Crunchy folks--How do I boost an immune system using natural/holistic methods?

[ssexton]

Ok, speak to me like I'm a toddler, please. I'm not naturally crunchy, but I want to be.   :)

 

The last two winters we've just struggled with illness after illness--particularly my dh. Last year he had mono and was sick for three months. This year he has battled pneumonia, and while his lungs are now clear, he's still spiking fevers at night. He has a very sensitive stomach (runs in his family) so vitamin c and other supplements can be really hard on him. He has a strong gag reflex, and once it gets going, it's very hard to stop.  He has very little appetite, so getting food into him can be difficult.

 

We've gone the medical route, and the doctors treat his immediate illness and symptoms, but I want to help him build immunity so he can knock these bugs before they take hold. Any suggestions? I've been reading about bone broth, and think that might be a good place to start. Any other ideas? Another friend has mentioned essential oils, but I have no idea where to start. They are expensive--do they work? Any good, soothing, healthful recipes? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!

[kbutton]

This is what I've done, but I tend to have trouble with inflammation (asthma, allergies), not germs. However, I understand that inflammation underlies most immune stuff, so this might help.

 

I would eliminate any junk food except as a rare treat, especially if it's sugary. I think bone broth is a good place to start--it's very healing. The quality of any supplements you try can make a difference in how well the body takes it in and whether it bothers a person's stomach. We use Shaklee supplements--we take C (12 hour release for better absorption) and zinc any time we get sick. I believe low zinc levels can contribute to poor appetite (and are easily depleted by stress and illness), but you might verify that. We also take the multi-vitamins and fish oil daily. We try to take a quality probiotic daily. I would encourage him to eat whole foods as much as possible, good fats (from grass fed animals and such), etc. If he's been on antibiotics or steroids much at all, his gut is probably a mess. Maybe something like the GAPS diet could help with that. Herbs have great immune boosting properties, so if you can sprinkle them on salads, put them in soups, add to roasted veggies, that is great. A quick search online shows that they do more than just flavor food, but I didn't grow up in a "foodie" area where people used spices much at all, so I didn't know.

 

I did an elimination diet and found I couldn't tolerate gluten. That's been the biggest single underlying thing for me--it's helped with allergies, asthma, body aches and pains, and a million other things. That's not always the case for others, but if he's down and out all the time or for long times, you might try to see if you can find an underlying condition besides just poor immunity. Rest is a big issue--a lot of people don't take time to rest when they need to.

 

I know pretty much nothing about essential oils other than that it requires some serious care and attention to detail--they can be dangerous if not used properly. I stick to using them in lotion bars and homemade reed diffusers.

[Tmhearn]

Sovereign Silver is good for immunity boosting.

 

Cut back on sugar???

[kewb]

Bone broths are definitely helpful.  Eliminating junk food is important. 

Overall, I have found the best thing for us is frequent hand washing (with regular soap not antibacterial) and reminding everyone not to touch their face all the time.

[Angie in VA]

We're big fans of kefir and yogurt here. We also drink lots of water. 

[sbgrace]

I have a son w/immune defincies. He's got some IgG deficiencies, but the one that seemed to cause the most trouble is IgA. I mention it because this one was the a cause of a prolific lack of resistance to stomach stuff it seems.

 

What we did/have done:

Healthy Vitamin D level. Have your husband take 10,000 IU of D3 (make sure it's D3) 6 days a week. He can't get too much this way even if he's ok levels, and he's likely low. He wants a blood level of 50 to 80. But, if he's not already supplementing heavily, it's better to just go with the overwhelming odds that he's deficient. This is really important generally.

Probiotics--but specifically ones proven to boost the immune function in studies-Florastor

Epicore

Bovine Colostrum

 

These are the key things. A clean diet, getting plenty of sleep, etc. are important.

 

Hubby needs to work on keeping his hands out of his face. It's habitual for most people, but it can be broken. Wash hands before he eats, etc.

 

 

 

[LibraryLover]

Adding foods and spices that have anti bacterial and anti viral properties can help.

 

Ginger, hot pepper, garlic, onion, parsley, cinnamon, tumeric etc.  And bone broth in a good chicken soup never hurt anyone. :)

 

Wash hands wash hands wash hands.

 

getting sick at times is not the biggest issue, but the ability to fight common germs more effectively is. (I am also not anti-flu shot. Sometimes it's good protection.)

[dbmamaz]

definitely some probiotics - stomach issues mean you arent properly absorbing your nutrients which leaves you more vulnerable.  I would work on eliminating problem foods (which may well include gluten, but for my husband some of the big no-no foods were dairy, onions, eggs, beer, and anything fried)  Work on overall health.

[umsami]

Washing hands properly is huge.  Have everybody wash when you come in.  Not to insult you, but a lot of people have no idea how to wash hands correctly. You need to get in between your fingers, do the backs, etc.  This video is good: 

 

Vitamin D makes a big difference with us, too.

 

Daily exercise can help.

 

Simply eating fruits and veggies daily.  If he doesn't like veggies, hide them in soup. 

[solascriptura]

I rarely get sick at all and I attribute that to a lot of probiotics in my diet and frequent hand washing. When I say probiotics I mean fermented foods, not supplements in a jar.

[Mom in High Heels]

Probiotics, Vitamin C (we take this every day), and Vitamin D (we take this every day).  

[ssexton]

Thank you so much, everyone! I am taking notes!

 

Solascriptura, may I ask how you prepare your probiotics? Do you have a link or a resource I could check out?  Thank you!

