EMPOWERING YOUR IMMUNITY

I have a grand vision for the way I want to present these articles and take you along the thought train. I wasn’t planning on covering the topic of medicine for a while BUT the SARS-CoV-2 (covid) coronavirus is not going anywhere, and nothing could be more important right now than strengthening and supporting our immune systems.

There’s a number of different ways of thinking about how our immune systems work. We have local immunity – local resistance to infection at any interfaces between our bodies and the environment. Think: the respiratory tract, the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, and the urogenital tract. And we also have systemic immunity, where we have both nonspecific and specific branches which prevent anything potentially harmful from overwhelming us. This includes circulating immune cells, antibodies, and a range of different chemicals.

In both local and systemic immunity, we have what’s called innate and acquired immune components. Innate are the components that are already there and always looking for any mischief to manage. There are physical barriers and a bunch of different cells and chemicals at the ready. Acquired components are those that are produced as a response to a specific microbes or materials. An example of acquired components are antibodies, which are produced typically 1-2 weeks after an infection or challenge.

Our response to an infection will depend on several factors: the amount, type, and virulence of the infectious agent, the strength and resiliency of our local immune system where the infection is introduced, the strength and resiliency of our systemic immune system, and the way our body balances the effects of the infection itself with the immune response of our body.

If we receive a large dose of infection, get infected by a microbe we haven’t seen before, or one with more “virulence factors” (can infect us easily and replicate effectively), then we are likely to get sicker. Since this SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is a novel (new) infection for our population, it causes more of a problem. It seems to have enough virulence to make us sick and keep spreading, but not too much to kill people before they can infect others (the hallmarks of a “successful” microbe). If you receive a larger dose, you are more likely to get sick e.g., from being in close (<6ft or 2 metres) prolonged (>5 minutes) contact with an infected person without wearing a mask and breathing in aerosolised virus coming out of their nose or mouth.

If our local immune system is not as strong as it could be, we are more likely to get infected. In terms of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, infection is primarily through the respiratory tract from particles in the air. So, we get infected mainly through breathing it in through the nose and mouth. If our local respiratory tract immunity isn’t as strong: through damage to the lining epithelium, altered function of the tiny hairs inside our nose and throat that keep particles cleared away, changes to our mucus, an altered local native microbe population, a change in the number or type of local antibodies and chemicals, then we are more likely to get an infection, and get a larger dose.

If our systemic immune system is not as strong as it could be, we are more likely to stay sicker for longer. This could be how we were born, from other infections, other diseases, conditions or syndromes, what we eat, mental health etc etc.

And if the balance of effects from self vs infection is off, we could actually get much sicker from our body having an overexaggerated immune response than from the infection itself! An example of this is the cytokine storm some people have with coronavirus, which is very life-threatening.

And then of course there are the effects of the medicine or treatments given.

Yep, disease is complicated. I want to empower you: you are not just at the mercy of the pharmaceutical medical complex or the vaccine. There’s a whole lot of things you can do to have both a strong and resilient immune system for your whole life. And here’s 30 things!

THE LIST!

(or click here for the summary list if you just want the main points)

DO THIS (FREE STUFF)

1. Move your body in a way that feels good: I see that eye roll- let me explain. Movement of any kind will increase blood flow and lymphatic flow to help keep tissues nourished and remove wastes. Try to do it daily, for at least 20 minutes.

2. Massage or dry brushing: Just like exercising, physically moving your skin, fascia, and muscles around will help blood flow and lymphatic flow. You can massage yourself, or have a trusted person do it. Use your hands dry, use oils like sesame or coconut oil, a lacrosse ball, yoga tune-up balls, foam roller, a brush or mitt. If you are massaging primarily for lymphatic flow, start from the hands and feet and work upwards with strokes or circles, and on the rest of the body use circular motions.

3. Hugs or touch: From loved ones in your household, from your pets, from yourself, from a tree, from the ground. Always consensual. The touch itself is helpful (see above) but also that exchange of what I can only think to call heart energy.

4. Breathe deeply: It makes sense that deep breaths increase air flow in the respiratory tract which is definitely a good thing, and keeps the diaphragm and rib muscles strong. When you inhale your belly should expand, and when you exhale it should soften. Deep breaths also have a remarkable calming effect. You could do 3 slow deep breaths when you wake up in the morning. You could have a pranayama (yogic breathing) or breathwork practice. You could set an alarm 3 times a day to just be still and breathe. Go swimming. Sing.

5. Breathe through your nose: Unless you have a reason you are unable to, try to breathe through your nose most of the time. There is a superb filtration system present in your nose which filters the air, keeping some of the particles and microbes from getting into your lungs. This system is not present in your mouth, so by breathing though your nose you are using your natural filter. Tip: When exercising and nose-breathing, you may need a tissue or handkerchief (or sleeve) nearby to blow your nose, especially when it is cold.

6. Laughter: In this sombre and isolating time, laughter may not be so forthcoming. You need and deserve joy. Call a loved one or friend. Watch a funny movie. Watch comedy sets on Youtube (my current favourite is Joe Lycett). Send someone a video of you doing something dorky.

