I hope you are staying healthy and safe during these very unusual times. This is a time when focusing on optimizing our immune system has never been more important. We looked at this topic in November 2015, and I think it's appropriate to review this topic given the current situation with COVID-19. Happily, there's a lot we can do to take good care of ourselves and stay healthy.
It's imperative at this time to follow the guidelines set out by our public health officials to ensure we are all doing our part to plank the curve. Be sure to stay updated by regularly checking the public health and government websites as this situation is continually evolving. Above all, make smart choices, stay safe, stay healthy and stay happy! Read on below...
|
These newsletters will help you make better choices for better health. The choices that you make today can either have a positive or negative impact on your overall health. Begin by choosing better as it is a step towards longevity.
|
Ramila Padiachy DNM
Doctor of Natural Medicine
|
|
|
|
|
|
Optimizing Your Health During Challenging Times
|
|
|
|
Staying Healthy - The Basics
I'm sure you already know the basics of staying healthy:
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.
- Think optimistically.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in refined carbohydrates and added sugar.
- Get adequate, good quality sleep.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Manage your stress levels. (See our October 2017 newsletter.)
- Strong relationships and a good social network are good for you.
- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
- Don’t smoke.
Optimize Your Immune System
In fact, all of these strategies have a positive effect on your immune system and its ability to function and help prevent illness. Here are some reasons that these strategies are effective:
1. Wash your hands. Hand washing is an extremely effective public health measure. Consider that you only need to make contact with a cold or flu virus and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth to get infected. A 2008 review in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) stated that hand washing is far more effective at reducing risk than antiviral drugs. Be sure to wash for 20 seconds using soap and warm water.
2. Think optimistically. Happier people are less likely to develop colds when exposed to cold viruses according to research at Carnegie Mellon University. People with high positive emotion scores produce enough cytokine (a protein) to help recruit other immune cells to fight off infections.
The 24/7 news cycle can become overwhelming very quickly. When you find yourself overcome with fear, worry and anxiety, turn off the news, acknowledge how you are feeling, take three deep breaths – breathing in peace, calm and hope and exhaling fear, worry and anxiety. Remember that nothing is permanent, we are all doing our part and that together we will get through this. Get out for some fresh air and spend time in nature, while keeping your physical distance.
3. Exercise regularly. A study compared women who worked out 5 days a week for 45 minutes with women who attended a 45-minute session of stretching exercises once a week. The group that exercised less vigorously only once a week had nearly four times as many colds as the group that worked out more often over a one-year period. It is believed that there is a temporary increase in immune-fighting cells with each episode of exercise.
Even if you don’t have a home gym, you can still do your favourite exercises at home, practice yoga, go for a walk while maintaining physical distance, have a dance party with your family or simply do jumping jacks in your living room! The key is to have fun, get your heart-rate going and put a smile on your face!
4. Manage your stress levels. Animal studies have shown:
-
Stressful situations delayed the production of antibodies in mice infected with influenza virus and suppressed the activity of T cells in animals inoculated with herpes simplex virus.
-
Social stress can be more damaging than physical stress. Mice exposed to social stress were twice as likely to die as mice who were stressed physically. In humans, it has been found that psychological stress affects the immune system by disrupting communication between the nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system. This can result in higher levels of cortisol, and consequently, fewer antibodies in response to exposure to a virus.
-
Physical distancing requirements during this time, when we are all trying to do our part to flatten the curve, can add additional stress as we are unable to see our loved ones. However, physical distancing doesn’t mean that we can’t still maintain our social ties. Technology provides us with the opportunity to connect to our loved ones near and far, to have virtual gatherings to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries or other milestones such as graduations, or even just a simple text or phone call to say hello and check in can have a huge impact not only on you, but on the person receiving the call.
-
Find ways that work for you to manage your stress. Whatever strategies you use to manage your stress daily can be adapted to our current situation. Meditation and mindfulness is proven to help reduce stress levels, dancing at home to your favourite tunes, cooking your favourite meals and having a ‘virtual’ dinner party with your loved ones, reading, playing music, or any other activity that brings you joy will stimulate your “happy” hormones.
5. Probiotics. A relationship has been observed between "good" bacteria in the digestive tract and good immune system function. Seventy percent of the immune system is housed in the gut and 90 percent of our happy hormone – serotonin – is synthesized in your gut, therefore it is important to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria by taking a probiotic on a regular basis.
