Thread by @DrBPHealth

These 7 strategies have worked very effectively for my patients & myself

If you want to greatly reduce your chances of getting sick this winter, begin incorporating them

THREAD

We’ve all probably had the common cold & flu at some point in our lives

When you have either, you feel miserable!

You also miss out on activities you’d rather be enjoying and not waste sick or vacation days at work.

There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of you getting the cold & flu.

If you do happen to get either, these nutrients & strategies will reduce the severity & duration of symptoms

There is not a single magic bullet that will prevent you from avoiding them

However, I have found a combination approach has provided me and my patients with a much better defense during the “cold and flu season”.

I will cover will cover the 3 nutrients that are vital for your health & immunity

FIRST

The first nutrient you want to make sure you have sufficient amounts of is Vitamin D3.

I’ve written before about Vitamin D3.

What most don’t know is Vitamin D3 is actually a steroid hormone.

As you may know, steroids (like corticosteroids) lower inflammation.

Vitamin D is very anti-inflammatory in nature.

This is why around the globe, in multiple research papers, those who had sufficient levels of Vitamin D in their blood had a MUCH lower risk of having severe COVID-19 symptoms that required hospitalizations.

Those who did have severe symptoms, had a very strong correlation with low Vitamin D3 levels.

Why is this?

When someone gets COVID, there is a cytokine storm that occurs in the body.

Think of this as an “inflammatory bomb” in the body.

This “inflammatory bomb” is why there is such a wide variety of symptoms with COVID.

If your body can better regulate & deal with this inflammation, the less severe the symptoms.

As mentioned, Vitamin D is a large regulator of inflammation in the body

That is why there is a direct correlation of Vitamin D levels, and severity of symptoms for not only COVID, but common colds and the flu.

Additionally, Vitamin D3 is anti-viral and anti-bacterial.

For conditions like the flu and common cold, which are viral...

...Vitamin D can help your immune system ward off & address the virus before it can infect your body & become symptomatic.

If you are exposed to pathogenic bacteria, again, sufficient Vitamin D can help your immune system fight it off & hopefully prevent you from ever getting it

Here’s How To Increase You Vitamin D3

The best is clearly getting out in the sun. Ideally, 30+ minutes per day. Don’t get burned 😉

Obviously, during winter, it makes it tougher.
Especially the further you live away from the equator.

Also, focus on consuming foods that have higher sources of Vitamin D:
•Salmon
•Mackerel
•Tuna
•Fortified milk products
•Fortified coconut milk
•Beef liver
•Egg yolks (pastured or organic)
•Mushrooms (morel, shitake, oyster)

If you don't have much sun exposure and don't consume these foods regularly, you may want to consider supplementing with a proper dosage.

I will cover the specifics at the end.

SECOND

Zinc is the second nutrient you want to make sure you have sufficient amounts of.

Zinc is a mineral that is anti-viral and also helps regulate inflammation in the body.

Zinc deficiency affects cells involved in both innate and adaptive immunity.

These cells include:
•Monocytes
•Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes
•Natural killer cells
•T-cells
•B-cells

Chronic deficiency of Zinc increases inflammation.

With chronic deficiency, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines increases.

Remember the “cytokine storm” mentioned earlier with COVID?

Having sufficient Zinc is vital for your immune system to function optimally.

Foods That Are High In Zinc

•Oysters
•Lamb
•Pumpkin seeds
•Hemp seeds
•Grass-fed beef
•Chickpeas
•Lentils
•Cocoa powder
•Cashews
•Kefir or Yogurt

The best way to get sufficient zinc is through your diet.

If you don’t have access to these foods, or don’t care for them, you may want to consider supplementing with the proper dosage.

I will cover the details of what I suggest at the end.

THIRD

The third nutrient to improve your immunity is Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is made naturally in almost all living animals except humans, primates, and guinea pigs.

Humans must consume Vitamin C from food sources, or they risk severe health problems.

There is a direct relationship between glucose and Vitamin C that has a dramatic impact on immunity and overall cellular health.

Glucose and Vitamin C have a very similar chemical makeup.

Both glucose and Vitamin C depend upon the hormone insulin and its signaling effects in order to get into cells.

There is an important protein transporter called the GLUT-1 that turns on in response to insulin interacting with the insulin receptor.

This allows both glucose and Vitamin C to enter the cell.

However, glucose has a greater affinity for the insulin receptor.

Meaning the more circulating blood sugar the less Vitamin C will enter the cell.

Even immune cells, like white blood cells. need Vitamin C to work.

White blood cells (WBC’s) fight pathogens.

In fact, WBC’s need 50 times more vitamin C inside the cell than in the blood plasma in order to properly handle a pathogenic substance like a bacteria or virus.

If there is too much blood sugar, the Vitamin C will not be able to get into the WBC.

This means the WBC’s won’t work as optimally to fight off infections.

Vitamin C also activates what’s called the HMP shunt, while glucose inhibits it.

When the immune system is under attack it needs to quickly produce new immune cells.

If blood sugar is high enough to turn off the HMP shunt it will reduce the amount of new immune cells formed.

Obviously, this will not help your body fight off the pathogen or prevent you from getting a cold or the flu.

This is why you want to have a diet that is not only low-glycemic (keeps blood sugars low), but also sufficient in Vitamin C.

Foods That Are High In Vitamin C

First, orange juice is NOT a good source. It’s chalked full of sugar & no fiber.

Don't be fooled by marketing. However, whole oranges are good.

Besides whole oranges, here are other great food sources of Vitamin C:

•Black currant
•Red pepper
•Kiwi
•Guava
•Green bell pepper
•Strawberries
•Papaya
•Broccoli
•Kale
•Parsley
•Pineapple
•Brussels sprouts

Again, the best way to get sufficient Vitamin C is through your diet.

If you don’t eat much of these, you may want to consider supplementing with the proper dosage.

I will cover the details at the end.

FOURTH

In addition to the above 3 nutrients, there are 4 other strategies that significantly improve your immune function naturally.

Eat Real Foods

I can’t emphasize this enough.

Aim to eat whole, real foods 90%+ of the time.

This will cut down dramatically on the amount of refined sugar and seed oils that you consume. Both of which do not help your body perform at it’s best.

FIFTH

Reduce Stress

Sometimes it is easier said than done. But most of us have gone through a stressful time in our life, our bodies get beat down, and we get sick.

Prolonged stress puts a strain on your immune system and its ability to fight off pathogens you are exposed to.

Stress Reducing Activities

•Deep Breathing (look up the 4-7-8 method)
•Prayer
•Meditation
•Exercise at the END of your day
•Laughing/Watching Comedy
•Spending Time With Friends/Loved Ones
•Getting Out In Nature

SIXTH

Get Sufficient Sleep

Sleep is when the body does a lot of healing, repairing & regeneration.

Insufficient sleep is a stressor to the body.

Aim to get at least 7 hours per night. * or more would be ideal.

Also, during the winter months, the nighttime is longer.

Our circadian rhythms are therefore different.

I believe our bodies are made to rest longer in the winter months. So get your body in sync with nature’s rhythms.

SEVENTH

Consider Taking Immune Boosting Herbs, Mushrooms & Glandular Therapy

For centuries in Chinese Medicine and other alternative healthcare approaches, herbs, mushrooms and glandular therapy have been used...

... to boost immune function and the body’s innate ability to ward off infections.

Here are some of the most commonly used:

•Reishi mushrooms
•Echinacea
•Shiitake mushrooms
•Thymus extract
•Adrenal extract