The planning started weeks in advance when I placed my order for a large pasture raised turkey. Along with the turkey, my pad of paper was filling with ideas for the many Thanksgiving sides that I would be preparing or others would be making and bringing to my home. The plans were developing for a fun day sharing tasty food around a table of thankful family members.
The best made plans are often changed, and Thanksgiving 2020 was no exception! The Sunday evening before Thanksgiving, I got a shocking text message from my son, David who lives with me. Two days before that, he had a sore throat and stuffy nose so his employer suggested he go for a COVID test, and the results came through on his phone on that Sunday evening: POSITIVE! Not only does David live with me, but he and I had been in my half bath the night before working together patching a few places on the drywall so I could finish painting. We were standing shoulder-to-shoulder in that small bathroom so we were definitely sharing the same air space. I had clearly been exposed to his COVID-19 germs. Suddenly, our Thanksgiving plans were all in limbo.
By Tuesday morning, I had been tested and was waiting for my results. By then, we knew our Thanksgiving plans were definitely altered so my son, Daniel came to my driveway on Wednesday afternoon to pick up food that I had prepared. He was the designated delivery man. It's the only time in my life that I prepped and packaged food in my own kitchen wearing a mask and gloves! We went to great lengths to keep family members protected. Late Thanksgiving morning, my test results had come through: NEGATIVE. I was very thankful for my negative results but I was stuck in quarantine for 14 days because of my exposure. The Wednesday after Thanksgiving, I had my 2nd test which also came back NEGATIVE.
In early December, I went for a follow up visit with my Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Peter Swanz. During my visit, he asked whether I was stressed or concerned about COVID. Dr. Swanz understands the importance of caring for all 4 areas of the body: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I told him my recent experiences with being exposed and that I had been tested twice and had negative results both times. He reminded me during that visit of all the things that I've learned to incorporate into my daily life that provide daily protection against viruses including COVID-19, other versions of the corona virus, the flu, common cold (and other pathogens and toxins). Those two negative results reminded me that in a mathematical equation, two negatives equal a positive. For me, the positive was a changed lifestyle that has equipped my body daily to do what it was created to do.....protect itself from incoming threats. During our conversation, I showed Dr. Swanz a newspaper article that was in a small local newspaper in October. The headline in the October 14, 2020 Clarion News made me cry when I first read it because I had come to realize that most people were learning NOTHING about the immune system during this COVID-19 event. The headline said, "Strong immune system key in warding off COVID, flu". The headline on the newspaper has been my personal "headline" since I've come to "somewhat" understand the immune system.
Seven years ago before Alan's brain tumor diagnosis, if you asked me where the immune system is predominantly located in the body and how to care for it, I wouldn't have had a clue. Today, I know 70-80 percent of the immune system is in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) which is in the intestinal tract. Dr. Martin Dixon was quoted in the newspaper article, "Dixon said it's frustrating to not hear discussion of ways to build and maintain a strong immune system. We're doing nothing to work on the immunity of the population as a whole. We're completely ignoring that," he said. "The medical system is designed to be a treatment system instead of a defensive system. The real problem is our immune systems aren't up to snuff." Dr. Dixon went on to suggest three keys to building a strong immune system:
*1) adequate Vitamin D (can take a supplement of Vitamin D2 or D3, if needed)
*2) eat real, healthy food
*3) adequate Zinc and Vitamin C (can take a supplement of Zinc & Vitamin C, if needed).
All three of his suggestions can be regularly accomplished by going outside for sunshine (greatest source of Vitamin D) and consuming a nutrient-dense variety of real food. As you can see from Dr. Dixon's three suggestions, sunshine and eating nutrient-dense food isn't a "prescription" you'll generally receive from our current "healthcare system". Most hospitals and pharmaceutical companies don't make a lot of profit by suggesting you go for a walk outdoors and then return home to eat real, nutrient-dense foods!
Dr. Swanz reminded me of the many things I've added, changed, or continued in my lifestyle to daily support my immune system. Maybe you'd like to evaluate your own immune system support and think about some things you could add, change, or continue in your current lifestyle to assist your body daily. The following is my personal list. As you look at it, please realize this is my "optimal" immune system support but many days, I don't nearly include or achieve all of these bullet points. There are several that I diligently strive to achieve daily: 1) Get enough sleep, 2) 20 minutes of oil pulling first thing in the morning, 3) Quiet prayer time, 4) Drink plenty of water, and 5) Eat nutrient dense foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. At the bottom, I've given you my TOP 10 LIST for IMMUNE SUPPORT.
My Immune System Support:
*Shut off my phone & get off the computer AT LEAST an hour before going to bed. (No TV either).
*Read for a few minutes before shutting off the light.
**Get 7-8 hours of sleep (more if I'm feeling extra tired or starting to feel run down).
*Go to bed & get up about the same times every day trying not to deviate more than an hour. (The circadian rhythm regulates the sleep/wake cycle and is in sync with the rising/setting of the sun.)
**Do 20 minutes of oil pulling the first thing each morning. (If you're not familiar with oil pulling, please refer to my blog "What's Underlying?" that was posted on 8/28/2020.)
*Drink a cup of warm lemon water after oil pulling & brushing my teeth.