7. Thymic taps: The thymus is an organ in the middle of your chest under your breastbone (sternum). It produces a type of immune cell especially important for killing viruses. In traditional Chinese medicine, tapping on the centre of the breastbone over the thymus is said to stimulate the production of these cells. You can try tapping 20 times in the morning, just hard enough to hear a thud but of course not so it hurts! Just a placebo effect? Well either way, it’ll work.

8. Sunshine: I saw that eyeroll. But yes, getting outside (even on a cloudy day) for at least 15 minutes with some skin exposed if safe and possible to do so, ideally without sunglasses, is really helpful. Sunshine gives us that ol’ vitamin D, and the wavelengths of light that help keep us in line with the natural rhythms for better sleep.

9. Sleep: Speaking of sleep, yep it’s important: for body repair and waste removal. 7-9 hours per night for most people, ideally around the same bed time and wake time each day.

10. Drink water: Keeping our body hydrated helps our fluids flow for better nutrient delivery and waste removal. I just poured a glass of water, maybe you can join me?

11. Cold water: OK I really hate this one, but I can’t argue with the research. Cold showers, cold plunges, even washing your face with cold water is immensely beneficial for immune resilience. Here’s a review article for more.

12. Community: You are a very important person, with so much to bring to this world, and you belong here. Although more difficult to have physical community at this time, never has it been more important to feel part of something. Keep your family, friends, colleagues, clubs, and online groups going. Check in with your people. Ask for what you need. Be honest, authentic, humble, and vulnerable.

13. Find your outdoors medicine: The ocean, the river, the forest, the bush, the night sky, the mountain, the valley, the garden. Find your place outside which is teeming with more-than-human life and spend time there being fully present (i.e., off your phone) at least once a week. Create a relationship with the land: the rocks, the dirt, the plants, the insects. Notice the smells, the sounds, the change through the seasons. Pick up any rubbish you find.

EAT THIS

14. Garlic: Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immune stimulant. You can eat one or a few cloves a day, either raw or cooked with other food. If eating raw, cut it up and leave it for 5-10 minutes before eating because the oxidisation from exposure to air will enhance its medicinal effects. If you have a sensitive digestive system, start small, and eat it cooked. Garlic + honey is a special kind of delicious.

15. Honey: Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, and a cough suppressant. It is best to find honey from local bees, and ideally raw and organic. Note that honey is not safe for infants.

16. Ginger: Also antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, and an immune stimulant. Steep nubs of the root in hot water or teas, add to cooking.

17. Rosemary: Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant. Add it to cooking, especially anything roasted. Simmer some sprigs in a pot of hot water. You can also burn small amounts.

18. Thyme: Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, expectorant (loosens excess mucus, so it is drying), antioxidant. Add it to cooking, especially anything roasted. I like infusing apple cider vinegar with a bunch of dried thyme for 4 weeks, and then adding a small amount of that to my first glass of water for the day. You can also burn small amounts.

19. Fire cider: A base of apple cider vinegar with an assortment of powerful antimicrobial foods such as horseradish, garlic, onion, honey, hot peppers. Packs a punch. You can buy it, but it is best to make your own. I like this recipe here.

20. Fresh fruits and vegetables, organic if possible, local if possible: Vitamins! Fibre! Prana (lifeforce)! Green leafy vegetables, orange and red vegetables have the most vitamin C, which is of course very important for immunity.

21. Dirt: I am talking good, clean dirt here. No, I am not suggesting to go grab a mouthful of soil like my dog does, but the dirt provides us with some very important microbes- especially for our gut. Your gut health is the key to everything, in case you didn’t know! Buy your vegetables from organic farms. For sure rinse them, but don’t scrub the life out of them or wash them with anything else. Get your hands in the soil whenever you can, and wash your hands with soap and water. Don’t use antimicrobial soaps or cleaning products more than necessary to stay safe from coronavirus. Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water is very effective at denaturing/killing coronavirus. Alcohol and sanitisers are best just used when you’re out and cannot wash your hands with soap and water. Here’s more about coronavirus and hand washing from the CDC.

22. Fermented foods: On the topic of microbial resiliency, fermented foods are a key way to nourish your gut, and therefore your whole body. Sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, miso, kvass are all great, simple to make yourself or cheap to buy. I like sauerkraut on top of my eggs for breakfast. I bet your library has a book on how to make sauerkraut, and there are many recipes on the internet. Here’s one to get you started. Why not look into the traditional fermented foods of your culture or cultures? Here’s a list of fermented foods from around the world. You can also look at kombucha, kefir, water kefir, sourdough, yoghurt – I bet someone you know has some scoby or starter to get you going. Start with a small amount of any fermented food- eating too much without time for your body to adapt can cause bloating and diarrhoea. What about probiotic pills or drinks? Well, they don’t seem to cause any long-lasting effects, but are helpful if you are taking antibiotics. Just make sure you take the probiotic at least 2 hours before or after the antibiotic otherwise the antibiotic will likely kill the probiotic bacteria too. Try to find a probiotic with both yeast (Saccharomyces) and bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Bifidobacterium) in it. Read more on probiotics here.

