10/17/2020
I’ve been talking to my clients recently about the immune system. I don’t see a lot of press on how we can improve our immune systems, especially in light of the current covid scare. There are several things we can all do to improve our immune system to make sure we stay healthy, especially during this up coming cold and flu season (this is a long post, but stay with me):
👉 Improve your gut health – 70% of our immune system resides in our guts (aka, microbiome) (see more info below)
👉 Take Vitamin D3 – This is very important for our immune system and most people (especially in the Northwest where I live) are quite deficient.
👉 Eats lots of veggies, fruits, legumes, and whole grains – These foods are full of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients) and fiber that are essential for good health!
👉 Do quarterly or bi-annual detox/cleanses (see more info below)
MICROBIOME:
Did you know that about 70% of your immune system resides in your gut? The gut is considered our second brain for a reason! OHSU discusses the significant role our gut has on our immune system “with links that lead to a range of diseases, including celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. Obesity may be related. And some studies have found relevance to depression, late-onset autism, allergies, asthma and cancer." (1. Source below)
In short, our gut is largely responsible for keeping us either disease free, healthy and happy, OR highly inflamed, sick, and miserable. I know probiotics have been getting some press lately but a healthy gut extends far beyond just taking a probiotic. Some things that help a healthy gut are:
👉 Healthy diet full of fiber foods (aka, prebiotics) including veggies, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds which all help feed our microbiome (3. source below)
👉 Flax Seeds - They are amazing for decreasing overall inflammation (2. source below.)
👉 Avoidance of animal products, especially dairy (4. source below)
DETOXING:
Have you heard of Autophagy? AUTOPHAGY is the fancy way for scientists to say DETOX. You may have seen people online talk about how there is no such thing as cleansing or detoxing. Well, that is just inaccurate information coming from people who don’t understand the science behind detoxing. No. 5 below is a study to show that autophagy/detoxing is very real and very beneficial to eliminating toxins and promoting healthy cells, thereby improving diseases including autoimmune diseases and even cancer.
Here’s what the article says: Autophagy “plays a housekeeping role in removing misfolded or aggregated proteins, clearing damaged organelles, such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes, as well as eliminating intracellular pathogens… giving it a key role in preventing diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, liver disease, autoimmune diseases and infections…in diseases, such as neuropathies (Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases) and ischemic heart disease, autophagy is more widely accepted as beneficial given its role in eliminating ‘toxic assets’ and promoting cell viability. Thus, autophagy has emerged as a new and potent modulator of disease progression that is both scientifically intriguing and clinically relevant”
👉 Interested in joining my pre-holiday immune boost group detox? I will be hosting a safe, guided cleanse/detox the beginning of November! Please comment below or message me for more details!
Sources:
1. https://www.sciencedaily.com/rel.../2013/09/130916122214.htm
2. https://nutritionfacts.org/.../benefits-of-flax-seeds.../
3. https://nutritionfacts.org/.../prebiotics-tending-our.../
4. https://nutritionfacts.org/.../the-effects-of.../...
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990190/
