An Immunity Reality Check
The CoronaVirus is the current hot topic. By no means am I an expert in virology but I do have experience in rebuilding health and metabolic function through my health coaching services. If you feel, for any reason, that you have been exposed to Coronavirus or any pathogen for that matter, I encourage you to consult with a physician.
Let’s cut to the chase and focus on what is most important. Viruses are common along with any number of other pathogens. Outside of living within a self-contained bubble, you can’t prevent exposure.
I am not saying this current “quarantine” is either good or bad, it just is. I will say that it’s unsustainable. Society can’t continue much less function with any degree of normalcy during an extended shutdown. At some point the world has to get back on track.
When it comes to managing exposure, use some platinum sense! I say “platinum” because common sense is such a rare and valuable commodity these days. If you need to learn how to wash your hands, or refrain from touching your skin or how to shower, wash clothing or sanitize a surface or object, there are plenty of other resources available to you.
Ultimately, the challenge is not one of exposure; it is one of your body’s natural defenses once exposed to the Coronavirus or any other virus, bacteria, fungus, parasite, or pathogen.
If your immune system is healthy and functional, you should be able to manage exposure to just about anything with minimal short-term much less long-term complications.
If your immune system is at all compromised for any reason, then to the degree your immune system is dysfunctional, you will be at risk. In other words, the weaker your immune system, the more likely the pathogen will take root and complications, including death, may manifest.
Now here is the real challenge. If your immune system is compromised today, there's really nothing you can do today which will change that situation overnight. There exists no magic pill, formula, drug or supplement or herbal product that can make your immune system functional right now. If someone tells you there is, they are either ignorant or lying. In the case of lying, they are likely trying to sell you something.
Megadosing Vitamin C, Zinc, B Vitamins, Magnesium etc.may—decrease some symptom severity and duration, but that is not guaranteed. As you may already know, Vitamin C and even Magnesium in excess can have unintended consequences, namely diarrhea.
This doesn’t mean you should do nothing and accept things as they are. Rather, this viral event should act as a wake-up call.
Let’s consider the immune system from two perspectives: What is the likelihood it is compromised, and what can I do about it?
Common Immune Dysfunction/Suppression Causal Factors
Below is a list of factors that may increase your susceptibility to a compromised immune reaction and place you at greater risk:
Age: The older and younger you are, the greater the risk. The immune system does not fully mature until the teenage years. Prior to maturation, it is in a weakened state. Also, if you were not vaginally born and/or breastfed (longer is better), your immune system is inherently weaker. The older we get, typically above age 60, the body’s natural ability to repair and heal itself decreases. While age is a factor, it should never be used as an excuse.
Antibiotic Usage: Antibiotic usage kills bacteria, both good and bad. The bacteria composition of your intestinal tract (microbiome) is a huge factor in the strength and function of your immune system. Antibiotic usage alters immune function; so does a history of antibiotic usage. Unless you make a concerted effort to repair the gut post-usage, it is highly likely your immune system is not at full strength.
Pharmaceutical Drugs: Many prescription drugs have an unwanted and sometimes wanted effect of suppressing the immune system. If you had an organ transplant, immune suppressors are required to keep your body from attacking the new tissue. There are well over 80 auto-immune diseases where one’s immune system is attacking its own tissue. The easiest way to manage the symptoms is with the use of immuno-suppresent drugs. If you take a prescription, do an online search and read up on what the effects of that drug are. You will likely be very surprised by what you find.
Poor or Inappropriate Diet: Simply put, your cells rely on foundational nutrients in order to function along with water and oxygen. Malnutrition—that is, nutritional deficiencies, especially of minerals—will compromise cellular function and in turn the function of your immune system and any other metabolic process. If you are wondering what nutrients you need, those needs are genetically determined and vary between individuals.
Toxin Exposure: Toxins can interfere with immune function in two ways. First, cellular contact with toxins can alter cellular function. Second, many toxins will bind to minerals, preventing them from gaining access to the cells.
Stress: Regardless of origin or intention, chronic stress or repeated bouts of extreme, acute stress will harm your body’s natural defenses, including immune function. To keep this simple, when you are stressed, the body initiates the “fight or flight” stress response. We are hardwired within our DNA to respond physiologically to all stressors as if they are physical in nature; that is, as if they require a physical response. Blood flow is diverted from the abdominal organs to the extremities to allow for the physical response. Resulting abdominal blood flow can be as much as 4 times less than what is considered normal. When blood flow decreases, digestion, absorption and elimination is reduced, if not temporarily stopped. This leads to three issues:
First, your ability to get much-needed nutrition to the cells is compromised. If this happens often enough or for long enough, metabolic dysfunction including the immune response will be impacted.
