Do You Keep Getting Sick? How To Break The Cycle Of Illness
Dec 18, 2023
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Join Dr. Elizabeth Boham, a Functional Medicine physician and nutrition expert, alongside Dr. Leonard Calabrese, a renowned professor in rheumatology and immunology. They discuss how lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, nutrition, and toxins impact immune health. Highlights include ways to rejuvenate the immune system, the role of phytochemicals in boosting resilience, and holistic approaches for children facing recurrent infections. They emphasize the crucial link between mindfulness, diet, and exercise in maintaining a robust immune function.
The foundation of our health is a robust immune system that relies on the proper mechanism of cleaning out inflammatory cells, which can be disrupted by daily habits and exposures such as sleep, stress, diet, and toxins.
Immune rejuvenation focuses on regulating the immune system to perform its functions while minimizing overactivity and inflammation, contributing to overall wellness and reducing the risk of age-related diseases.
Dietary modifications, regular exercise, stress management, and quality sleep are essential strategies to optimize immune function and support immune rejuvenation.
Zinc and vitamin C play a crucial role in supporting immune function, and supplementation with these nutrients can improve immunity, reduce illness frequency, and decrease heavy metal toxicity.
Deep dives
Importance of Lab Testing in Healthcare
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Understanding Immune Rejuvenation
The concept of immune rejuvenation has gained significance in the field of immune health. Rather than focusing solely on immune boosting or suppression, immune rejuvenation involves regulating the immune system to perform its intended functions while minimizing the risk of overactivity and inflammation. Chronic systemic sterile inflammation, known as inflammaging, contributes to age-related diseases. Immune rejuvenation aims to regulate inflammation, reduce autoimmunity, and enhance the body's ability to fight infections and cancer. Dr. Jeffrey Bland has pioneered this concept through his company, Big Bold Health, which focuses on immune rejuvenation and overall wellness.
Rejuvenating the Immune System: Key Strategies
Rejuvenating the immune system is essential for overall health and wellbeing. Various strategies can optimize immune function, including dietary modifications, regular exercise, stress management, and quality sleep. Consuming an anti-inflammatory diet rich in colorful fruits, vegetables, phytochemicals, and medicinal foods helps reduce inflammation and support the immune system. Omega-3 fats, prebiotics, and polyphenols present in fish, plant-based foods, and specific grains like Himalayan tartary buckwheat play a crucial role in immunorejuvenation. Moreover, positive stressors like mindfulness practices, cold plunges, interval training, and regular physical activity can boost immune resilience. By adopting these strategies, individuals can enhance their immune system's ability to fight infections, reduce inflammation, and promote vitality.
The role of zinc and vitamin C in boosting the immune system
Zinc and vitamin C have been found to play a crucial role in supporting immune function. In the context of COVID-19, zinc has been used to interrupt viral replication and binding to cells. Vitamin C and zinc are being studied for their effectiveness in improving immune system function. In one case, a patient with recurrent illnesses was supplemented with 20 milligrams of zinc and 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily, leading to an improvement in their immune system and a reduction in the frequency of illnesses. Heavy metal toxicity, such as elevated levels of lead and mercury, can also affect the immune and gut functions. Detoxification protocols that include supplements like glutathione, liposomal vitamin C, and binding agents can help decrease heavy metal burden and enhance immune function.
Addressing bladder infections through dietary and lifestyle interventions
Bladder infections, or urinary tract infections, can be chronic and debilitating for some individuals. Antibiotics are commonly used for prevention, but there are alternative approaches. Probiotics, such as lactobacillus species, have been found to be beneficial in maintaining a healthy urinary tract microbiome and reducing the risk of recurrent infections. Cranberry and D-mannose supplements can also prevent bacteria from adhering to the bladder lining. Other lifestyle factors, such as hydration, urinating frequently after intercourse, and maintaining good hygiene practices, can help break the cycle of chronic bladder infections. A comprehensive approach that includes dietary changes, such as avoiding gluten and dairy, and incorporating anti-inflammatory foods, can further support the immune system and reduce the risk of infection.
Exercise as a means of enhancing immune function
Exercise has been shown to play a significant role in strengthening the immune system. Regular moderate exercise boosts immunologic strength and overall health. Sedentary lifestyles have been linked to immunocompromised states, while moderate physical activity helps improve immune response. Exercise promotes the trafficking of immunologic cells, elevates inflammatory cytokines, and redistributes lymphocytes. Studies have also shown that individuals who engage in moderate exercise have a lower incidence of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. However, excessive exercise, such as ultra-endurance activities, can potentially have negative impacts on the immune system and overall well-being. Finding a balance and engaging in regular moderate exercise can have a positive effect on immune function.
Managing stress and its impact on the immune system
Chronic stress can have detrimental effects on the immune system, accelerating inflammation and contributing to various immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Managing stress and resetting the stress response can help improve immune function. Mindfulness meditation techniques have been extensively studied and have shown promising results in reducing stress levels and modulating the immune response. Programs like mindfulness-based stress reduction have demonstrated positive outcomes, although lower doses of mindfulness practice may also have beneficial effects. By addressing stress and promoting emotional well-being, individuals can positively impact their immune system and overall health.
The foundation of our health is a robust immune system that has a very important mechanism of cleaning out inflammatory cells. If this process is broken, the inflammatory cells can actually turn other functioning cells into inflammatory cells. Our daily life habits and exposures, such as sleep, stress management, diet, and toxins, affect key biological processes that impact our immune function. When our immune health is functioning properly, the rest of our body follows with less illness and disease.
In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Elizabeth Boham and Dr. Leonard Calabrese about ways that we can support our immune systems to reduce the chance of illness and disease.
Dr. Elizabeth Boham is a physician and nutritionist who practices Functional Medicine at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, MA. Through her practice and lecturing she has helped thousands of people achieve their goals of optimum health and wellness. She witnesses the power of nutrition every day in her practice and is committed to training other physicians to utilize nutrition in healing.
Dr. Leonard Calabrese is a Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University and Vice Chair of the Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases. He is also the director of the RJ Fasenmyer Center for Clinical Immunology at the Cleveland Clinic and holds joint appointments in the Department of Infectious Diseases and the Wellness Institute.
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