{"id":14248,"date":"2022-11-14T19:26:51","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T15:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/higherhealthcentre.com\/test\/?p=14248"},"modified":"2025-05-26T19:57:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T15:57:01","slug":"immune-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/higherhealthcentre.com\/test\/immune-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Immune System"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a naturopathic doctor<\/a> I believe having a healthy immune system is one of the most important factors when it comes to overall wellness.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to improve your health and move it forward when you\u2019re constantly run down, sick, or taking a long time to recover from the latest cold or flu.<\/p>\n

I would say, before you can have more energy, better sleep, better skin, weight loss,\u00a0 better mood\u2026all the things people want when they come to see me\u2026<\/p>\n

You really need to focus on having a healthy immune system.<\/p>\n

Immune health is the foundation for living in vibrant health \u2013 or as I like to say, \u201cHIGHER HEALTH\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since we are in the cold\/flu season, proactive immune support should be a top priority, and I want to help you do just that with my top tips for a strong and healthy immune system.<\/p>\n

Those of you who follow me, you know I am big believer in IV drip therapy<\/a> for immune health. For this article, I want to share tips you can do at home.
\nI can almost guarantee there will be a few you didn\u2019t realize were as important as they are.<\/p>\n

The good news is you can easily add these to your life right away without making huge lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n

Quick disclaimer. The info I am about to share is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and is not intended as a recommendation or endorsement of any specific tests, products, procedures, opinions or any other information.<\/p>\n

Now that that is out of the way, let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n

#1<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Vitamin<\/a>

vitamin d<\/p><\/div>\n

Between 70% and 97% of Canadians demonstrate vitamin D insufficiency.<\/p>\n

Which is why I\u2019m going to start with Vitamin <\/strong>D . \u2013 Having optimal Vitamin D levels are very important for maintaining a healthy immune system.<\/p>\n

When our Vitamin D levels get too low, you can experience a decreased resistance to viruses, think cold and flu; meaning it\u2019s easier to catch whatever is going around!<\/p>\n

With typical viral infections, there are two phases\u2026 an inflammatory and an anti-inflammatory phase.\u00a0 The inflammatory phase fights and clears the infection. This\u00a0inflammatory phase is a good thing.<\/p>\n

That’s where Vitamin D comes in.\u00a0 Vitamin D helps\u00a0to\u00a0initiate\u00a0the anti-inflammatory phase, where the healing begins.<\/p>\n

If your Vitamin D is too low, it can become more difficult to move to the anti-inflammatory phase, and you can stay stuck in the inflammatory phase and symptoms persist.<\/p>\n

Which means your colds will linger and it will take you longer to recover.<\/p>\n

Vitamin D can also help fight inflammation\u2026which we\u2019re going to touch on a few times as it’s a huge factor for your immune health and overall wellness.<\/p>\n

Anytime I run bloodwork, I will strongly recommend including Vitamin D \u2013 regardless of summer months, or even when someone is already taking it as a supplement.<\/p>\n

Because, I\u2019ve found many people to be unexpectedly low.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Living in the northern hemisphere, we are much less exposed to sun rays that help our bodies naturally produce Vitamin D.<\/p>\n

When we are in the sun for those 2 glorious Canadian summer months, we are often wearing sunscreen, which does protect our skin from burns and accelerated aging, but also blocks the sun rays we need to convert to vitamin D.<\/p>\n

When you cannot get your Vitamin D from the sun, here is how to make sure you are reaching your optimal levels.<\/p>\n

The best way to get your vitamin D through supplemental form is in a healthy fat, which usually comes in drop or gel form.<\/p>\n

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, meaning it absorbs better into fat.<\/p>\n

Drops or gel forms are emulsified, meaning they are broken down into tiny little fat molecules, making it much easier to\u00a0absorb the fat molecules that contain the D.<\/p>\n

Always ensure taking your Vitamin D with a healthy fat to aid further in the absorption \u2013 such as avocado, olive oil, fish oil, eggs, nuts, etc.. for a longer list feel free to reach out.<\/p>\n

#2<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Glutathione<\/a>

Now we\u2019re going to briefly touch on oxidants. This is a huge subject and I\u2019m going to focus on one very important piece for immune health. <\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Oxidants are everywhere \u2013 from walking down the street and breathing in car exhaust, eating certain foods, using house hold cleaning products, and even healthy activities like exercise,\u00a0create oxidative stress.\u00a0And guess what… viral infection causes massive oxidative stress on your body.<\/p>\n

Too much oxidative stress can impair your immune health\u00a0(and create further inflammation).<\/strong><\/p>\n

The answer is to give your body antioxidants,\u00a0which you have probably heard about,\u00a0but you might not have understood the role of antioxidants specific to immune health.<\/p>\n

You want\u00a0antioxidants in your system to\u00a0neutralize\u00a0oxidants BEFORE they can cause cellular damage and lead to inflammation.<\/p>\n

Just follow a perfectly healthy diet and you\u2019ll get all the Antioxidants you need, right?<\/p>\n

Unfortunately in today\u2019s world that is much easier said than done, so you need to consider supplementing.<\/p>\n

My favourite antioxidant, is Glutathione \u2013 it\u2019s arguably your body\u2019s most powerful antioxidant which helps support healthy lungs, detoxification, liver function, and fight inflammation.<\/p>\n

Glutathione is found naturally in your body and is actually produced by your liver and nerve cells.\u00a0 It is made from three amino acids: glutamine, glycine, and cysteine.<\/p>\n

To help your natural glutathione production you need to up your antioxidant glutathione supportive foods.<\/p>\n