Take Ownership of the WHOLE You!

Contact me here to discover how healthy you are from the inside out!

How does our immune system work and how can we improve it?

We are all well-aware of the historic pandemic we are experiencing in our world right now. I have been saying since March, “we must take ownership for our OWN health and take care of the WHOLE person in order to build our resiliency for the time we are exposed to the virus- or any virus for that matter!”. The world is afraid to do anything but say home and “stay safe”- but how are you really improving your health when are staying home isolated from the world?

In an ideal world, we have been working on GETTING healthy this past six months while we were staying at home. We need to GET HEALTHY before we can “STAY HEALTHY”.

What does being “healthy” mean to you?

To me, I think of being healthy as having a strong immune system, being resilient, feeling energetic and thriving each day. I am healthy when I have energy to exercise, my sleep is deep, and my mood is happy!

If you don’t wake up feeling energetic and thriving each day then we should investigate WHY… what is causing you to feel drained, exhausted and unhappy?

Are you experiencing an overload of CHRONIC stressors overfilling your “Beaker of Stress” which then creates a domino effect of health imbalances- also known as “METABOLIC CHAOS®”?

For years, I felt burned out and broken down but I only have felt healthier since I identified my main contributors to my chronic stress overload from external sources and investigated the internal chronic stressors with well-chosen functional lab tests.

In Functional Medicine- practitioners look at the WHOLE person and investigate the WHY… why do you feel this way or why do you experience these Functional lab tests are important to building your health – instead of constant guessing if you are healthy including your gut health, nutrient balance and microbiome bacteria balance.

Did you know that 70-80% of your immune system resides in your gut?

So while we are staying at home and supposedly “staying healthy”…we should be striving to improve our health and to become health optimizers -especially since most everyone is not as healthy and resilient as they think they are.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes I often tell clients, write in my blog or share on my podcast:

You are what you eat…but also what you can breakdown and absorb!
You can’t out exercise a poor diet.
You can’t out supplement poor lifestyle habits.
Life is NOT a Race… chronic stress impacts everything and the WHOLE you from the inside out.
Quality SLEEP does matter!

How strong is your immune system?

You don’t really know unless you run functional lab tests to look what is going on “under the hood” and see the WHOLE picture!

As a FDN Practitioner, we run a few major labs to collect clues of any hidden chronic stressors and imbalances.

1. GI Map

2. Organic Acids Test (OATS)

3. DUTCH Complete hormone test

4. Food Sensitivity Test

5. BiomeFX

Chronic stress impacts everything including your gut and immune system.

Do you know if you have any opportunistic bacteria?

Causes[edit]

Immunodeficiency or immunosuppression can be caused by:

Malnutrition
Fatigue
Recurrent infections
Immunosuppressing agents for organ transplant recipients
Advanced HIV infection
Chemotherapy for cancer
Genetic predisposition
Skin damage
Antibiotic treatment leading to disruption of the physiological microbiome, thus allowing some microorganisms to outcompete others and become pathogenic (e.g. disruption of intestinal microbiota may lead to Clostridium difficile infection
Medical procedures
PregnancyFurther information: Susceptibility and severity of infections in pregnancy
Aging
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunistic_infection#Restoration_of_immune_system

Dr. Ben Lynch, the author of DIRTY GENES and the founder of SEEKING HEALTH, share that “immune support starts with the basics of healthy living…

eating whole foods
getting restorative sleep
stress management
maintaining a healthy (positive) mindset
reducing toxin exposure

Since our quality of food, minerals in our soil and toxins in our environment, we do need to add specific supplements into our diet and lifestyle with immune boosting nutrients as:

Vitamin D
Selenium
Glutathione
Zinc
Vitamin A

Our microbiome is host to 70-80% of our immune system, so a healthy and happy gut will contribute to a healthy and resilient immune system. Dr. Ben Lynch recommends Probiotics to support a healthy gut and immune response. I like to have my clients, including myself, do a total gut restorative protocol along with an immune boosting diet and lifestyle habits as “The WHOLESTIC Method”.

