Some thoughts and tips to strengthen the immune system

Let’s think about  health!

Since the beginning of this pandemic, all of us – including governments, politicians, and banks – have realized that health is the most important thing.

Right now, it seems, the health of every citizen on the planet depends on scientific researchers and pharmaceutical laboratories. They are now working around the clock to find a vaccine and medications to treat the virus COVID-19.

Nevertheless,  since humans first settled and formed societies, we are exposed to an enormous amount of viruses, bacteria, and other opportunistic microbes every day. However, we don’t always get sick, thanks to our Immune System.

Despite its aggressiveness and high level of contagion, most young people, and middle-aged people and also a few older people (we will have to wait for the results of the different epidemiological studies planned to have specific data), could have passed Covid 19 infection with almost no symptoms and no need for medication.

The CDC – Official US Center for Disease Control – estimates that one in four infected – 25% of the population – has no symptoms.

What is the difference between these 25% who have no symptoms and those who end up in the ER?

The answer is: the strength of your immune system

We know that the most vulnerable to COVID-19 are people with low immunity. First of all the elderly, especially those who are medicated with immunosuppressive drugs: for diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, allergies, asthma, COPD, etc. However also younger people are vulnerable, especially if they take immunosuppressive drugs such as statins, contraceptives and steroids, smoke, or have immunosuppressive conditions such as intestinal dysbiosis, metabolic diseases, hypertension, are under chronic or severe stress.

Unfortunately, there are millions of such people in the world today.

So the real problem is not the virus, but the weakness of the immune system.

Therefore, our main priority should be to learn to strengthen and improve the immunity of the host so that no virus or other microbe can knock down its walls or, in case it has sneaked in, its possibility of spreading will be very low and its consequences will be least possible.

How can we strengthen our immune system?

The role of the immune system is to recognize, block and eliminate all  attackers: viruses, bacteria, pollutants, damaged cells, so that we can maintain internal physiological balance and stay healthy. As I said, a few years ago in my TEDx talk, health means balance and vital energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIRHSxs8gb8

Healthy people, in addition to having any symptoms or discomfort, have a lot of vital energy. Vital energy is the most valuable thing that every human being can possess, without exceptions. It can not be bought. No one can produce it except our own cells.

The power of the immune system is directly proportional to the vital energy. The more energy reserves we have, the better we will overcome any type of viral or bacterial infection.

At times, I have compared the body to a large company, which produces vital energy and has a large number of employees, called cells.

Each cell has its function. We have dermal, muscle, bone, cartilage, vascular, blood, neurons, endocrine, exocrine, immune cells, etc. Depending on their specialization, cells are grouped into departments called tissues, organs, glands, and systems.

To carry out their function properly and produce a large amount of vital energy, all these cells need abundant, contaminant-free raw materials, in the form of oxygen, water, nutrition and sunlight.

They also need good administration, internal communication and good leadership. These tasks belong to the administration of the company, represented by the central nervous system, especially the brain.

To run our great company, the brain needs to be informed at all times of what goes on inside and outside the body

All communication occurs through the spinal cord and spinal nerves.

These could be compared to fiber optic cables, which pass through the holes located between the vertebrae and go to each department of the company: skin, muscles, joints, mucosa, organs, tissues, cells. All fibers are bidirectional to guarantee communication from top to bottom and vice versa.

We have repeated it over and over again: the better aligned the vertebrae are, the better nerve signals will pass and the better the communication and the better decisions the brain will make.

The immune system is intimately connected and always works in coordination with our central nervous system.

In 2008, Canadian chiropractors published a study, the results of which showed that a single spinal adjustment (specific spinal manipulation) can significantly increase the production of a protein called Interleukin 2 (IL-2), which regulates the activities of white blood cells: leukocytes. and lymphocytes, responsible for immune function. Chiropr Osteopat. 2008 May 28; 16: 5. doi: 10.1186 / 1746-1340-16-5. “Improvement of in vitro production of interleukin-2 in normal subjects after a single spinal manipulation treatment“. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18507834

Therefore, regular chiropractic spine manipulation, helps increase our vital energy and also immune system function.

Nevertheless watch out for vital energy thieves!

There are two factors that can deplete our life energy and weaken our immune systems faster than we can imagine: not getting enough sleep and prolonging psychological, mental and emotional stress.

According to experts, we should sleep eight hours and ideally go to bed before midnight. At night, darkness activates the pineal gland, responsible for producing melatonin, a very important hormone, that contributes to regeneration of the nervous system of the immune system.

As for prolonged psychological stress, is surely the most fearsome energy thief because it has the password and direct access to our energy saving account.

Suppose we manage to increase our vital energy reserves because: we are breathing uncontaminated air, drink a lot of water (bottled or filtered by osmosis), eat fresh food (possibly organic and unprocessed, take supplements, go to the bathroom daily. Also, we control our posture and do daily exercises for the spine, we sunbathe on the terrace or outdoors (with caution and precise guidelines) and get enough sleep.

However, we are in the midst of a global health crisis due to the Covid -19 pandemic. Tens of thousands of thoughts are continually processed by our minds. Most are related to messages of alert, threat, danger and uncertainty, that we receive massively from the media.

We feel vulnerable and naturally we are afraid. In fact, we have many fears: fear that our loved ones or ourselves will become ill, fear of losing a job, fear of a second wave or other outbreak before finding a vaccine or medication, fear of what may happen in the future, fear of losing control, etc.

Fear causes our nervous system to become “oversympathetic“. It’s an internal state of alarm, which prepares the body to survive: “fight or flight” (run away). Inside we are as if we were going to run, but we cannot do it physically. We are confined and running away is only imaginary. Inevitably we feel helplessness, restlessness and frustration. We are under psychological stress.

A part of our brain acts reflexively and consumes energy incessantly to produce stress hormones: adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol, necessary to survive. This depletes our vital energy on the one hand and weakens our immune system on the other. Cortisol suppresses immune cells,  called NK lymphocytes (Natural Killer), whose role is to defend us against viruses.

Therefore, prolonged psychological stress leads to suppression of the immune system.

In summary: to strengthen our immune system, we need to:

• Breathe good quality air.
• Drink more water, herbal teas – avoid all soft drinks – sugary or diet –
• Eat healthy, avoiding refined sugars and processed foods.
• Take antioxidant supplements: vitamins C, A, D3, E, B complex, Zinc, Omega 3 – always under the supervision of your doctor.
• Avoid taking drugs long term unless absolutely necessary.
• Sleep eight hours.
• Keep the intestine clean – go to the bathroom daily and protect the intestinal flora (microbiome).
• Take care of the spine, become aware of body postures and do 10 minutes of exercise every morning.
• Try to reduce psychological stress: do 10-15 minutes of daily meditation, with 432 Hz music, conscious breathing exercises, observe and change your internal dialog, avoid alarming news.
• Make an appointment for a chiropractic examination and treatment, as soon as possible.