6. Eat a healthy diet. When we are under stress, many of us tend to turn to “comfort foods” as a coping mechanism. It is important during this time to maintain your healthy eating habits to ensure your body is getting the proper nutrition it needs to stay strong, healthy and happy. Certain foods are particularly good immune system optimizers, including:
-
Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C which you need to consume every day because the body can't produce or store it. That's much better than just taking vitamin C to get rid of an illness - prevention is the best bet. Vitamin C is believed to increase the production of white blood cells which are key to fighting infections.
-
Red bell peppers contain even more vitamin C than citrus fruits and are also a rich source of beta carotene.
-
Broccoli is packed with vitamins A, C and E, as well as numerous antioxidants. The less you cook it the more nutritious it is.
-
Garlic is recognized for its value in fighting infections. Garlic also helps lower cholesterol and may prevent hardening of the arteries. Heavy concentrations of sulfur-containing compounds in garlic, such as allicin, are the secret to its immune-boosting properties.
-
Ginger is good as a preventive measure. Gingerol gives ginger its heat and is a relative of capsaicin. Ginger may help decrease chronic pain and may help to lower cholesterol.
-
Spinach is not only rich in vitamin C, but also contains numerous antioxidants and beta carotene. As with broccoli, it's best cooked as little as possible to retain its nutrients.
-
Yogurt is best if it has "live and active cultures" specified on the label. These cultures may stimulate your immune system to fight diseases. Look for yogurt fortified with vitamin D.
-
Almonds are packed with vitamin E which is key to a healthy immune system. It is fat-soluble, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed properly. A half-cup serving of almonds provides nearly 100% of the recommended daily amount.
-
Turmeric is a key ingredient in curries and is well known as an anti-inflammatory in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinctive colour, reduces inflammation and fever.
-
Green tea, like black tea, is packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. In addition, green tea has another powerful antioxidant known as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). (This is largely destroyed in the production of black tea.) Green tea is also a good source of the amino acid L-theanine which may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your t-cells.
- While it isn't a food, vitamin D reduces the risk of respiratory infection. In addition, vitamin D has been shown5-6 to reduce the risk of dementia, several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease (including high blood pressure) and auto-immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and irritable bowel syndrome. There is also evidence that vitamin D helps combat SAD (seasonal affective disorder).
|
|
|
|
Supplements
There are a number of supplements that would help you to maximize your health. You can find information about these products and purchase them in our online store:
-
Super Trio contains Super Supplemental (Iron-free) containing vitamins, minerals and herbs; Super Omega-3 (contains 760 mg EPA and 380 mg DHA); and Super NT-OX (includes green tea, curcumin and other antioxidants/anti-inflammatories)
-
Cat's Claw
-
Echinacea & Golden Seal
-
HRP-C
-
Collostrum
-
Nature's Silver Guard
-
Bifidophilus Flora Force
-
Acidophilus Bifidobacterium
-
Probiotic 11
-
Ginger
-
Garlic, High Potency
-
Green Tea Extract
-
Vitamin D3
|
|
|
|
|
References
-
How to boost your immune system. Harvard Health Publications http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system Accessed October 27, 2015.
-
6 immune system busters and boosters. WebMD Medical Reference, 2015. http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/10-immune-system-busters-boosters Accessed October 27, 2015.
-
Young L. 9 ways to boost your immunity. http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/prevention/9-ways-to-boost-your-immunity Accessed October 27, 2015.
-
Immune system boosters. http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system#ImmuneBoosters1 Accessed October 27, 2015.
-
Low vitamin D levels linked to greater risk of dementia. Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. 2014;32(9):1,3.
-
Mercola J. Vitamin D - one of the simplest solutions to wide-ranging health problems. December 22, 2013. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/22/dr-holick-vitamin-d-benefits.aspx Accessed November 5, 2015.
-
Mercola J. Simple, inexpensive remedies for seasonal affective disorder. February 14, 2015. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/02/14/seasonal-affective-disorder-vitamin-d.aspx Accessed November 5, 2015.
-
Gloth FM, Alam W, Hollis B. Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. J Nutr Health Aging 1999;3(1):5-7
Disclaimer: The suggestions and recommendations in this newsletter are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic. The information is accurate and up to date to our knowledge, but we are not responsible for any errors in our sources of information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1437 Woodroffe Avenue
Ottawa ON (map)
|
|
|
|
|
