We should be rolling in the dirt, gardening, wrestling with some brambles and skinning animals for supper. These are important immune system builders. -Joel Salatin, author, organic and sustainable farmer of Polyface Farms, Virginia, USA
A strong immune system is not achieved through a syringe, pill, miracle plant or supplement. Nor does it come from the use of antibacterial soaps and the creation of a sterile environment without “microbes”. In fact, considering the poor health of many people in modern society, we can say that immunity can no longer be obtained exclusively from a healthy diet and a few natural remedies. It’s not enough anymore. The epidemic of allergies, obesity, gastrointestinal problems, chronic infections, malabsorption and many others have a direct connection to an immune system that has suffered profound dysfunctions.
So where does immunity come from? It comes from normal things that people have been doing for thousands of years, knowing instinctively what is good for them. Modern society has forgotten these aspects or disregards them.
Breast milk is the first perfect baby food. It contains all the essential nutrients, antibodies and other important factors for proper development of the child. Nutrients that are destroyed, bio-unavailable, altered or inhibited in commercial milk powder, but are present in breast milk, make up a significant list. On top of that, commercial milk formula contains a long list of toxic ingredients that will suppress the immune system.
Breast milk modulates immune development and it also contains important non-nutritional components, such as antimicrobial factors, digestive enzymes, hormones, and growth factors that are important for passive protection against infections and diseases.
In cases where breastfeeding is not possible (due to possible disorders and imbalances of the mother), and it is too early for the baby to eat solids and drink cow’s milk, the homemade milk formula can be provided, according to Weston Price Foundation recipes. You can also choose high quality, organic baby formulas with no toxic oils, sugars, additives or soy.
Dirt, Traditional Farms, Pets.
Two important studies that have been conducted should be mentioned in this chapter: PARSIFAL (Prevention of Allergy – Risk Factors for Sensitization in Children Related to Farming and Anthroposophic Lifestyle) and GABRIELA (Multidisciplinary Study to Identify the Genetic and Environmental Causes of Asthma in the European Community Advanced Study). They demonstrated that those children who grew up in environments where they were offered exposure to a variety of microbes, such as traditional, sustainable farms, are protected from asthma and atopy.
Researchers from Indiana, USA, Switzerland and Germany performed tests on Swiss and American children aged 6-8 and provided the results of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Because the Amish children migrated from Switzerland and are thus genetically similar, the team compared children from traditional Amish farms in northern Indiana with Swiss children in Switzerland. Besides the fact that children are generally healthier in rural areas, the team found that those in Amish society had a higher immune response against allergens and asthma.
In her book, Why Dirt is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends, Mary Ruebush, PhD explains how, like any other muscle in the body, the immune system needs exercise to grow properly and become strong in order to cope with diseases. Reubush mentions:
What a child does when inserting various objects into her mouth is to allow the immune system to explore the environment. Not only does this allow exercise for the immune system, which will be needed for protection, but it also plays a critical role in the process of learning immature immunity.
An unprocessed diet, without toxic substances, that fits your unique metabolism is of course crucial to maintain the entire life, if you want to protect and/or improve your immunity. If you do not know what foods your body needs for a robust immune system, then you can find out through the Metabolic Typing nutritional program. This methodology will teach you how your metabolism works, what foods it needs for optimal health, how you can balance your unique biochemistry, and how to ensure the reverse of existing negative symptoms. The multitude of external factors that have affected us throughout our lives, as well as our genetic inheritance, play an important role in determining the right foods for our body.
Nature is providing us with amazing resources to keep a strong immune system. Some of my favorite nutrients that I use in my health programs are personalized blends of minerals and vitamins (which might include vitamins A, D, C, zinc and selenium), amino acids like l-glutamine, herbs like astragalus and andrographis, medicinal mushrooms, high quality colostrum, CBD oil and pre- and probiotics. You just can’t go wrong with these!
Insufficient hours of sleep or late bedtime hours can significantly affect immunity. Your adrenals don’t get adequate support if you do not have a good quality sleep between 10am and 2am. Many people I work with usually undertake all kinds of activities during these hours, such as watching TV, working or cleaning the house. But, once they change their bedtime, they are surprised by the huge impact this change has on their mood, their appetite during the day, and their immunity. The truth is, when immunity is low, even a sleepless night is enough to make you vulnerable to illness.
Physical exercise is necessary for proper immunity. But, when you suffer from various imbalances and diseases, cardio exercises can actually be harmful. Choose the right exercise for your body (C.H.E.K practitioners are the best I could recommend in this regard) and don’t overdo it, otherwise you’ll end up doing more harm than good. Extremely beneficial physical activities are also fast walking in the park, gardening, swimming, dancing, yoga or tai chi in nature.
The Lymphatic System.
One of the functions of your lymphatic system is to transport and filter the poisonous waste products from each cell, tissue and organ. It is also an essential part of the immune system, which maintains fluid levels and fights infection. But the lymphatic system needs your help to transport fluid through the body, because it does not have an automatic pump like the heart, which moves blood into the circulatory system.
The best actions you can take to help your lymphatic system are: proper breathing, hydration, alternate hot and cold showers, exercise, especially jumping on a trampoline, lymphatic massage.
You probably know already how much stress and negative emotions can affect your immunity. There is no use if you do many of the things above, but are emotionally and mentally wrecked and have unresolved trauma. So, the more open and curios you’ll be to explore and apply various therapies for health, the more you and your immunity will improve and new horizons will open up to you. Take a look at my favorite mind-body therapies that I recommend here.
As you see, there is no “magic” nutrient, therapy or pill that will “solve” the problems of immunity, at least not in the long term or quickly, and not even in the short term. But a complete healing program can give you all the tools you need to bring your body where it needs to be in terms of health.