Preparing Your Immune System to Be the Best It Can Be
So let’s talk about how you can help your immune system be the best that it can be: This will also help your body prepare if you do decide to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. A balanced immune system can help you respond better to the vaccination, have less side effects, or if you choose to decline it, to decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 infection, and to have less long term side effects should you do succumb.
Functional Medicine is clear that its no use trying to “get healthy” after you have gotten sick - or trying to prepare for the vaccination 24 hours before hand - it take time to strengthen your body and immune system and the longer you do it, the better you will be!
Hence that’s why I totally disagree with the current American practice of offering a free Krispy Kreme donut every day for a year if you show your vaccination passport. This is such an oxymoron - I thought at first that it was an April Fools Day joke!
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started TODAY!
A lot of these lifestyle changes will not surprise you - they re after all, the recipe for a healthy life:
To Help Prevent Infection - as always:
Social Distance
Wash your hands - before you go to, when you get home, before you touch your face or eat. Just wash your hands ~ have you noticed that I mention washing your hands? It doesn’t have to be with heavy duty anti-bacterial hand wash ( here is a hint - the virus is a VIRUS - antibacterials probably won’t kill them any way, so you are probably destroying more good guys than bad ones!) Sanitisers were only ever meant to be used when hand washing was unavailable and never meant to replace it - read the statement from the CDC on hand washing HERE . Hand sanitisers need to be at least 60% alcohol content to be effective towards viruses
Wear masks when instructed ~ learn mask etiquette - you can NOT keep on wearing the same mask - if you touch your mask - you MUST wash your hands as any virus or bacteria from your breath is now concentrated on your mask. Disposable masks are just that - single use only. And please dispose of you masks appropriately. It is meant to go in a sealed plastic bag before putting it in the bin. Not thrown into the street - last lockdown, I picked up innumerable soiled masks in the gutter of my clinic. Not cool! Masks are worn to protect others, not you. The way we contract viruses are via our hands - have I mentioned that you need to wash your hands! Reusable ones require washing and drying in the sun after each use. You can check the guidelines HERE . Think of nurses and doctors in operating theatre - they keep their hands well away from the mask.
Try not to touch your face (especially your mouth, nose and eyes) at all unless your hands are clean. This is teh best way to spread the virus - and do not constantly touch your mask to adjust it - unless you are in a position to wash your hands
Keep surfaces that get a lot of hand traffic clean: Viruses love to piggy back on any hard surface - be it door knobs, kitchen benches, and yes the toilet seat as well. So clean these regularly: Using plain methylated spirits ( the clear one, not the purple one) in a pray bottle will dotted job just fine without harsh chemicals. Of course using plain old washing liquid diluted in water also will work as long as you dry the surface afterwards> Remember to wash your cloths or use paper towel
Lifestyle Choices That You Can Make
Adopting certain lifestyle approaches will definitely improve your immune system health - of course, they are nothing new, this is how people have been living long, healthy , happy lives for generations ( Remember the Blue Zones?) But here is the list for immune system and lung health - Here are the recommendations from the CDC:
My number 1 tip?? Look after your gut: Did you know that 80% of your immune system actually lies behind your gut? Yes indeed! I have written a blog about this, my favourite topic - so click HERE if you would like more info. Include a daily probiotic specific for the immune system (yes there are such things), eating probiotic foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi and yes - you guessed it , eating your fruit and veggies as they are the foods that are highest in fibre and the preferred food of our gut bacteria
Get the adequate amount of sleep - much research has been performed regarding how sleep deprivation will compromise your immunity. 7 hours sleep is the minimum that is required for an adult
Keep moving - lungs work more efficiently and the capacity increases when they are used more - and exercise certainly does this.
Try and manage your stress - any type of stress is extremely toxic to the immune system - if you have chronic stress in your life, try and find ways to manage it - wether it be via counselling, exercise or seeing a functional medicine practitioner ( Functional Medicine is extremely effective for stress management)
Try and work on your relationship - This has also been indicated to be incredibly stressful on your immune system. If it is toxic, the best thing for your health would be to leave - but easier said than done. Maybe think about getting some counselling to help resolve some issues
Eat your veggies ~ Granny was right! Eating a handful of brightly coloured vegetables at every meal and 2 pieces of fruit per day is very stimulating for the immune system. These foods contain phyto-chemicals and anti-oxidants which our bodies use to make us strong and resilient. And of course they feed the good guys in our gut . It certainly is NOT eating a donut a day!
Keep hydrated - this is one we often forget about - our bodies are at least 60% water - desiccating them will decrease the efficacy of our detox systems, which will lead to an increased body burden. A burden body cannot deal with extra insults form bacteria and viruses.
What Supplements Can I Use To Support My Body And Immune System?
There are certain nutrients that certainly will support your immunity and may help decrease the duration of a cold or flu.
Vitamin C - has long been know to support immune function = taking 1000mg x2 per day is sufficient - you don’t need to have heroic doses!
The other Vitamin “sea”! Vitamin D is probably more important than we are led to believe - so much research on vitamin D and how it is the immune hero! Of course, I have written a blog!
Vitamin A is very good for lung health and found in fatty foods such as eggs and dairy . AND you guessed it! I have written a blog about this too.
Zinc - also great for immune health but as with all nutrients, zinc isn’t a one-track pony…. it is also great for optimal hormone and neurotransmitter function. Double bonus here - think this will also help with stress response
Medicinal Herbs ~ so many wonderful herbals that you can take if you feel as if you are coming down with something : the tried and tested such as echinacea. andrographis and olive leaf of course. But there are so many more that herbalist s love to prescribe - powerful and effective. You local friendly herbalist will be able to help you - PLEASE don’t self - prescribe these - herbs are powerful medicines and can interfere with many over the counter and prescription drugs.
Culinary Herbs ~ herbs that may help support your gut and immune system that are found in the kitchen include turmeric, green tea, garlic, honey, onion, oranges and lemons. And of course, these are often the core ingredients of the age old cold and flu drinks that granny used to brew up!
* This document is only intended to identify modalities that may boost your immune system. It is not meant to recommend any treatments, nor have any of these modalities been proven effective against coronavirus. Always consult your physician or healthcare provider prior to using any of these modalities. For up-to-date information on COVID-19, please consult the Australia government website at https://www.australia.gov.au