Dr. Lynch’s company, Seeking Health, most popular immune support supplements are

Vitamin A Drops
Optimal Vitamin D3 Drops
Optimal Zinc Lozenges
Optimal Liposomal Vitamin C
ProBiota HistaminX
Find the immune boosting supplements here

We rarely, if ever, hear on the media and from our politicians the importance of improving our gut health as a method to improve our immune system. When we are told to “stay home, stay safe and stay healthy” for the five months (and counting) – we should also be told to improve our habits as discussed in my blogs, the “Low Carb Athlete” podcast and “The WHOLESTIC Method manual”:

Eat real food that balances your blood sugar
Avoid inflammatory foods as refined sugar, vegetable oils, GMO foods and processed “fake” foods.
De-stress more by working on stress reduction exercises as nasal belly breathing (box breathing is one technique), meditation, journaling, nature walks and identifying “Toxic Energy Robbers” in your life.
Add more “good” stressors as Hormetic stressors (short bursts) with cold plunge pools or showers, infrared saunas, intermittent fasting, interval training and more.
Improve your relationship to food – when you eat, how you eat and why you eat.
Take time to pause and reset before you eat to avoid rushing and multitasking when you are eating.
Take three long inhales and exhales to “reset” and “reboot” your body (PNS vs. SNS)
Get outside sun exposure daily, breathe more, move more and sweat more!
Prioritize your sleep by creating a sleep hygiene routine, limiting screen time and creating a sleep cave.
Try a sugar detox and liver reset program as my 30-day “Reset & Reboot” family online program.

Start with lifestyle habits as the eight elements of “The WHOLESTIC Method” and then some!

What makes our genes “DIRTY”?

Dr. Ben Lynch explains in his book DIRTY GENES the topics we always discuss…

DIET
- too many carbs
- too much sugar
- too much protein
- not enough protein
- not enough healthy fat
- a shortage of nutrients that our genes need to work at optimal levels as-
  - B vitamins
  - Vitamin C
  - Copper
  - Zinc
EXERCISE
- sedentary lifestyle
- over training
- electrolyte deficiency
- dehydration
SLEEP
- not enough deep, restorative sleep
- going to bed too late and getting up too late
- irregular sleep patterns
ENVIROMETNAL TOXINS
- “Dirty” food
- “Dirty” water
- “Dirty” air – including indoor air
- “Dirty” products: sprays, cleaners, cosmetics, paints, pesticides and herbicides
STRESS
- Physical stress: long term illness, chronic infections, food intolerances, allergies, insufficient sleep
- psychological stress- issues at work, home, loved ones and life!

Do any of these nutrition and lifestyle habits sound like an “area of opportunity” for you?

DIRTY GENES Book– NOS3 and the immune system … Look at your genetic SNPs, epigenetics, and your “Dirty Genes”.

Supplements we should all take to support our immune system and our NOS3 Gene – the simplified version.

Dr. Ben Lynch has been speaking out a lot DAILY on how we should improve our immune health and build resiliency to fight viruses.

Antioxidants– foods and supplements
Magnesium and minerals in the Optimal Electrolyte drink
1. cell division
HPA axis support -stress reduction and support (indirectly supports NOS3)
Histamine lowering nutrients
Liposomal Vitamin C
- if you are mouth breathing- stuffy nose, throat or other clog = histamine overload
Methylation – homocysteine regulating levels to produce H4 via MTHFR – cofactor for NOS3 Gene
- B12
- Folate
- Riboflavin- cofactor for NOS3 Gene
- promoting methylation as well as promoting co-factor
Mouth taping– lifestyle changes for breathing
Exercise- oxygen to blood, exercising outside (oxygenating all day)
Working outside vs. inside to oxygenating cells
Infrared Sauna – breathing, sweating
Breathing & Masks: when you mask is not on to oxygenate your body to clean your NOS3 gene
Provide indirect support via MTHFR
Beet root – arginine if needed

Let me know if you would like to chat more about how you can optimize your health and build your immune system by working on your nutrition, lifestyle and supplement protocol specific to your needs! I help driven and ambitious individuals, who have been trying to do everything “right”, get their body and vibrant self-back with an individualized investigative approach.

Contact me here to discovery more!

Some other immune boosting supplements from Seeking Health include:

ProBiota Immune

Key Benefits and Actions*
Provides well-documented prebiotic fibers
May help support healthy immune defenses
May help support proliferation of healthy probiotic bacteria in both large and small intestines
ProBiota Immune Capsules by Seeking Health provide a blend of two well-researched prebiotic fibers, galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and beta-glucan, to help support the growth of beneficial microflora by providing nourishment to Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.
The human intestines are home to hundreds of different kinds of bacteria, known as “probiotics,” which help to support healthy digestion.
A healthy gut, including a variety of probiotic strains, is also a major component in a healthy immune system.
Prebiotics such as GOS and beta-glucan help to nourish these probiotic organisms and also contribute to soluble fiber intake.
Soluble fibers may help support healthy bowel function.
Dietary and soluble fibers are also important for general health and wellness. *
Galactooligosaccharides in ProBiota Immune are derived from lactose (milk sugar) using an enzymatic conversion process and are extensively purified.
Beta-glucan is derived from deactivated yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and is extensively purified as well.
No yeast allergen remains in the finished ingredient.