*Take 1 Vitamin C packet (Lypo-Spheric - 1,000mg of Vitamin C)
**Have daily quiet time - 20 minutes (deep abdominal breathing, prayer, thankfulness)
*Have a bowel movement at least once every day. (When my bowel is moving well, I'll have a complete elimination which means the bowel will push out all waste that has accumulated. The bowel movement should be formed and be soft like a very ripe banana. When I'm consuming enough water and foods rich in fiber, my bowel moves easily. There's no need to sit on the toilet for a long time looking through a magazine or reading a book! If the bowel movement is "knotty" looking, that's evidence of dehydration and that's when the bowel does not easily move.....it's definitely struggling! Drink much more water, eat more vegetables, fruits, and raw seeds for added fiber.)
*Stir 1 tsp. food grade Diatomateous Earth into a cup of warm water. Add a splash of Bragg's apple cider vinegar.
**Drink at least half my body's weight in ounces of water (Eg. 140 pounds = 70 ounces of water).
**Eat lots of vegetables (of all colors - both raw & cooked). Eat some fermented vegetables daily.
**Eat fruits, mostly citrus and organic berries.
*Eat garlic, ginger, onions, herbs, and spices.
*Take 1 Tbsp. elderberry syrup daily. (wellnessmama.com posted the elderberry syrup recipe that I've been making.)
*Cook with coconut oil.
*Eat very minimal amounts of refined sugar (very special occasions). When making grain free breads, muffins or other snacks, I use honey, pure maple syrup, or medjool dates as sweeteners.
*Consume NO artificial sweeteners.
*Eat a variety of beans, small qty of rice and steel cut oats, and a variety of ancient grains.
*All my salad dressings are homemade using extra virgin olive oil (NO hydrogenated oils like canola or vegetable oil).
*Eat good quality fats (Eg. avocado, raw seeds, raw nuts, sardines, anchovies, wild caught salmon, pasture raised eggs).
*Consume minimal amounts of packaged snacks/foods. My snacks are generally raw veggies, fruit, raw seeds, raw nuts, nut butters, hummus, hard boiled eggs, canned sardines, homemade grain free muffins, etc.
*Any chicken I eat comes from a trusted farm. It's free range and any supplemental feed is Non-GMO grown on their farm or grown by others they trust.
*Any meats I eat come from a trusted farm and are grass fed and finished.
*Several days a week, try to get at least 30 minutes of sunshine or at least outdoor time. The sun is the best source of Vitamin D. Breathing air outdoors gets me away from indoor toxins (Eg. carpet).
*Every day, look for people, things, situations to be thankful for. Keep the TV turned off or reduce the amount of time I'm exposed to negative news and programming. Instead, use that time to pursue something good/uplifting for myself and/or for others.
*Belong to a church community. Be actively involved. Bible study, prayer groups, etc are great.
*Volunteer regularly in my community. It allows me to help others & see many reasons to be very thankful.
*Set protective boundaries for myself and for my time.
*Find things to laugh about or enjoy. Life is full of funny things. Watch humorous videos. Spend time with people you enjoy, doing things that you enjoy.
*Keep the body in motion. Heavy, pounding exercises are not required to stay healthy and vibrant. I enjoy a Zumba class at the Y several times a week but when it's not possible to go there, doing housework, going up and down the stairs, sitting in a chair with my legs extended out in front of me, going on a brisk walk on my street, etc. are all good ways to keep my body moving.
Keeping our body moving, keeps the lymphatic fluid moving. The 9 pints of blood in our body keeps moving because our heart is steadily pumping. But unlike our blood circulation, the only way to get the approximate 8 quarts of lymphatic fluid moving is through motion. The lymphatic fluid (much of it is just under the skin) serves as the "garbage truck" moving out waste and toxins. The lymphatic fluid is circulating all through the body picking up waste that needs to be eliminated. Drinking enough water, eating enough fiber rich foods, and keeping the body in motion are the key components to moving out the waste and toxins. Our bodies should detox daily in these 4 basic ways: 1) breath (lungs), 2) skin, 3) urine, and 4) bowel. The tonsils are the first line of defense for the immune system as the tonsils detect and signal incoming pathogens that are in the nose and mouth. Removing the tonsils was and still is a common surgery that hinders the immune system.
My list of Immune System Support is certainly not a perfect formula, but it might be a starting point for you to begin thinking about all the good habits you currently have and some new things you might consider. My list will continue to evolve as I'm confident yours will, too. Please don't be overwhelmed with the length of my list. Strive for an improved lifestyle.....not a short term "fix" that will be exhausting and quickly abandoned. After going through my full list, below I've come up with my Top 10.
TOP 10 LIST for IMMUNE SUPPORT
1) Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night (more if you feel extra tired)
2) Drink at least half your body's weight in ounces of water daily (Eg. 140 lbs = 70 oz water)
3) Do 20 minutes of oil pulling daily (preferably the first thing in the morning)
4) Have daily quiet time (deep abdominal breathing, prayer, thankfulness)
5) Have a bowel movement at least once every day
6) Keep the body in motion
7) Eat LOTS of vegetables
8) Eat fruits, mostly citrus and organic berries
9) Several days a week, get at least 30 minutes of sunshine or at least outdoor time
10) Eat very minimal amounts of refined sugar
Together, we can encourage one another to support the gift of our immune system. As God knit each of us together in our mother's womb, He created this amazing complex system for our lifelong protection. As each of our bodies has encountered additional pathogens and toxins through the years, our immune system has adapted and become more informed and equipped. It's beautiful, powerful, fully informed and so much more effective than any man-made remedies for viruses and other pathogens. Our part is to lean in, trust, and daily obey!
Below is a recipe for something on the sweeter side, but this smoothie is full of nutrition that will support your immune system. Enjoy!
