With the winter onset of cold and flu season, how can one best build up immunity and survive the onslaught of all the little critters that are in the air and on the surfaces around us. The first important thing is the obvious- wash your hands frequently (you must wash your hands with warm soap and water for 20 seconds to be effective)- hand sanitizers also work but must contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective. Get enough sleep. Getting at least 6.5 hours of sleep is the goal. This amount of sleep will allow your body to do internal house cleaning; during sleep, the immune system has time to do surveillance and clean up the internal environment. That way when a microbe comes along it is ready to efficiently eradicate it.

Nutrition is key to strengthen immunity in the winter. If you have a strong interior defense (built by eating well) you will not be as susceptible to getting sick in the first place. Fruits and vegetable high in beta-carotenes (think orange- yams, pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots) act as powerful antioxidants that improve immune function (cell-mediated immunity) and support mucous membrane health. Foods high in zinc such as oysters, pecans, egg yolks and lamb have an important role in cell growth- everything from normal development to wound healing to white blood cell production. Zinc can be depleted from diuretic use, alcohol, chronic stress, or copper excess. An over the counter zinc tally test can tell you if you might be deficient in zinc. Vitamin C is the other nutrient needed to produce and activate white blood cells; it makes them more efficient in the bloodstream. Sources of Vitamin C include bell peppers, broccoli, kiwis, oranges, and strawberries to name a few. Other foods helpful for optimal immunity include oats and barley due to their beta-glucan content, shitake mushrooms and chicken soup. Lastly, add spices- fresh garlic and ginger root will help you ward off bugs; other herbs that have antibiotic like action include fresh cilantro, oregano and basil.

Don’t forget to move your body. Exercise is important because it helps the white blood cells move through your bloodstream and lymphatic system. If the white blood cells are circulating more freely, they are more likely to target a microbe and destroy it. Even 30 minutes of brisk walking is enough as long as you work up a little bit of a sweat; higher temperatures help inhibit germs. Even taking time for a steam post exercise will add more benefit. Don’t exercise if you have a fever though- listen to your body!

Lastly do not forget about good bacteria. The more good bacteria you have in your body, the less other bad bacteria can take a foot hold in your system. They crowd them out. Food sources of good bacteria include yogurt with active/live cultures, miso, raw sauerkraut (check out the Light Cellar in Bowness for the best), tempeh, kim chee, and kefir. Let food be your medicine!

If you need additional help with your immune system, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with me. There are some fabulous herbs and homeopathic medicines that help ward off cold and flu and clear an infection if contracted, quickly. These medicines are best taken at the first sign of infection- if you wait to long, then the infection has a chance to take hold. Until next time, think happy thoughts- optimists have stronger immune systems than pessimists.

 