23. Tea: Teas have antioxidants which decrease inflammation, and tea has different polyphenols which appear to be able to reduce replication of coronavirus. YES. TEA. Black, green, or white teas from the Camellia sinensis tea plant. Read more here. Organic teas wherever possible, and ideally loose and not in teabags which contain plastic. My favourite place to buy tea is Living Tea (check out the Mirth and Mire Sheng Puerh mmmm).

24. Zinc: Zinc is an important mineral for the immune system. Zinc has been shown to reduce the duration and severity of the common cold, and is also likely to be effective against other viruses including coronaviruses. Zinc is highest in meat, fish, seafood, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. You can also take supplements. The recommended daily intake of zinc is 8mg/day for adult womxn and 11mg/day for adult men. It is best not to take supplements with more than the recommended dietary intake of zinc long term, since it can be toxic, and also cause copper deficiency. You can read more about zinc here. There are so many multivitamin supplements available, but especially at this time, I would suggest making sure it has both vitamins and minerals including vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium. Good quality brands include Garden of Life and Puori.

THINK ABOUT THIS

25. Breathing clean air: Poorer air quality increases the risk of lung diseases, including respiratory viruses like coronaviruses. We need to breathe as clean air as possible. If you live in a place with good quality air (check your area here) then make sure you open your house windows every day for at least 30 minutes, and sit or move outside. Vacuum your house at least once a week with a HEPA filter. Change air filters in your house and car every 6-12 months. Dust your surfaces regularly, ideally using soap and water rather than re-aerosolising it. You can think about buying air purifier units for your house- make sure they have a HEPA (or better) type of filter. Use exhaust fans when cooking or cleaning. Keep chimneys clear. Minimise or ideally avoid scented and paraffin candles, plug-in diffusers, scented cleaning products including laundry detergents, perfumes. And yes, essential oils too can also be very irritating for your respiratory tract. If you can, source your energy from solar, wind, or other sustainable sources (your power company likely has more options than you think!). Think about how you can lower your emissions by driving less, buying a low emission, hybrid or electric vehicle when it is time to get a new (ideally used) car. Look into the land management in your area to prevent devastating forest or bush fires- see how your local government or state is managing it, can you attend virtual government meetings and ask questions or speak to your representatives, are they consulting the indigenous peoples? Also, where are the polluting factories in your area, and who lives nearest to them? Can you look at moving somewhere with better air quality?

26. Other ways of caring for your respiratory tract: If you have allergic rhinitis (hayfever) or chronic respiratory disease problems, look at different including alternative (herbal, Ayurvedic, traditional Chinese medicine) ways of managing it, and remember that the tissues in your respiratory tract are delicate. If using neti pots or nasal flushes, try not to overdo it because it will damage your natural nasal and sinus cleansing systems long term. You can burn small amounts of thyme and rosemary in the house, simmer thyme, rosemary, pine or cedar in a pot with water for air freshening. Facial steaming using appropriate herbs can be helpful for both your skin and nasal cavity. Check with your local herbalist or reputable website for safe methods. Here’s a recipe to try. When you are congested or unwell, breathing in a small amount of eucalyptus/melaleuca/tea tree oil on a piece of cloth or in hot water can be helpful- these oils are very irritating to the tissues so be careful and don’t rub it in your eyes!

27. Plant a tree: Oxygen comes 50/50 from plants and the plankton in the ocean. We can plant more trees and support regenerative land practices with our voice and our dollar. Maybe you can plant a tree in your garden. Email your city council to encourage them to plant more native trees. Or find tree-planting projects in your local area. You can also use Ecosia as your search engine: they plant trees whenever you use them to web search, and you can also pay to plant trees.

28. Get a counsellor/therapist/mentor: Mental health struggles, old nagging issues, a sense of purposeless, overwhelm, all can use support. Our loved ones may not be able to give us all the support we need, and there’s so much benefit from having guidance by someone who is not directly involved with your life (and invested in the decisions you make). If it is accessible to you, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend finding a support person who suits you. If you have a session with someone and you don’t gel with them, please don’t give up, don’t just keep seeing them: find someone else. You can ask friends and family for recommendations. I don’t want to jump on the bandwagon about “toxic thoughts” being responsible for all your problems, but having a guide can be really helpful for all-round resiliency.

29. Understand your truth: If 2020 was a time for anything, it was a time for figuring out what is really important to you. What isn’t working for you in your life? What doesn’t feel good? How has your community been impacted? These are questions to sit with and reflect on, and maybe talk to someone else about (see above).

30. Take the time to listen to other people’s experiences: There is nothing more powerful than hearing the stories of other people. Listen (or read) and see the importance of acknowledgment. Someone else’s story or experience is not about you, though we may feel defensive if harm has been brought to someone else by a group we identify with e.g., white people and the harm caused by European colonialists. If this work is new for you, start small, go slow, be curious, and don’t insert yourself into the story or situation.

By taking time to look at at least several of these points, you will boost your overall immunity and feel more nourished. Stay well, folks.