The Best Immune Defense…Is a Good Offense!
The Best Immune Defense…Is a Good Offense!
It’s been a rough year, to say the least, and it’s hard to imagine how it will finish out. With summer winding down there are plenty of measures we can take to improve our current health, make the most out of the situation and build a strong immune system going into the fall and winter.
Before you do anything, set your intention. Yes, there is a lot of unknown, but when we focus on what we do know, there are many action steps.
Try these for starters:
Develop a home-based fitness routine: Start with just a brisk walk every day for 20 minutes. Once you’re walking regularly, try Yoga with Adriene as a good intro to yoga or our 7-Minute Stretch to get you moving in the morning. For more aggressive workouts; peak 8’s, fitness blender and TB12 are perfect for most people. All of these can be done with children assuming they are modified for age and ability.
Clean out your diet: If you drink alcohol or have dessert more than just a couple days a week, cut back down to just one day. Or, try just one to two days a month. Better yet, commit to 30 days of no alcohol and/or dessert. Also, try to add a vegetable to each meal, even breakfast. Check out our 7-Day Health Reset or Dr. Mark Hyman’s 10-Day Reset for more ideas! Finally, don’t forget to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day.
Feed your soul: figure out what your best form of “self-care” is and commit to doing it regularly. Try yoga, meditation or even journaling. Simply walking (without distractions) can even calm the brain as well as enhance mobility. Find both your favorite activity and the best time of day to do it and put it in your schedule. Magnesium can even help calm the brain and body to help with rest and relaxation.
Create your immune boosting strategy for you and your family: Vitamin C, Vitamin D, elderberry & Zinc boost the immune system and have been shown to minimize Covid-19 infection. Find out what foods provide the best natural form of each vitamin and mineral as well as stock up on supplements. Both Dr. Jockers and Dr. Axe provide great explanations of immune function and how to enhance it. If you suspect a COVID-19 infection, read this therapy protocol.
Re-think pharmaceutical usage: Did you know that last years’ flu shot increased your chance at Covid-19 infection by 36%? And that ibuprofen also increased relative risk? Additionally, using Tylenol to reduce a fever “will only suppress the natural healing ability of the fever and prolong the illness.” With any pharmaceutical, whether over the counter or prescription, there is an element of risk. It’s up to you to decide which risks are worth it and what is the overall benefit. For more information on what to do with a fever, read this summary.
Choose your media wisely: reading your third cousin from the other side of the country’s Facebook post about their thoughts on current events might not be best for your emotional well-being. Same goes for CNN or Fox News. Trim your social media feeds (or delete altogether!) to disconnect and remove unnecessary distractions. For health-related news follow/subscribe to newsletter/blogs of people like Mark Hyman, David Asprey, Pathways to Family Wellness, Healthy Home Economist, Whole 30, David Jockers, Dr Axe and Sweetwater Local Foods Market.
Don’t forget about your children: make sure all your plans include children when it comes to emotional health, nutrition and exercise. Try cosmic kids yoga for exercise, Raising Generation Nourished for nutrition and our own Healthy Spine, Healthy Mind routine for stretching and coordination.
Get adjusted! Adjustments help with circulation, drainage and stimulate the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system, which helps with immune function. If you, or your children, haven’t been adjusted in a while, call or email us and we’ll help you get back in line and ready for fall & winter!