For some reason, the death of Cory Monteith has really affected me. I am almost embarassed to admit this. First of all, I have watched Glee only one time because my sister who is a big fan of the show raves about it. But after the news report of his death and my sister’s grief because of this incident, I watched a short video of a television interview with him post- Glee fame and pre-death, ironically enough. I was taken by his story because he did have a history of addictions but had had his life radically turn around in a positive direction; he started channeling his life force into a life sustaining direction, a powerful one at that>> then this accidental overdose >> how tragic. I think this story touched me so much because I had my own issues with addiction when I was young. When I was younger, I had an eating disorder. Looking back on that time in my life, I realize that my anorexia was a way to manage my anxiety. I didn’t realize that I had anxiety back then but in fact now looking back I realize this about myself. My addiction at that time in my life helped me manage my anxiety being in high school at that time and dealing with a lot of social pressures.  Although I don’t know a lot about addictions, I can safely assume that we all have our own addictions that help us get through our day, might be a daily latte, a massage, addiction to technology, etc.; I assume our own addictions would not make headline news but they could. No one is immune to addictions. I feel that addictive patterns of behavior whether it be eating foods that you know are not good for you or that sabotage your ability to become healthier, addiction to toxic relationships, toxic emotions or patterns of behavior that really don’t serve your highest good are an effective albeit unconconscious way to manage something whether it be anxiety, feelings of inadequacy or whatever it may be that the addiction in facts gets rid of in the moment. The addiction serves you in the moment. The brilliant Caroline Myss says it best, ‘addictions are, in effect, a choice to remain unconscious in an age rapidly moving towards a new paradigm of consciousness’. We are all in a grand state of awakening to our divine selves. I am very conscious of how I am living my life but I am not perfect- I am very aware of when I don’t feel congruent about something because I can feel it in my gut- but that doesn’t always stop me from making a choice to indulge. As we awaken, it is harder to tolerate things that aren’t congruent with our internal state of being; our authentic selves; it becomes intolerable to our spirit. It is too bad that Cory wasn’t able to have his experience of awakening sustain him when that urge to go unconscious crept over him; so sad that this took his life. I think the message to ask ourselves is where do we have addictive behaviors that interfere with our ability to shine our brightest light and what needs to be healed so we can embrace our authentic divinity? What factors help you stay connected to your divine core and how can you bring those factors into your life on a regular basis so you feel supported when you are having an ‘off’ day or desire to indulge in your own secret addiction? Nature, meditation, conscious breathing, music, prayer, whatever feeds your soul, make time for it…and ask for help if you are feeling weak and vulnerable because we all have our human moments and we need to share in our divine humanity- we are all one…namaste.

One common digestive complaint that people have is bloating. The background for this problem, to some degree, is North American diets and processed food intake. I want to address bloating that is brought on by small intestine bacterial overgrowth. This is a common problem that I am encountering in patients more and more. Bacteria populate our intestinal tract helping with food breakdown and absorption as well as the manufacture of B vitamins and Vitamin K. They help strengthen our immune system at the level of the gut and help prevent absorption of large protein molecules which could contribute to food allergies.

There are good bacteria and bad bacteria that make up your bacterial flora. If our intestines are populated with ‘bad’ bacteria, these bacteria can compete with our good bacteria and cause us problems. Bacteria can ferment food meant for the human host by their inappropriate location in the small intestine. This fermentation causes hydrogen or methane gas which can lead to IBS symptoms of bloating, gas, and belching, heartburn, nausea, abdominal pain and in some cases diarrhea or constipation. Other symptoms can include systemic symptoms like headache, joint pain and fatigue. Bad bacteria can also compete with us for nutrients including B12 and iron which could leave us in a deficient situation.

These bacteria eat carbohydrates in the form of all sweeteners and starches (grains, beans, and starchy vegetables). Prebiotic nutrients such as inulin, fructooligosaccharides and arabinogalactan are consumed by these bacteria as well. Thus when dealing with this problem, one must eat a diet that starves the bacteria but feeds the person. These bacteria can damage the digestive function not to mention the absorptive structure and integrity of the small intestine. This process contributes to food allergies via increased permeability of the gut.

How does one know if they have this problem? Ask your MD for a hydrogen/methane breath test. When these bacteria ferment carbohydrates they produce methane and hydrogen gas that can be measured. Treatment once established that SIBO is a problem is extensive. Antibiotics can be used for a short course therapy (14 days). If using natural medicine that act like antibiotics (allicin being one example) treatment is for 30 days. Treatment also requires a prokinetic drug which keeps the bacteria from stagnating in the small intestines and an extensive diet (specific carbohydrate or GAPS diet) for a matter of months. Comprehensive treatment also includes probiotic bacteria and small intestinal healing agents (l-glutamine, zinc carnosine to list a few examples). Please talk to your MD or consult with your naturopathic doctor if you feel you have this problem.

Reference: The Townsend Letter Feb/March 2013 Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: Often Ignored Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Allison Siebecker, ND, MSOM, L.Ac and Steven Sandberg-Lewis, ND, DHANP.