It's Cold and Flu Season

by Glen Depke

If you have been following Depke Wellness, you would probably guess that I am not a proponent of flu shots. While I am not going to use this platform to address the debate of receiving a flu shot, I want to assist you in maintaining a healthy immune system to stay healthy and strong throughout this year’s cold and flu season. These are the practices I use myself and recommend to my clients.

Let’s first look at the lifestyle aspect to improve your immune system function. Stress plays a significant role in challenging immune system dysfunction. I have seen stress over the years significantly lower white blood cell count and put countless individuals in a challenged state. One easy practice you can incorporate to improve your stress levels is to practice deep belly breathing. Take a deep breath through your nose while breathing down to the area of your belly button for a count of eight seconds. Hold that breath for four seconds and then forcefully release this breath while contracting your stomach muscles. This will allow for optimal oxygen supply to the cells in your body and understand that you cannot be stressed and take a deep breath at the same time. I would recommend 3-5 of these breaths each hour of your waking day.

Proper sleep cycles play such an important role in immune system function. Believe it or not this starts with good digestion and proper nutrition which includes the consumption of foods that contain the essential amino acid L-Tryptophan. This is then converted to Serotonin and eventually Melatonin, which is of utmost importance to initiate the high immune system response while you sleep. To learn more about sleep cycles visit our previous post here.

Another way to impact your immune system is to support your lymphatic system. In my opinion, the best way to do this is by using a rebounder. You know…one of those little trampolines. Jump on this for at least 5 minutes per day and if you feel any health challenges coming on, rebound a couple of times per day. This is healthy and fun. You can also dry skin brush to assist your lymphatic system. Get one of those long handled body brushes and every day before you shower, brush your skin from the extremities of your body toward your heart. This not only assists the lymph but also your skin and kidneys.

Staying hydrated is also very important and often for those in cooler climates water consumption is reduced quite a bit at this time. Be sure to be drinking approximately one quart for every 50 pounds of body weight daily.

Let’s look at a way to assist your immune system and address it at the core. About 80% of your immune system function originates in your gut, so be sure to create a healthy environment in your GI tract. One powerful way to address this is to take a quality probiotic daily. Personally, I take a probiotic produced in Germany called Ba-Co-Flor. I have seen much success with this product in my family as well as with my clients.

One of the most supportive supplements for your immune system is another product from Germany called Mycosurge. This is the only known product in the world that combines twelve medicinal mushrooms that are carefully selected in order to provide the most effective immune system boosting efficacy possible. The manufacturing of this product is done in such a way to deliver each mushroom’s full and complete natural ingredient in its natural ratio. Mycosurge is a liquid tonic to facilitate rapid absorption in the mouth and throat with quick delivery into the blood stream. Due to this revolutionary delivery system the GI is bypassed and there is a quick distribution via the heart. Unfortunately Ba-Co-Flor and Mycosurge cannot be sold over the internet so if you really want to support your GI and immune system, feel free to call our office today at 949.642.2094 or email me at Glen@DepkeWellness.com.

Another leading supplement to support the immune system function is the Isotinix OPC-3®. Isotonix OPC-3® is an isotonic-capable food supplement that is made from a combination of bilberry, grape seed, red wine and pine bark (pycnogenol) extracts, and citrus extract bioflavonoids, all found to be powerful antioxidants. Utilizing antioxidants has been shown to support a healthy immune system and the Isotonix form is the best delivery system available today. To order your OPC-3® today visit this link provided.

Understand that you do not have to fall victim to the cold and flu season and if you take care of your body and support your immune system properly, you will give yourself the best opportunity to enjoy the season; that is the holiday season.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to post below and I will personally address this.