Take Charge! Focus on the Host not the Bug

“It’s going around”.  How many times during the winter months do we hear and say this in reference to cold or flu?  The fact is microbes—bacteria and viruses are all around and inside of us, yet most of us are not perpetually suffering from this proximity.  The germ theory model that many of us have been believing tells us that exposure to a certain bacteria or virus will result in inevitable illness.  But this just isn’t true.  Pathogenic microbes feed on environments where decay, disease, and disorder are already apparent.  It is the level of compromise in the host that determines susceptibility to ‘dis-ease’.  A body that is well taken care of is well prepared.  

So how do we take care of ourselves?

Þ Wash your hands.

Þ Invest in yourself with quality and sufficient sleep.  Having trouble with this one?  Talk to Dr. Chelsea and John about ways to improve your sleep.

Þ Eat whole, pure, natural foods as much as possible.  The quality of foods you eat determines the quality of building materials for cells and tissues.  Be aware that sugar impairs your immune system for hours after consumption and contributes to overall inflammation.

Þ Boost your consumption of vital nutrients and minerals.  You might do this with a daily green smoothie, or by taking the nutrient-powerhouse chlorella.  We like to do both!

Þ Get enough vitamin D—a broad spectrum antibiotic in its own rite and key for optimal immune function.

Þ Get moving!  Our bodies were designed to move and all systems work best when we provide kinetic stimulus.  This is when we feel our best too.

Þ Stay hydrated.  Hydration is critical for all body processes and helps to flush out toxins, and maintain mucosal linings.  Also know, that in a dehydrated state your body releases more histamine during an immune response.

Þ Maintain your care schedule outlined by Dr. Chelsea.  Your body’s immune response is a carefully coordinated and regulated reaction involving many types of cells.  Each of these cells is controlled by the nervous system so be sure to have your nervous system cleared of any interference.

Þ Millions of bacteria inhabit our bodies and many strains are particularly important in the gastrointestinal tract where they outcompete harmful microbes.  Support your health gut flora by taking a probiotic supplement.

 And finally, let your body do its thing!  Have a runny nose or cough?  Understand that these responses are not the illness.  They are your body’s natural and deliberate response to interference (mention the word “interference” to us and receive 10% off Probiotics during the month of November) it is important not to suppress them.  Suppressing our immune capabilities can prolong the imbalance a bug may causing, and drive it to affect more tissues.  Often we get caught up in symptom-talk but these responses are not signs you have an illness but signs that your immune system is up and going and on the job!  Your health this winter and always is in your hands.

The more we can spread this message it will be true health that is going around and not fear—wouldn’t that be nice?

Coordinating Function

The classic medical text Gray’s Anatomy tells us that the nervous system is the master control system of the body, determining the function of all systems, all functions and all organs. Newer to science is the profound interconnectivity between the nervous system and immune system. Once thought of as separate, these systems are now considered intertwined. It is now widely accepted that a healthy immune system supports nervous system function, and vice versa. This is very important for us to recognize if we want to create a healthy terrain.
The nervous and immune systems are interconnected in several known ways. Adrenal glands are one common link. Chemicals and hormones that are produced by cells of both systems are another connection. Additionally, research shows that the brain uses nerve cells to communicate directly with the immune system.
Chiropractic care was first linked to improved immunity during the deadly flu epidemic of 1917 and 1918, when chiropractic patients fared better than the general population. This observation spurred a study of the field. The data reported that flu victims under chiropractic care had an estimated .25 percent death rate, considerably less than the normal rate of 5 percent among flu victims who received no chiropractic care.
In 1936, pioneering endocrinologist Hans Selye began ground-breaking research on the effects of stress on our health. B.J. Palmer tells us: Selye’s great contribution to science was this clear concept, that disease affects people according to their previously developed ability to adapt. The writer goes on to relate that the physician prefers to hear that you have had childhood diseases rather than avoided them. He knows that a bout of harmless chickenpox while you were a child, will probably immunize you for life, but that if you contract it first as an adult, it could run a very serious course. This is somewhat of a reversal to medical thinking in years past. This may seem strange, but the writer has this to say regarding antibiotics. “All too often, a patient will insist on a shot of glamorous penicillin or some newer antibiotic for a mild infection. The physician will explain that the drug is not necessary-that it is better for the body to use its own defenses—but the determined patient shops around until he finds someone who will administer it anyhow.” “The frequent result is that, although the individual’s own natural resistance would have conquered the infection, the antibiotic suddenly robs the body of the germs necessary to stimulate the antibody producing mechanism into action. And, a stubborn chronic disease takes hold, against which, antibiotics are now powerless.”
In chiropractic we understand that nerve system function can be interfered with by
misalignments, which create interferences to the normal transmission of nerve impulses. When this occurs, any and all systems are affected. Certainly immune system function, dependent on proper functioning of the nervous system, can be impaired as well. Since then, additional studies have supported chiropractic care to improve immunity. One study found that disease-fighting white blood cell counts were higher just 15 minutes after spinal adjustments. In a similar study, the immune system response in HIV-positive patients under regular care for six months showed a 48 percent increase in white blood cell counts. Conversely, the group that did not receive chiropractic adjustments experienced a 7.96 percent decrease in immunity cells. More research is certainly warranted.