you meticulously avoid anything that could pose a challenge to your immune system - do you really have a strong immune system, or does it only appear strong because it's seldom challenged?

Health is about what you do, how you love, how much joy you regularly experience, and how well you bounce back from illness.

Read on for a few of my best practices to create a holistic, natural lifestyle, which is the greatest way to support a healthy and robust immune response.

Diet: Prioritize whole, natural foods and nutritional supplements

Take joy in nourishing your body with quality foods prepared in flavourful ways - and don't spend too much time or energy in fear over food. Eating a "perfect" diet is impossible, but mindfully choosing to enhance our meals with fresh, whole, natural, and wild foods is the perfect way to support optimal health.

Every bite we take supports either wellness or illness, and this is especially important when we're in the winter season. Upping our intake of berries, citrus fruits, and alkalizing foods such as leafy greens will give our bodies the nourishing, clean fuel that it needs through the colder months.

If you're able to grow a garden or even just keep some potted herbs, this is a great way to build a deeper connection with your diet. Lettuce grows happily in pots, and it's lovely to have even a few fresh leaves of parsley, mint, or basil to add to your soups and teas.

Certain mushrooms like reishi and chaga can be brewed into a highly protective tea or taken as a tincture. Consuming quality probiotics via both supplements and naturally-fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut will help stoke our digestive fires to keep things moving along smoothly, which supports the vital connection between our gut health and immune system.

If you’re craving sweets, try eating dried fruit, raw honey, or dates instead–and check your protein, mineral, and water intake! Often when we crave sugar, we’re really lacking protein or simply thirsty.

Consuming foods like white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or seed oils can contribute to excess inflammation and stagnation of lymph flow in the body. Read labels, minimize eating out, and avoid fried foods unless they're made with high-heat-friendly fats like tallow and coconut oil.

Illness and injury are more likely to occur in a body that’s already burdened by a high inflammatory response.

Prioritize adequate hydration and mineral intake

Hydration makes a huge difference in every single aspect of our wellbeing, from optimal cognitive function to radiant skin - but not all water sources are the same!

Make sure you’re drinking enough water (that’s half your body weight in ounces, daily), and that it’s from a pure and trusted source. Spring water in glass containers is ideal - or else drink water that's been filtered with carbon-based filters (not zeolites) and then re-mineralized and/or re-structured with trace minerals or a fulvic-humic acid supplement.

Reverse-osmosis (RO) water and distilled water is very clean, but it's also been stripped of important trace minerals. This makes our kidneys work overtime because de-mineralized water is not as effective at quenching our thirst - so we drink more, yet still feel thirsty. High-TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) mineral waters from natural springs are a great way to soothe digestive upset and get plenty of trace minerals - even if we just have a few ounces each day.  

If you’re looking for an electrolyte-type drink for quick rehydration, consider skipping the commercially-available ones and making your own from simple, natural ingredients: Fresh lemon juice, sea salt, and raw honey mixed into water create a lovely electrolyte-lemonade, and this can be further mixed with coconut water or freshly-brewed-and-cooled herbal teas, such as chamomile, peppermint, nettle, or raspberry leaf. These make it easy to create fun flavours, and the sea salt and living enzymes from the lemon juice supply plenty of minerals and electrolytes.

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of an Epsom-salt bath for deep rehydration and replenishment. Stay in the water for at least 20 minutes, or until your bladder feels full!

Take quality, natural supplements - when you need them

If you're feeling under the weather, or simply stressed or sleep-deprived (even one night of poor sleep can impact our wellbeing), taking supplements can be supportive.

For immunity, you want to prioritize Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D with K, and Quercetin. Zinc and Quercetin work better together; Quercetin is a plant polyphenol with strong immune-modulating and anti-viral properties.

Nano-particle colloidal silver is naturally anti-microbial, and has been shown to support the body's natural immune response. This liquid is very simple to add to your drinking water via a dropper or spray bottle, and can be used topically as well.