[wapiti]

Emergen-C drink (we like the pink one but there are other flavors), has C and electrolytes and vitamins to help hydrate

 

 

[Liz CA]

Elderberry Syrup or Sambuca, Nature's Sunshine Immune Stimulator, Ginger and Garlic - when taken together, the effect supposedly goes up exponentially.

[JoJosMom]

We started probiotics in the summer and have noticed a drastic decrease in the number and strength of winter illnesses.

[twoxcell]

I would say I am sorta crunchy and here is my advice.

Water and more water.

Hot teas especially herbal.

Probiotics(in pill form, yogurt(make sure it isn't a super sugary brand), or Kefir.)

Vitamins(I like the Emergen C powder packs that you add to water.)

Proper hand washing.

Exercise

Plenty of Sleep.

Plenty of protein rich foods.

Normal exposure to germs. Do not go overboard with hand sanitizers and worry about mud. I only use hand sanitizer if we are at a public restroom with no soap.

Try to eat a healthy diet with plenty of Fruit and Veggies and avoid overly sugary foods.

[Freckles]

These are the things I've done to put my autoimmune disease in check. Stopped drinking Diet Coke and started drinking more water. I juice alkaline veggies everyday, and I'm trying to get my stress under control. Watching my body's pH level and juicing have made such a difference in my life.

[Rosie_0801]

 

 

Solascriptura, may I ask how you prepare your probiotics? Do you have a link or a resource I could check out?  Thank you!

 

 

I'm not her, but miso is an easy way to start. Buy it from somewhere they keep it refrigerated if possible, and remember if the water is too hot for you, it's too hot for the miso too. Use the "stick your finger in" test. :p Use as much or as little paste as tastes good.

[trulycrabby]

Natural sunlight, fresh air, exercise outdoors, and good, nutritious food. I might be quoting from Florence Nightingale's Notes on Nursing, but she was right on about a lot of things, IMO. :)

[solascriptura]

Thank you so much, everyone! I am taking notes!

 

Solascriptura, may I ask how you prepare your probiotics? Do you have a link or a resource I could check out? Thank you!

Due to my background, I eat a lot of kimchi, fermented bean pastes, and other fermented foods. I make water kefir too. I don't drink much of it, but my husband drinks it daily and I've noticed an improvement in his immunity as well. I've been wanting to try a fermented salsa recipe floating around online, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Sauerkraut is a good option, but since I prefer more spice and heat, I'll stick to kimchi.

[Rosie_0801]

Due to my background, I eat a lot of kimchi, fermented bean pastes, and other fermented foods. I make water kefir too. I don't drink much of it, but my husband drinks it daily and I've noticed an improvement in his immunity as well. I've been wanting to try a fermented salsa recipe floating around online, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Sauerkraut is a good option, but since I prefer more spice and heat, I'll stick to kimchi.

 

Mind talking to me about fermented bean pastes?

[momacacia]

Cute hand washing tip for little kids---we say "fronts and backs and in the cracks."

 

(Everything she really needs to know my 5yo learned in 1-day/week pre-k) lol

[solascriptura]

Mind talking to me about fermented bean pastes?

Sure. I'll PM you, since I don't want to derail the OP. :)

[fdrinca]

We had a nasty virus break out at our co-op this winter. The one family that didn't go down was the one who had recently started learning about essential oils, and had been experimenting with Thieves Oil. I know it's n=1, but their experience made me a believer.

[fraidycat]

This is what I've done, but I tend to have trouble with inflammation (asthma, allergies), not germs. However, I understand that inflammation underlies most immune stuff, so this might help.

 

I would eliminate any junk food except as a rare treat, especially if it's sugary. I think bone broth is a good place to start--it's very healing. The quality of any supplements you try can make a difference in how well the body takes it in and whether it bothers a person's stomach. We use Shaklee supplements--we take C (12 hour release for better absorption) and zinc any time we get sick. I believe low zinc levels can contribute to poor appetite (and are easily depleted by stress and illness), but you might verify that. We also take the multi-vitamins and fish oil daily. We try to take a quality probiotic daily. I would encourage him to eat whole foods as much as possible, good fats (from grass fed animals and such), etc. If he's been on antibiotics or steroids much at all, his gut is probably a mess. Maybe something like the GAPS diet could help with that. Herbs have great immune boosting properties, so if you can sprinkle them on salads, put them in soups, add to roasted veggies, that is great. A quick search online shows that they do more than just flavor food, but I didn't grow up in a "foodie" area where people used spices much at all, so I didn't know.

 

I did an elimination diet and found I couldn't tolerate gluten. That's been the biggest single underlying thing for me--it's helped with allergies, asthma, body aches and pains, and a million other things. That's not always the case for others, but if he's down and out all the time or for long times, you might try to see if you can find an underlying condition besides just poor immunity. Rest is a big issue--a lot of people don't take time to rest when they need to.

 

I know pretty much nothing about essential oils other than that it requires some serious care and attention to detail--they can be dangerous if not used properly. I stick to using them in lotion bars and homemade reed diffusers.

What she said - and better than I could have said it. I wanted to quote to reiterate her advice, though. Spot on.

 

Let your food be your medicine. Let your medicine be your food. These are the words I live by in my "crunchiness".

 

Start with diet. Then dietary supplements. Then other "essences" of life (essential oils, flower remedies, etc.)

 

Elimination diet. Top offenders wheat/gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, etc. Perhaps a strict GAPS diet. Get in immune boosting spices into your food.

 

Supplements - probiotics, vitamins c, d, bs, Omega 3 (fish oil)

 

Essential oils - Thieves, eucalyptus

Flower remedies - Bachs has several different combinations for particular symptoms/problems.

[ssexton]

I can't thank you all enough!! I'm printing out the whole thread to refer back to!