Dr. Matthew Fellner, DACM, L.Ac.
Don’t wait until you’re sick to start taking care of your health! One of the best ways to strengthen your immunity is to be proactive. As we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are two main factors that affect our immunity and increase the likelihood of both getting sick and having a more severe reaction once we are sick: viral load and the internal environment that allows the virus to thrive. The only way to control viral load is to reduce exposure through the use of masks, social distancing, and frequent hand washing. But how do we nourish and boost our body’s natural defense to reduce the likelihood of infection even if we are exposed, or prevent more severe complications? It may surprise you that 3 simple steps can go a long way to improving your immune health.
1. Get Acupuncture – research has shown that acupuncture not only reduces stress and inflammation, but specifically can boost the levels of immune system cytokines and T cells to fight off infection.
2. Breathe Deeply – Most people breathe only in the top part of the lungs and do not oxygenate or filter properly, leading to weakness and susceptibility to infections. Simply taking 5-10 minutes to deepen and slow the breath can make a difference. Here is a great exercise that also involves mindfulness to improve the lungs’ immune function: Inhale deeply but gently without straining or making noise, then imagine your lungs are being cleansed of all the toxins, gently exhale through a little hole in the mouth, and visualize all those toxins leaving the body. Repeat 8-10 times
3. Increase Anti-inflammatory Foods – foods high in sugar, processed, and packaged foods increase inflammation and make fighting infections much harder. Where possible, substitute fresh vegetables, fruit, and eggs for artificial products. 3 foods that deserve special consideration and should be added to your diet whenever possible are mushrooms, coconut oil, and raw(unheated) honey, which all have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