Elderberry syrup strengthens our immune system due to its high antioxidant content, and it's a delicious food supplement when prepared fresh at home! All you need to make elderberry syrup are dried elderberries, fresh ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and raw honey (optional). It can be taken as a shot, mixed into warm herbal tea, or even enjoyed as a yogurt topping.

Immunity and the Role of Fear and Stress

Ironically, over the past few years, fear of illness has been one of the most powerful vectors of contracting an illness - whether it's a "viral threat", something more chronic, or even something entirely random.

Our body continually analyzes our environment, diet, stressors, and even our emotions and relationships to keep us healthy, safe, and in prime condition.

Fear is poison to our mind, which literally changes our DNA at a cellular level - but our minds are just as powerful when we apply them to ideas of hope and healing.

Just taking 3 minutes a day to focus on our breath and contemplate our heart-brain connection creates powerful immune protection. We also create a measurable boost in our immune response, as well as in our oxytocin and endorphin levels, when we spend time doing things we love with people we care about!

It's extremely beneficial to steer clear of fear-mongering, whether that involves turning off the television, gently redirecting or bowing out of anxious conversations, or un-following people on social media.

It's clear that the heart and mind play a much larger role in our physical wellbeing than we previously thought possible - and now that we are starting to understand this on a collective level, we can become more empowered to transform our own health and wellbeing on all levels.

Our Bodies are Designed to Move - Ideally in Nature

Every Winter, our Vitamin D levels decrease due to lack of sunshine on our skin. When we align our eyes and sleep schedule with the sunrise and allow UVA and UVB rays to touch our skin, our mitochondria and hormones are positively impacted, which improves our sleep cycles and energy levels, in turn.

We are not part of nature - we are nature. So get outside and walk - feel the sun on your skin and breathe in the benefits of fresh, outside air. New research has shown that grounding in nature–putting your bare feet on the Earth, even for a few minutes at a time–helps to discharge positive ions and improve your sleep, stress levels, and overall sense of wellbeing.

Even if you can't get outside due to inclement weather or physical limitations, minimal indoor exercise will help to increase endorphins and decrease inflammatory byproducts in your body, both of which benefit and support your immune function.

Our bodies have evolved over untold millennia to move, walk, reach, lift, and use our large muscle groups much more frequently than the typical modern human does.

Think of movement as a nutritional input, like vitamins or protein. Any bodily movement that causes us to breathe more deeply can increase our blood circulation and improve lung function - which can be accomplished in as little as 10-20 minutes a day of indoor, isolated movements.

Seek Complimentary Wellness Support from Like-Minded Professionals

In these times of extremes and intensity, a balanced approach means that you might want assistance to manage your health and wellbeing. While it's true that we are each experts on our own body, we can still greatly benefit from the support and insights of a professional, especially if you're dealing with something long-term, chronic, or multi-faceted. 

See a holistic chiropractor. Go for acupuncture. Get a massage. And if you need more support? Look into lab testing for blood work or hormone levels, and explore alternative therapies. Seek the opinion of a well-trained holistic professional to help you interpret the results. Use your intuition to connect with someone who won't play into alarmist worries or fears and who will consider root-cause healing, rather than symptom-management.

In Conclusion...

The absolute best thing we can do for our physical health is simply to support our body in living in harmony with its innate needs, desires, and rhythms. We are not broken, and there's nothing to fix, improve, or remedy.

Spend additional time in nature, do things that bring you joy, and cultivate a great amount of trust in your body's innate gifts of healing.

Learn helpful strategies to restore your nervous system to a resting (parasympathetic) state, so your immune system can do what it needs to do to mount a healthy cellular response.

When we choose to actively practice some of the holistic tips mentioned here, we will be better equipped to fight any type of threat to our wellbeing. Each of us can create a firm foundation of wellbeing when we choose to live free of fear and to holistically support and trust in our body's natural inclination to heal.

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