Over 80% of our resistance originates in our gastrointestinal tract. It is therefore important to take good care of our gastrointestinal organs when talking about an optimal immune system that can act quickly and adequately in case of viral infections (such as a COVID-19), among others.
Without understanding your current health status (including gastrointestinal health) and improving it sustainably, your resistance may decrease and therefore you become more susceptible to pathogens such as viruses, parasites, bacteria, yeasts and fungi.
In this blog you will discover what you can do yourself to improve your immunity. In addition, I discuss a few studies that are necessary to determine the current immunity status and to discover undermining factors so that they can be specifically reduced. After all, measuring is knowing, if you know what you are measuring.
What is needed for optimal immunity?
For resilient and continued health (even later in life), the key factors include taking nutritionally appropriate foods, supporting the body's detoxification capacity, optimizing the gastrointestinal tract, taking nutritionally appropriate supplements, exercising healthfully, and breathing properly. It is also important to identify triggers that are currently undermining your health. Consider, for example, a parasitic, viral, bacterial or yeast infection or daily exposure to chemicals in cleaning products, personal care products and cosmetics. Also consider stress, food not suited to you, industrial toxins, pesticides, plastics, plasticizers, insufficient exercise and an environment that is too sterile (you are too clean).
Diagnostic tools to map your current immune system
When we would, without insight into your current immune system and health (without proper diagnostics), for example, only improve the nutrition or only add general vitamins and minerals, we would ignore the current status of the gastrointestinal tract and health-undermining factors that keep your immune system overactive and therefore unable to respond properly to pathogens. Nutrition and supplementation are then band-aids on an open wound.
My therapy focuses on all facets of health so that the therapy effectiveness can increase and the regulation of the immune system can take place.
Improving energy production is necessary for recovery
On average a human produces 75Kg of energy (ATP) per day. When one has (chronic) inflammation, a loss of up to 60% of daily ATP occurs. The lack of energy makes it difficult to recover and so, without appropriate intervention, a vicious circle is created.
Thus, when diseases have already manifested, the entire body is under pressure (including your immune system) and the body in particular has too little energy to recover. An important part of any therapy is therefore to map out and support the energy balance.
What can you do yourself to improve your immune system?
Exercise daily for at least half an hour in nature to oxygenate yourself to create energy, do not over-exercise to prevent nitrosative stress (an increased production of carbon monoxide that damages your cells and DNA);
Eat unprocessed food without pesticides or fertilizers and limit your daily intake of carbohydrates (too many carbohydrates disrupt the citric acid cycle which prevents energy production (ATP) from occurring properly). The yield from one gram of carbohydrates is only 36 ATP molecules, where as twice as much ATP is produced when burning fat. In addition, lactic acid is produced, with the result that if the carbohydrate intake is too high, the cell becomes acidified (resulting in muscle pain, for example). This causes the cell to function even worse with all its consequences. Think also of mercury and amalgam fillings that cause nitrosative stress;
Make sure your digestion is optimal and have your gastrointestinal tract examined by means of a specific stool screening;
Have a comprehensive health check done via blood test to check the health status of all your organs and cells and any overload;
Investigate via blood test (Immune Standard Plus test) , how- and/or your immune system is currently able to respond to external pathogens such as viruses;
Provide adequate nutritional support and examine your nutrient status;
Maintain good abdominal breathing and are you having difficulty with this? Find a proper coach to help you make abdominal breathing a habit;
Ensure optimal vitamin D3 (25 OH) status and that the ratio to the active 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 is optimal. In these times, I recommend a D3 (25 OH) of 150 nmol /l. Your level of D3 (and ratio) can be found out through blood tests. Take vitamin D3 together with vitamin K (especially K2) for a better distribution of calcium in the body and so that the calcium does not precipitate in the veins (with as a possible result arteriosclerosis);
Make sure you have a daily and sufficient intake of selenium (in supplement form or a few brazil nuts per day if you can handle it), vitamin C (de-acidified version) and vitamin A (in fat soluble/lipid form). Also consider cooked orange vegetables with a tablespoon of olive oil, knob of butter/Ghee, or coconut oil so the vitamin A can be absorbed properly.
The cytokine storm: an uncontrollable overreaction of the immune system
health issues undermine your immune system, often preventing you from responding adequately to pathogens and becoming ill as a result. Also, when there is an imbalance in your immune system, you can end up in an uncontrollable overreaction of the immune system, called the cytokine storm. This cytokine storm can lead to clotting disorders and multi-organ failure.
But the cytokine storm is not a new phenomenon and cannot only occur in COVID-19. A cytokine storm can also occur in viral infections from the picture below.
So it is important to optimize the regulation of the immune system. You can make a start with optimizing your immunity with the 9 points of attention I mention in this blog. If you want an insight into your current health and immunity, I recommend you to book an intake through this link.
I wish you an optimal resistance and vitality!
Annet