Editorial: The Best Defence is a Good Offence

The second component of your action plan should be a healthy lifestyle. This is another no-brainer, but it is amazing how many people choose to maintain a lifestyle that is destructive to their health. One aspect of lifestyle that is often neglected in our fast paced lives is adequate sleep. Even though this may vary from person to person, on average we need from 7.5 to 8.5 hours of quality sleep each night. It is during sleep that our bodies do the most healing and repairing. The stress hormone, cortisol that is released during the day is broken down predominantly during sleep. If we do not get enough sleep, this hormone stays at high levels in our blood causing havoc to the body and the brain. Talk to Dr. Yim about natural sleep aids if your sleep patterns are disturbed.

Exercise is another aspect of lifestyle that is a contributor to strong immunity. Most exercise can have a strengthening effect, however, some of the best types for the immunity include yoga, tai chi, and chi gong. These forms of exercise are thousands of years old and were designed to elevate the life force or vitality of the body. In China this force is known as chi. The stronger your chi, the better your defense against germs and illnesses.

Stress is one of the most destructive forces affecting the immune system. Stress is an unavoidable part of life, however, unrelenting mental/emotional stress weakens the immune system and makes us more vulnerable to germs and even cancer. The stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol cause atrophy of the thymus gland (this gland actives certain bloods cells) and slows down the activity of the white blood cells. It is imperative for ongoing health to manage the effects of stress on the body. Gentle exercise, especially the three I emphasized above, aromatherapy and many modalities are helpful for stress.

The most effective way to destress the body is meditation. Meditation has been scientific proven to break down cortisol and destress the body. There are many styles of meditation and various visualization techniques that can be learned. If you are like me and don't have the time or discipline to attend a class, check out this amazing CD Dr. Yim has discovered that uses biaural technology. It uses cutting edge technology to take your brain to the deepest levels of relaxation to allow maximum destressing of mind and body.

The final component of our action plan is supplementation. Obviously there are a myriad of products available today to help boost the immune system. It is highly advisable to consult Dr. Yim in order to design a supplement program that complements your nutrition and lifestyle. If you are doing a bang up job with these two areas, the number of supplement you take can be minimal. Those of you who are transitioning towards a healthier diet and lifestyle, but are a far cry from perfect, may need a more comprehensive supplement program.

The basic supplements that Dr. Yim takes daily to maintain a strong immunity include: Nutrient 950 (a fantastic multivitamin/mineral), Greens First, Super EFA (fish oils), extra vitamins A and C, coenzyme Q10, and zinc. He keeps a number of combination products on hand if he feels his immune system needs an additional boost. These may have medicinal mushrooms, sterols and sterolins, oil of oregano, and other proven immune boosters.

Louis Pasteur is the father of the germ theory. He taught that the virulence of the germ determined whether we got sick or not. His contemporary and rival, Beauchamps believed that the terrain of the body was more important than the germ. Both men were correct to some degree. From a naturopathic perspective, we have little control over our exposure to the viruses around us (unless we choose to live in a glass bubble), but we can keep the terrain of our bodies strong in defense against the germs around us. That way, even if we do get infected, the intensity and the duration of the illness will be far less. Doing the things to build our immunity may help us survive the next flu pandemic.