With cold and flu season just around the corner, I am urging my patients to take a proactive approach to support their immune function as we head into the sniffle season. In Chinese Medicine, our immune system is called “wei qi”, a protective energy that protects our body from exterior pathogens. The beauty of Chinese Medicine is that our wei qi is an energy that we can strengthen with proper lifestyle, diet and supplementation. While stress, poor diet, sleep and exercise are all great places to start when it comes to improving our immune function, here are a couple supplements I’ll be keeping close on hand in my household.
Here’s a road map of some supplements to take at different stages of illness:
Prevention Support: The best approach to illness is prevention! This combo is my go-to when traveling or I am seeing an influx of sick people around me.
Vitamin D: Studies have revealed that vitamin D helps modulate the immune system, acting as a regulator to maintain a balanced response and enhance its effectiveness in fighting off infections. What may be more alarming is that studies show that 42% of americans are deficient in vitamin D.
Good sources of Vitamin D include:
Fatty Fish: The flesh of fatty fish trout, salmon, tuna, mackerel and fish liver oils
Sunlight
If you aren’t regularly consuming fatty fish three times a week:
Zinc
Glutathione: the powerhouse of antioxidants. Glutathione utilizes two mechanisms to strengthen your immune system. It increases your white blood cell count by increasing their number. Altered glutathione concentrations may play an important role decreasing inflammation and cancer causing oxidative stress in the body. It gives life to the cells that keep you healthy.
Circumstances that deplete glutathione in the body include:
Smoking
Alcohol
Chronic acetaminophen use
Excess fat in the body
B vitamins
Acute Support: These supplements are recommended at the first onset of illness. These symptoms usually include: itchy throat, fatigue, feeling foggy headed or chills.
Yin Qiao- one of the most popular chinese medicine to fight off an illness and boost your body’s immune function. Yin Qiao San is available for purchase at an Acupuncturist Office and some Health Food stores. It’s a great formula to have in your medicine cabinet.
Sweat it out. A natural way to combat illness is to help your body generate some heat. Utilizing a hot sauna, gentile hot yoga class or simply bundling up will support your body’s immune function. Similar to a fever, generating enough heat in the body can create a hostile environment for the pathogen.
Congee: A tried and true tonic
Congee is a medicinal rice porridge often referred to as a magical healing soup. This soup has healing properties as well a soothing effect on the soul, much like your mom’s chicken noodle soup. The soup is rice based, making it very easy for the gut to digest and liquid base, to keep the body hydrated. Immune tonic herbs are typically added to the soup to make it a medicinal delicacy. My congee starter is now available for purchase in the clinic for those who are wanting to have it on hand during this upcoming winter.
Dr. Michelle’s Magic Immune Boosting Congee
1 oz of astragulus root
8 chinese dates
2 tbsp Goji berries
1-2 tbsp goji berries
1-2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
4 pieces of tangerine peel
1 cup of white rice
6-8 cups of water depending on desired thickness.
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of cardamom
Raw honey (optional)
Asian pear or other pear of choice
Cooking directions:
Rinse the rice well
Place first 7 ingredients in a large pot bring to a boil and then simmer, covered for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn’t sticking. The congee is ready when the rice is soft and isn’t sticking. The consistency should be like a porridge.