Supporting your immune system comes from taking care of your body and in order to take care of your body you need to make sure your body is getting the right nutrition, sleep, and care you can provide yourself.
Nutrition: This includes all food and supplements.
We call this feeding your body what it needs! What your body needs is proteins and vegetables. Eating vegetables gives you the most mineral content in our bodies and the higher the mineral content, the more resources are available that your body needs to use. The brightest vegetable colors are the best for mineral content (squash, peppers, etc.).
What you really need to avoid is eating too many sugars, and carbohydrates. Sugar affects your immunity in that it suppresses your white blood cells. White blood cells are the ones that go after any bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Wheat and dairy can also cause a weakened immune system as these foods mimic a bacteria or virus and can cause white blood cells to go after that, therefore leaving your body with its defenses down. And as always, increasing your water intake will help in your immune support as well!
Dr. McCall has a great eating well list that can help you get started in your journey to eating healthier.
Eating-Well.pdf (sourcehealthcenter.com)
Dr. McCall does recommend some supplements to help with your immune system support as well. From Standard Process he recommends Immuplex, Congaplex, Zinc Test, Cataplex D, and Emphaplex.
- Immuplex is a good overall immune system support and is great for rebuilding your immune system.
- Congaplex is great for acute symptoms of a weakened immune system.
- Zinc Test is just good for your body in general. *If you put a dropper on your tongue and you don’t taste any zinc or a bad taste, your body needs more zinc so you keep doing that once a day until you do.
- Cataplex D is just good for your body in general.
- Emphaplex is really good for any respiratory symptoms.
He also recommends some herbal options as well:
- From Medi Herb, their herbal throat spray is great for immune support.
- Viranon helps with respiratory symptoms and it’s great for helping with the effects of lung symptoms.
Sleep:
Sleep is when your body can rest and recuperate. There is a certain number of hours recommended you get each night depending on your age. CDC – How Much Sleep Do I Need?. This website also has some helpful tips on better sleep and what to do if you can’t sleep. If you aren’t getting the recommended hours of sleep your body’s immune system can be weakened and be more susceptible to viruses and bacteria.
Care: Includes all Chiropractic, Massage, and other complementary alternative medicine practices.
Getting proper health care for your body is very important and can help keep you healthy and your immune system strong.
Chiropractic –
Our understanding of the immune system has vastly expanded in the last 10 years. The immune system is not just considered white blood cells any longer. Every organ in your body has some part of the immune function. The nervous system is one of those systems that has a great impact on the immune system. The white blood cells make their own neurotransmitters and they also have receptors that are influenced by neurotransmitters.
Chiropractic, based on what is stated above, directly affects the nervous system. People who need/have adjustments done will have something that affects their nervous system. With the use of applied kinesiology (AK) it gives us more accuracy as to what vertebrae would have an effect on what part of the body. Although most of the scientific evidence as to a chiropractics effect on the immune system is anecdotal. On the most fundamental level, a body that has alignment and perfect neurotransmission will more than likely be healthier than one that does not.
Massage –
It’s a complex topic, immune support, that encompasses many different facets of our health. Regular massage supports your body’s immune system in many ways. Massage can be used as a tool for managing stress levels and it can help increase a person’s ability to manage that stress and this has been studied and linked to immune health.
Massage can be particularly effective to the central nervous system and supports the body’s effort to respond positively to stimuli. Massage increases blood cells that affect the disease and it increases lymphatic flow which helps cleanse the body and flush out any toxins from the body.
Now is the time to begin immune protocol for supporting your body through the upcoming flu season. Massage is just another wellness tool in supporting that immune system and works to help protect your body and keep you healthy.
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