Second, when foodstuff is not properly digested and/or eliminated, changes to the food occur. Proteins putrefy, fats oxidize, and carbs ferment. This action alters the intestinal environment, changing pH and other variables. These changes will make it harder for the good bacteria to propagate while making it easier for the bad bacteria to reproduce, build new housing communities and hold loud and destructive festivals.
Third, the stomach is meant to be very acidic. The acidity allows any food along with anything else that may find its way into the stomach to be sterilized. A decrease in stomach function can alter acid pH levels to the point that pathogens you were exposed to can now survive the stomach end up in the intestinal tract to take root. Purposely consuming alkaline water will only magnify the problem.
The above is just a sampling of immunosuppression causal factors.
The question now is what can be done about the situation? How does one approach ensuring that not only their immune system but their entire body is healthy and up to the task of defending itself?
I hope you realize that trying to supplement your way out of the situation is unlikely to be helpful and can also be very expensive. Be wary of anyone pushing a product or package of immune supporting products especially when they don’t know you, much less your situation.
While many of you know me for my personal training skills, I am also a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) practitioner. I offer a proven holistic health-building service which uncovers the underlying causal factors for your unresolved health challenges. Rather than treat the symptoms or the diagnosis, I treat the individual manifesting them.
The health coaching framework revolves around The DRESS for Health Success Lifestyle Grounding program. The goal of the DRESS protocol is to give the cells everything they require while eliminating or at least reducing blocking factors. This will place the body in the best position possible to do that which it is designed to do and dictated by your DNA: search out and strive for health.
Diet: Eat real whole food appropriate for your metabolism. The best method I have found to uncover what your genetically determined nutritional needs are is through the process of Metabolic Typing® as designed by William Wolcott.
Rest: It is while you are sleeping that the body does most of its healing, repair, and growth. Most physical healing occurs between 10pm and 2am. Most mental (brain) healing occurs between 2am and 6am. From an adrenal perspective, HPA (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal) Axis, every hour of sleep prior to midnight is worth two hours of recovery. Considering that your Stress response is part of your body’s initial line of defense, this is vital to a robust immune response.
Exercise: While a sedentary lifestyle is harmful to health and function, so is over-exercising. Exercising beyond your body’s ability to recover is a huge catalyst for cellular dysfunction. The key here is that your ability to exercise and recover is unique to you. If that is not taken into account, over-exercising is very easy to accomplish and likely for any active individual.
Stress Reduction: Stress, regardless of origin or intention, can be a catalyst for dysfunction. While stress is required for adaptation to occur, too much is a problem. Your first line of defense for survival is dependent upon how your body responds. We are hardwired to excel at periodic bouts of stress followed by time for adequate repair and recovery. This is in opposition to modern society where the body is under duress almost 24/7. The body can’t manage an elevated state of stress for extended periods of time.
Stressors can be both external and internal in origin. External examples include weather conditions and toxin exposure. Internal stressors can be challenging. Fortunately I utilize functional lab testing to help uncover HIDDEN stressors within your Hormonal, Immune, Digestive, Detoxification, Energy production and Nervous systems. Understanding metabolic strengths, weaknesses, dysfunctions, and compensations can go a long way in creating a plan for health which is efficient, effective, timely, and safe.
The best plan is to assess your stress levels and sources and begin eliminating or reducing them one by one. Start with the low-hanging stressors, the ones that are easy to reach. Don’t waste time, energy, and resources going after those currently out of reach.
Supplementation (Intelligent Use Of): Modern society is very hard on our body. That chronic stress exposure places greater demands upon our defensive systems. To keep our defenses functioning, the body will reallocate energy and nutritionally based resources from lesser functions to maintain the frontline. The more appropriate nutrition you can get to the cells, the stronger the defenses along with other vital functions. The intelligent use of supplements can bridge the gap between what your body needs and what is readily available through diet alone. Just remember that you can’t out-supplement a poor or inappropriate diet.
That is a quick and dirty overview of The DRESS for Health Success Lifestyle Grounding Program I live by and coach with clients. I hope you found this information helpful and thought provoking. I am sure you now have a few questions regarding how all this relates to you. You know how to reach me, so feel free to ask me a question or two. It is likely that if you have the question, so does someone else.
Finally, in the words of Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, don’t panic!