The cold and flu season is now upon us and today I want to share with you how to build up your immunity and resilience so that you reduce the likelihood of falling sick this winter.
Before we go on though…
I know getting sick with a cold or even worse the influenza that can literally knock you over is a big inconvenience given that life is busy and commitments to family, work and social activities are never-ending.
I also get that in the elderly, the severely immuno-compromised, and in children, influenza can in a small number of cases be life-threatening largely due to complications associated with it like secondary bacterial infections and pneumonia.
I have had my dose of influenza that knocked the life out of me way back in 2012. I actually thought I could die I was that smashed from it.
And I lost a lot of my hair from the physical trauma!
This I will share with you at a later time.
But for now…
Is it really that bad to actually get sick with a cold or flu if you are not part of the really susceptible/immuno-compromised?
What if an immune challenge like a cold or flu is a natural way of your body actually eliminating toxins?
Kind of like taking out the garbage from your kitchen.
And in the words of Dr Benkin:
By and large, the viruses that cause the common cold and the flu infect mainly your weakest cells; cells that are already burdened with excessive waste products and toxins are most likely to allow viruses to infect them. These are cells that you want to get rid of anyway, to be replaced by new, healthy cells.
And so when allowed to run its natural course a cold or flu can, in fact, promote renewal and regeneration in your body by eliminating junk cells that are all old and damaged.
Meaning that it is a natural way of your body’s natural vigilance system that is designed to keep you healthy over the longer term.
All this being said prevention is key.
If you optimize your health through healthy food choices, adequate rest, exercise, sunshine (vitamin d) and key supplements then your body may be resilient against viral infection because your cells are healthy and so aren’t susceptible to viral infection.
Strong immunity can be chunked down into 2 components.
Firstly, you want to boost your viral immunity so you can ward off the cold or flu.
Secondly, building up your innate immunity.
Your innate immunity comes largely from nutrition, correcting deficiencies and since 70-80% of your immune system comes from your digestive system then making sure you are optimizing your microbiome is really where you will build a nice strong healthy immune system.
HOW DO YOU BUILD UP YOUR VIRAL IMMUNITY?
Medicinal mushrooms are probably one of the most effective strategies in building viral immune resilience in the cooler months.
They are high in beta-glucans and polysaccharides which are compounds that not only have potent anti-viral activity in your body built also anti-cancer properties as well.
They also boost your T-helper cells (so does Echinacea) and increase macrophage activity in your immune system.
Macrophages are like vacuum cleaners they go through your body and engulf anything foreign including pathogens, bacteria, and viruses.
A well-designed blend of medicinal mushrooms that includes coriolus, reishi, cordyceps, and shitake is definitely something you want to be taking in the cooler months.
VITAMIN D Helps With Viral Immunity.
The immune enhancing effects of vitamin D are now well established.
A scientific review[1] of 25 randomized controlled trials confirmed that vitamin D supplementation boosts immunity and cuts rates of cold and flu.
Overall, the studies included nearly 11,000 individuals from more than a dozen countries:[2]
“… [P]eople who took daily or weekly vitamin D supplements were less likely to report acute respiratory infections, like influenza or the common cold, than those who did not …
For people with the most significant vitamin D deficiencies (blood levels below 10 [ng/mL]), taking a supplement cut their risk of respiratory infection in half.
Get a baseline Vitamin D level done to see where you are sitting and then re-check after 3 months of correcting deficiency to see if your treatment has been effective.
If you supplement with Vitamin D then make sure you are also getting adequate levels of Vitamin K through eating foods like leafy green vegetables including kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and sardines.
Vitamin K is important in regulating calcium absorption and where calcium ends up depositing in your body.
Meaning you want to make sure calcium ends up where it is supposed to – in your bones.
And not in places like blood vessels and kidneys.
A Speedy Recovery Thanks To Medicinal Mushrooms
I worked with a client recently who came in to see me to help recover from a recent viral pneumonia.
Now, this client had been really unwell.
I mean really really unwell.
Multiple rounds of antibiotics due to secondary respiratory infections. She was exhausted, run down, depleted and had this post viral cough which she couldn’t shake and that had been persistent for 2 months.
It would wake her up through the night which further stretched out her recovery period because she wasn’t getting the rest she needed to restore her immunity
You know those coughs that just get you.
Mid talking there is a spasm in your throat which makes you cough uncontrollably trying to relieve it.
But it just kind of makes it worse.
You get tears in your eyes and it’s always awkward in front of others.
She had that kind of cough.
And so here is what we did.
We popped her straight onto the medicinal mushrooms along with a liquid herbal formula to help clear the cough.
Licorice – antiviral and expectorant
Olive leaf – antiviral and immune boosting.
Marshmallow root – coats and soothes a dry cough.
Thyme – anti-bacterial, and also antispasmodic. It helps to relax the muscles of the respiratory tract which translates to less coughing.
Rhemania – immune boosting and good for adrenal health. Let’s face it a cough that keeps you up at night and goes on for forever will drain your energy and leave you exhausted.
I also gave her a zinc and vitamin c powder as she was low in zinc.
She started drinking bone broth every day.
I also got her to sip on ginger tea at the office mixed with manuka honey.
Ginger tea is also good for circulation, it is warming and antispasmodic. The manuka honey is antibacterial.
These 2 combined would have helped decrease the spasm in her airways which ultimately would have stopped the awkward moments of trying to stop the cough.
And we put her on an immune building food plan to help her body recover.
Fast-forward 2 weeks to her follow up.
Energy great.
Cough gone.
Sleeping better.
The fast turn around for this client is an excellent example of the healing properties of an effective plan that includes medicinal mushrooms, liquid herbals and a nutrient rich food plan.
So, if you know your immune system needs immediate support in time for the cooler weather then click below to book your consultation today.
In the next blog I will go through how to build your innate immunity naturally so that you can supercharge your health this winter.
In Health,
Victoria O’Sullivan
P.S please share with those that you care about.
References
[1] British Medical Journal 2017:356
[2] Time February 16, 2017
