These are the show notes for Episode 12, Part 1 in a three part series about building immunity. If you’d prefer to listen to the Podcast episode, you can listen >>HERE<<
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Laying the Groundwork
I want to have a frank discussion about what it really takes to build immunity.
This Information Age that we live in is a double edged sword. On one side, we have an incredible the amount of information at our fingertips. We can look up anything we want in seconds! On the other hand, the sheer amount of information can be overwhelming and we don’t always use discernment, especially when what we’re looking at confirms our own beliefs and biases.
Right now I see many people asking about and taking supplements as the primary way to strengthen the immune system.
They’re taking extra Vitamin C, Vitamin D… some range of supplements they believe will help keep them healthy.
Supplementation can be a great way help support an already solid foundation of health and immunity. I’m not opposed to supplementation at all. I use supplements because they can be very beneficial when added to a healthy lifestyle. I am opposed to supplementation without context or understanding. Reading about something on the internet and simply taking vitamins or herbs in isolation is not beneficial.
Here’s just one example: by now, many people have heard about the importance of Vitamin D. However, they don’t understand how Vitamin D works in relationship with Vitamin K2 and Magnesium, and that it’s a good idea to take those as well in order to optimize vitamin D absorption.
I’m not an expert in the area of supplementation so I can’t give advice about vitamin supplementation, but I do have an expertise in helping people build resilient immunity from the ground up.
A Tale of Two Immunities
One of the most important things to understand is that you have two immune systems — emotional immunity and physical immunity.
These two immunities are inextricably interconnected and have a profound influence on one another.
It’s incredibly obvious when observing our easily triggered society that emotional immunity is acutely lacking.
In Lauren Hubele’s book, Gemmotherapy for Everyone — Restoring your Immunity, she states…
“A strong emotional immune response provides you with the ability to separate what others say from your own truth.”
Negative thoughts that penetrate our minds and stay with us instead of being processed out can severely harm not only our emotional well-being, but our physical health as well.
This is often a harder concept to grasp because understanding physical immunity is a pretty straightforward concept. We understand how good nutrition, sleep, hygiene, and exercise help build and strengthen our bodies, while what goes on with our thoughts and emotions are a more nebulous concept.
It’s easier to rate the state of our physical health, but how would you rate your emotional immunity?
Emotional Immunity
How triggerable are you? Do you allow for other people to have their own opinions without taking them on as a personal attack on you? Do you feel the need to try to control people so they behave in a way that’s more acceptable to you?
When you have a negative experience or when someone says something upsetting, do you ruminate on the experience for days or weeks? Or are you able to let it go?
How to Build Immunity
What is your definition of health? Is the absence of disease? Eating all the right things? Is it the ability to run a marathon? Big muscles?
I believe that true health is when the mind, body, and spirit are in a state of resilience and flexibility. When your mind is able to process unhelpful thoughts and emotions so that they don’t take root and develop into serious more debilitating problems. It’s when your body comes into contact with a pathogen, but your immune system is able to quickly neutralize and eliminate what is not beneficial.
The definition of health is freedom. Freedom to do and be what you were put on this earth to do and be without distraction. Emotional fragility and illnesses are distractions that keep us from living full, purposeful, resilient lives.
Here are the steps to restore immunity:
- Harmonize the nervous system
- Optimize elimination
- Support the Adrenals
- Deal with any acute issues that arise with good nutrition, supporting the immune system so that it can do it’s job, and not suppressing symptoms.
I hope this is helpful in laying the groundwork when it comes to immunity. Think about some of the questions I’ve posed here from a place of curiosity.
Understanding what we be believe and how we think is always the first step in making changes in our lives.
Stay tuned for Part 2 – Restoring Immunity with Gemmotherapy.
The information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only and not a replacement for medical advice. Any questions or concerns regarding your specific health-care needs should be addressed to your health-care provider. The author is not a medical doctor and will not be held liable for any outcomes linked to this information. The user takes full and complete responsibility for all outcomes to yourself or any other party as a result of any information contained or linked on this blog.
