Immunity- tips for your personal machine.

Wow. What a crazy time. I don't need to dive deeper into how unprecedented the past few months have been. You are living it, just like me. This post is going to outline a few of my favorite ways to stay healthy, and I highly recommend you implement them into your day. No I am not claiming that by doing these things you will be totally immune-but we do know our bodies are BRlLLIANT MACHINES! We would not expect our vehicle to run efficiently without regular oil filtration replacements, tire rotations, and gasoline fill ups, right? Why do we think our body, our personal machine is any different?

1) SUPPLEMENT!!-even if you eat all organic you must supplement. Sadly our soils have been extremely depleted of essential micronutrients over the course of time. At the very least take a (QUALITY-not Sam's club or kirkland) multivitamin. We need adequate Vitamin A, D, C, zinc, etc. to fend of bacterial/viral invaders. Also fish oil, I don't know about you, but I want my brain to be functioning well into my 80s and 90s and high quality omega-3 is the way to encourage that!

2) GET OUTSIDE and MEDITATE! At least 20 minutes a day to hear the birds (hopefully) soak in the sunshine (Vitamin D!) and see and feel the greenery Mother Nature gave us. Leave the phone and worries behind. Just be.

3) BREATHE- this is a respiratory virus, correct? Do you breathe fully and properly? EVERY DAY?

Check out my YouTube channel for 7:4:10 breathing.

4) WATER- you absolutely MUST drink at least half your body weight in ounces a day. I weigh 145 lbs, therefore I must drink around 75 oz of water. Start the morning off by drinking at least a 1/3 of your required dose. (I also highly recommend drinking from a filter-we have a Berkey)

5) FIBER and FAT- eat enough. Both insoluble and soluble.

Both saturated and unsaturated. (ie variety of organic fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts, whole grains, one half avocado/day, olives and olive oil, grass fed beef and butter, wild caught fish, eggs; eliminate refined carbohydrates + sugar)

6) PROBIOTICS-these have saved my digestion. There are many different types of probiotic strains out there. Chat with your functional medicine doc about which is right for you. It will likely take trying one for a month to figure out which strain(s) your body is needing.

7) INTERMITTENT FAST- why would this be important for your immunity? I.F. gives a break to your detoxifying organs (ie Liver, Kidneys, Lungs) therefore allowing a greater opportunity for your cells to regenerate-which means healthier more efficient cells. (added bonus-weight loss) Of course if you are dealing with blood sugar issues monitoring this fasting with your doctor is a must. Start with 12 hours. Goal should be 16 hour fast (ie skipping breakfast) 3x week. Doing a 24 hour fast 1-2x month for a full body reset. (seek a knowledgeable healthcare provider if you are unsure)

8) EXERCISE-at the very least 20-30 minutes a day of a moderate intensity walk/weigh lifting/yoga routine. Just move. YOUR body machine NEEDS movement. Down to your DNA. Without movement your cells become sluggish and cannot react as swiftly to invaders and you will become sick. (did you know I have been leading online Zoom exercises every week? Let me know if you're interested! I'll send you a link to join!)

9) LAUGH- our spirit is getting beat down hard at the moment by everything in the news/media. Shut that off! It is NOT doing you any good. Call a friend and talk about how silly her dog is, or what your kid said last night. This WILL effect your immunity; negative thoughts and emotions depress our neurotransmitters leading to anxiety, depression and stress.

10) BE CREATIVE. Remember when you were 10 years old.. without a care in the world? Be there..and be there now. Did you enjoy crocheting? Do that. Did you enjoy baking? Do that. Our beings are designed to be creative! This will help you push through the onset of negative thoughts and feelings. It will give you a sense of worth, and hope.

11) SLEEP. Get enough; 7-9 hours. Try to go to sleep the same time every evening, and wake the same time each morning. Turn the phone off, at least an hour before bed. Don't eat 4 hours before you go to bed to help your body and digestive system rest and detox. Don't drink water more than 4 hours before you go to bed to prevent waking in the middle of the night.

Sending you so much health and happiness during this crazy time.

Dr. Kate