Natural immunity is a big deal. As we seem to nose-dive into deeper immune, auto-immune diseases, we have to, I repeat have to, take our personal, natural immunity seriously. It’s not just a matter of sitting around and hoping we don’t get sick. We have a dynamic and ongoing role in the health of our immune systems. And, when something goes wrong, we have choices in how to support it better.
A dysfunctional immune system, or one that is compromised, underlies most illnesses, acute and chronic. It affects how your body heals and your overall sense of wellbeing. A weakened or dysfunctional immune system means that you can be more susceptible to immune challenges such as allergies, common cold, bacterial or viral infections, allergies, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, AIDS, cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, psoriasis, asthma, and a host of other immune deficiency disorders.
So what goes wrong? Poor or inadequate nutrition, stress, poor sleep, exposure to harmful agents such as food additives, bad fats, and environmental toxins, and many other harmful exposures. It is a combination of what goes into your mouth vs. what doesn’t go into your mouth. It is a combination of excesses (environment, diet, stress, unhealthy activities) and deficiencies (down time, quality sleep, water intake, exercise and nutrition). We have more control over our immune expression than many realize.
The question is, when we are depleted and fall prey to a nasty health condition, what can we do about it?
First of all, put changes into your lifestyle that support good immune health. Put aside your electronic devices and go to bed early. Create an environment that fosters good sleep. Add play-time into your schedule. If there isn’t time for that, get rid of something. If you don’t have your health, you have nothing. Your family and your work suffers along with you when you don’t feel well. Immune health has to be a priority.
There are herbs such as echinacea, astragalus, garlic, shitake mushrooms, and many other herbs and foods that support immune health. If you don’t know how to use them, ask a health professional skilled in their uses.
Try acupuncture. Acupuncture is great for immune health. It increases red and white cell counts, T-cell count and improves humoral and cellular immunity. It helps to allay some of the things contributing to reduced immunity such as sleep disorders and stress response. It helps with pain and inflammation and the immune deficient diseases themselves.
A journalist for Scientific American wrote about a recent acupuncture research finding: “The finding… raises the possibility that knowledge derived from alternative medicine may provide a means of discovering new nerve pathways that can regulate a variety of immune disorders, from rheumatoid arthritis to Crohn’s disease.” The journalist went on to talk about the value of integrating acupuncture into conventional medicine. Keeping your immune system strong is important business. Let us help you to accomplish that.
©2021 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
