Bringing It All Together Nourishing Immunity

Nourishing Immunity - Bringing It All Together 

Dr. Andrew Weil, noted author and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative
Medicine at the University of Arizona, has written extensively about the body’s
ability to heal itself. Consider checking out his book Natural Health, Natural
Medicine: The Complete Guide to Wellness and Self-Care for Optimum Health,
which has a chapter on how to protect your immune health. You can take advantage
of the body’s innate ability to heal by eating well, exercising regularly, and striving
for spiritual well-being. It’s important to eliminate negative factors such as drugs,
alcohol, tobacco, and other assaults on your body. Smile, play, celebrate, and
cherish your precious body.

Nourishing Immunity - To Do 

• Monitor your white blood cell count with a CBC (complete blood count) to make sure you have a healthy population of immune cells.

• Get sufficient sleep and exercise to help maximize immunity, but avoid the tendency to overexercise.

• Practice Eating for Health, especially avoiding sugar, which directly lowers immune function.

• Make sure your diet is rich in selenium, vitamin C, carotenoids, mushrooms, garlic, and other immune-enhancing foods and nutrients.

• Experiment with specialized foods, such as aloe vera, chlorella, and whey protein, to further boost immunity.

• Work with a qualified herbal practitioner to use immune-enhancing herbs effectively and wisely.

• Share your regimen with your other health care practitioners.

Last Word

The best part of eating to fortify my immune system was learning to prepare a
variety of delicious new foods: mushroom soup, spaghetti squash with pesto
sauce, and whey protein bars for midday snacks—yum!
—Holly G., breast cancer survivor