Is "Cold/Flu Season" A Myth?
How many of us correlate the winter with "cold/flu season?" As soon as kids go back to school, its seems like the “sickness season” starts. But what if you didn’t have to suffer from multiple colds and flus year after year. In this article, we’re going to dive in to some basic immune system modulating that can prevent excess sickness during the colder months.
The biggest misconception is that you only have to nurture your immune system in the winter months or when you’re sick.
But the reality is, to create a strong immune system, you must make it a priority year-round. We also shouldn't focus solely on our immune system, but instead, view our bodies as a whole with several complex systems (we’ll discuss the main bodily systems below).
Now, let’s chat germ theory.
Germ theory suggests that we need to fear all germs and fight hard to kill them off. Popular products such as Purell and Lysol are designed to sterilize the skin but they also contain harmful chemicals that can compromise our skin’s delicate microbiome. Terrain theory, on the other hand, suggests that "If the body is well and balanced then germs that are a natural part of life and the environment will be dealt with by the body without causing sickness." source
Our bodies are brilliant and designed to keep us healthy. But, if you don't provide your body with the proper nourishment, movement, and a healthy environment, the body cannot maintain its natural state of health. Soon, you’ll find yourself getting sick often, experiencing digestive issues (constipation, bloating, etc.), skin issues, chronic pain, poor sleep, and so on.
So let's talk about our main bodily systems that each play a crucial role in keeping our terrain strong and our immune system healthy.
Our main bodily systems:
Immune System
Digestive System
Lymphatic System
The Endocrine System
Nervous System
Skin
Our immune system is designed to protect our bodies from harmful bacteria, viruses, infections, parasites, and other pathogens which ultimately cause sickness and disease. Cells, tissue, organs, and proteins make up the immune system and work collaboratively to eliminate these threats.
Our digestive system or "gut health" is made up of a microbiome that hosts trillions of microorganisms that contribute to digestion, nutrient absorption, immune response, mood, and overall play a key role in our health. We have both"good" and "bad" bacteria within our microbiome. When you don't nourish your body and have constant exposure to toxins from products, overuse of antibiotics, poor diet, etc., the balanced microbiome (a.k.a homeostasis) becomes undone, leading to chronic illness
Our lymphatic system is also known as our "drainage system," helping the body eliminate waste from every cell, tissue, and organ through over 600 "collection sites" called lymph nodes. The lymphatic system plays an important role in the body’s defense against disease—recognizing toxins and foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria, and fungi. It helps to maintain fluid levels and produces disease-fighting white blood cells. When your lymphatic system becomes congested and "clogged" with toxins, you experience symptoms of being sick often, swelling, inflammation, acne, bloating, etc.
Our endocrine system is our hormone-regulating system. It "consists of glands, organs, and tissues that regulate our hormones that affect our metabolism, reproduction, mood, growth, body temperature, and development" source. In recent studies, the main connection between this system and our immune function is regarding the regulation of glucose metabolism, which manages the glucose demand needed to support and ensure the immune system can fight off any foreign invaders. Because our hormones regulate virtually everything within the body, the signals needed to alert our immune response will be missed if the endocrine system is not functioning properly.
Our nervous system is "the command center for your body.” It is made up of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves and works by sending electrical signals between your brain and the rest of your body. There is an important connection between our immune and nervous system (aka neuro-immune). It's a "two-way street" between both systems, and they are co-dependent. If one isn't working efficiently, it can impact how the other functions. For example, "In certain situations, neurons can release noradrenaline which prevents the recruitment, activation, and function of neutrophils, the body’s rapid response immune cells to sites of infection." source
The skin amazingly acts as a "mirror" and reflects issues that are occurring inside of our bodies. Acne, rosacea, eczema, and similar conditions are indicators that something internally is off balance, and underlying health issues need to be addressed.
Here is a list of good habits to keep our systems strong & stay healthy year-round:
Eating REAL whole foods – check out our resources to learn more about what it means to eat real food
Consume mineral-rich meat stock on a regular basis (daily is ideal!)
Get outside every day. The sun is our friend (read all about the sun & artificial light here)
Prioritize daily movement
Drink filtered water (find my favorite water filter HERE)
Clean your indoor air (by opening windows or using an air filter)
Take supplements year-round (read all about supplementation HERE)
Use Cold Bee Gone at the first sign of sinus irritation to help balance the nasal microbiome
Keep a clean, non-toxic home free of fragrance, chemicals, etc. (reference our NEWEST resource The Real Food Framework)
Limit the use of technology (lowering EMF & blue light exposure—find my favorite WiFi kill switch HERE and my favorite blue light blockers HERE)
Consider regular chiropractic care
Instead of fearing “cold and flu season,” we can take a proactive approach to supporting the health of our families. For more conversations around health and wellness, be sure to check out The Homegrown Podcast.