Optimal Liposomal Vitamin C Plus

Key Benefits and Actions*

High-potency dose of antioxidant vitamin C (sourced from Scotland)
With rose hips extract and supportive bioflavonoids
May help support a healthy immune system
May help support healthy eyes and skin

Optimal Liposomal Vitamin C Plus by Seeking Health provides 1,000 mg of vitamin C (sourced from Scotland) along with bioflavonoids and rose hips extract in a great-tasting liposomal liquid form.

Vitamin C is needed by the body to support the immune system, connective tissue and skin, and to recycle glutathione.
In the body, as an antioxidant, Vitamin C may help to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Environmental exposures to free radicals occur every day, from cigarette smoke, air pollution, and ultraviolet light from the sun.
Free radicals are also produced as the byproducts of normal metabolic processes.
Additionally, the body needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein required for healthy skin and normal wound healing processes. *
This formula features a synergistic blend of rose hips extract with additional bioflavonoids: quercetin and hesperidin.
Bioflavonoids (or simply flavonoids) are a type of compound synthesized by plants, which may be responsible in part for some of the potential benefits of a healthy, plant-rich diet.
Compounds in this family may help support a healthy inflammation response, cellular health, and cellular signaling/communication.
Rose hips are packed full of beneficial compounds: vitamin C, carotenoids, flavonoids and phenolic compounds.
These beneficial compounds found in rose hips and other whole-food sources of vitamin C may help support the antioxidant activity of vitamin C.*
Optimal Liposomal Vitamin C Plus uses a unique liposomal delivery method to support optimal absorption of our high-potency vitamin C.
A liposome is a tiny phospholipid vesicle that mimics the body’s own cell structure.
Liposomes may be better absorbed across cell membranes in a way that is not possible for ordinary water-soluble or fat-soluble nutrients.
Our liposomes are composed of non-hydrogenated phospholipids, derived from GMO-free sunflower oil. This is a soy-free product. *
Click here to order Vitamin C Plus

Optimal Liposomal Glutathione Plus –

Key Benefits and Actions*

Soy-free liposomal format with supportive nutrient cofactors
May help support the body’s healthy free-radical defenses
May help support liver health
May help support a healthy immune system

Optimal Liposomal Glutathione Plus by Seeking Health provides 350 mg of reduced glutathione per serving, along with vitamins and minerals that are essential for the body’s glutathione recycling process.

Glutathione is an important antioxidant that is naturally found in every cell in the body, providing protection from free radicals and peroxides.
Within the body, glutathione is produced from three amino acids: L-cysteine, glycine and L-glutamic acid.
Glutathione is also present in many dietary sources, though its amino acid precursors are more abundant in foods.
This antioxidant is essential in helping the body’s cellular defenses and immune system function at full capacity.*
Glutathione is present in the body in two forms: reduced and oxidized.
The oxidized form can be recycled and converted back into the reduced form via important enzymatic reactions within the body.
This oxidation-reduction cycle requires certain vitamins and minerals as cofactors, such as riboflavin and selenium.
Molybdenum is involved in sulfate-sulfite conversion, a process that can affect glutathione levels if not functioning efficiently.
Optimal Liposomal Glutathione Plus includes these complementary nutrients to support healthy glutathione levels. *
In the body, glutathione acts as a cell protectant.
It may be involved in helping to maintain normal protein structures within the body, marking certain molecules for elimination as waste in the liver, and in important enzymatic reactions needed for neutralizing potentially damaging free radicals throughout the body.
It may support detoxification pathways and healthy functioning of the liver, kidneys, lungs, and intestinal tract.*

Optimal Liposomal Glutathione Plus

uses a unique liposomal delivery method to support optimal absorption of this reduced glutathione and help to protect the fragile molecule through the digestive tract.
A liposome is a tiny phospholipid vesicle that mimics the body’s own cell structure.
Liposomes may be better absorbed across cell membranes in a way that is not possible for ordinary water-soluble or fat-soluble nutrients.
Our liposomes are composed of non-hydrogenated phospholipids, derived from GMO-free sunflower oil. This is a soy-free product. *

Learn more on Dr. Ben Lynch here: