So much has been said lately about the Immune System. I feel like we have been hyper focused on immune health for the past 2 years. It turns out that it has always been very important π
Let’s talk about why Immune Health is so important. Besides protecting against the obvious viruses floating around (which will remain nameless, but you know which one I am talking about :), your immune system helps stop the replication of cancer cells. A healthy immune system stops that before it becomes an issue.
What happens if we live a lifestyle where we eat too much processed sugar and do not get enough sunshine? Eating a large amount of sugar, like the amount in a small soda and a candy bar is enough to slow down the immune system for hours. This allows viruses, and cancer cells and other foreign invaders to grow unchecked while the immune system is on hold because of the sugar.
Another issue is with the digestive environment. A lower level of immune function allows infections to develop in the digestive track. I actually see this quite often on my comprehensive digestive panels. Digestive health is a cornerstone of overall good health, so this has a big impact on chronic health problems.
So, what are some things we can be doing to help our Immune Systems be as healthy as possible. I believe this starts with a foundational healthy diet. Since sugar has a negative impact on the Immune System, we can start by reducing as much sugar in our diets as possible. Especially “added sugar” from processed food. Small amounts of natural sugars in fruits and vegetables are tolerated well my most people and since fruits and veggies contain high levels of nutrients, this is a good thing to add to our diets. I recommend more vegetables than fruit and a focus on lower glycemic fruits like berries, cherries and citrus fruits. Some healthy protein like grass fed beef, pastured meats and organic or local farm-fresh eggs and poultry are a great way to ensure you are getting the amino acids you need to support good health. Healthy fats like avocado, coconut, nuts, flax and olive olive oil also help keep us satisfied. Reducing and eliminating refined and processed foods as much as possible is also a key component not just for Immune Health, but for overall good health.
In addition to a focus on our diet, we can make sure we get outside for at least 20-30 min. per day in the sunshine. In the summer, this is easier, but even in the winter this is important. If that isn’t happening, you may want to consider a high-quality Vitamin D supplement. You can easily have your Vitamin D levels tested. In fact, you may want to do this as I find these levels low on almost everyone I test, even those taking a Vitamin D supplement!
I know that supplements for Immune Health are a big topic of conversation lately. I actually created a “Rockstar Immune Support Pak” that contains a buffered vitamin C (so it won’t upset your stomach), a bio-available form of Vitamin D, a high-quality multi vitamin and some chelated zinc. These are all the important players in one convenient, one a day pak so they are easy to take. I have had great feedback on these so far. If you want more info, you can check those paks out here
How can we get an idea of how our immune health is doing if we suspect we have an issue? You can look at some basic blood work in a functional way. The standard CBC with differential that is part of almost all blood panels is a great starting point. You can look at whether or not your White Blood Cell count is within an “Optimal Range” of 5.5-7.5. Most labs call 3.5-10.8 the “Reference Range”, but that has nothing to do with what is healthy, that’s just a function of where most people’s values are. There are many individuals out there that are not in good health, so I don’t want to base my labs values on those people, and I don’t think you should either π
If you are concerned about your Immune Health and want someone to help you view that through a root-cause, functional lens, please feel free to use this link to reach out and schedule a free health call to see what that would look like. I would love to help!
To your health!
Dr. Jeni
