This month was going to be: March on microbes!!
Yet, plans change. We must roll with the current needs!
You’ve heard of the CDC recommendations for decreasing exposure, and today (3/23/2020) Gov. Kate Brown enacted the executive order to Stay Home. I am sure if you’ve been on the internet at all you’ve learned that washing your hands and limiting social contact are the best means for protection.
Well, how about more direct prevention measures?
What else in our lives can we optimize to employ the strength and power of our immune system?
Here’s some ideas:
- Care for your microbes! Oh wait, it still applies 🙂 Gosh, I love science! Yes, 30-40% of the immune system regulatory cells are in the gut! So, you really are what you eat! When your microbiome is diverse then your immune system has a better ability to fight a diverse climate. What to do now: take probiotics, eat probiotic rich foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt (try to limit the amount of sugar in the yogurt), eat fresh fruit and veggies!
- Sleep! ( 7-9 hours for optimal immune function)
- Get outdoors! Breathing in fresh air, even for 5 minutes helps your alveoli in your lungs expand and be better prepped to function when in dire need.
- Mushrooms! ( studies have shown positive immune system support with reishi, chaga, turkey tail and other mushrooms)
- Herbs! ( there are a ton of herbal remedies for natural immune support-hope to share more as we have more time for ed this month)
- Exercise! (“Contemporary evidence from epidemiological studies shows that leading a physically active lifestyle reduces the incidence of communicable (e.g., bacterial and viral infections) and non-communicable diseases (e.g., cancer), implying that immune competency is enhanced by regular exercise bouts.” –https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5911985/
- Breath practice/exercises – “In conclusion, we demonstrate that voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system results in epinephrine release and subsequent suppression of the innate immune response in humans in vivo. These results could have important implications for the treatment of conditions associated with excessive or persistent inflammation, such as autoimmune diseases.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4034215/
- Meditation– when your mind or body is stressed it has no more power to fight or ward off infiltrates!–“In conclusion, across 20 RCTs and more than 1600 participants, we found tentative evidence that mindfulness meditation modulates some select immune parameters in a manner that suggests a more salutogenic immune profile. Specifically, mindfulness mediation appears to be associated with reductions in proinflammatory processes, increases in cell-mediated defense parameters, and increases in enzyme activity that guards against cell aging” –https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4940234/
- Staying Socially Connected – One of our patients just suggested we re-frame and call this Physical Distancing and NOT Social Distancing. We need our social relationships more than ever! Our positive social relationships help us stay healthy and happy — so just because you physically can’t be close to your dear friends and family, doesn’t mean you can’t remain socially close. We are going to do our part by hosting several weekly virtual get-togethers where we can check in, laugh, move, breath, maybe do some yoga . .. . drop us a line if you’re interested.
Specific nutrition and supplement recommendations from Dr. Jake McNair, FM doc:
- Cataplex ACP ( Vit A and C)
- Congaplex
- Vit D (best w/Vit K)
- NAC (N-acetylcysteine)
- Zinc
- Reduce or eliminate dairy and gluten
- Reduce all sugar intake
Brass tax here: Your body was made to heal and fight off the bad! We must focus on what we can do to directly support our health and wellbeing right now, friends!
We are offering online tele-medicine Physical Therapy visits, online exercise training appointments now, online exercise program design, free online guided breath practice and meditation, free health education via our newsletter and more. So, let us know what help you need to support yours and your family’s health and well being!
Let us know what questions you may have!