Why is my immune system struggling?
On a normal day, we come into contact with many organisms that could infect us. Whether it is a microbe on something we ate, or a viral particle we breathed in, our immune system stands guard and has a sophisticated defense system in place to protect us.
Like an invisible, silent force field, our immune system protects us on a daily basis. Our first line of defense is in the mucous membranes that line the nose, mouth, throat, lungs and digestive tract.
Stress has a big impact on gut health and the immune system. Burnout, loneliness, social isolation, overwork, even overtraining in the gym without adequate rest—whenever we get tired and run down, the immune defense can become depleted.
Is your body a battleground?
We often use battle metaphors when talking about the immune system. After all, it’s our defense system, so it’s natural to want to fortify our defenses and get ready in case we need to battle an illness.
But what about what is inside the castle walls? If an organism gets through the defenses, what will it find inside? We need to pay attention to the inner ecosystem of our bodies and make it so that “bad bugs” won’t thrive there.
Optimize your inner ecosystem for immune defense!
A healthy gut microbiome actually works together with the immune system to help identify threats and neutralize them. Good food and water, deep breathing of clean air, reducing inflammation and optimizing gut health—all these keep the inner landscape inhospitable to unwanted microbes.
It makes sense to make your body as healthy as possible so that when you are exposed to germs, your body is prepared!
Trying to avoid contact with sick people and their germs is sensible. Boosting your immunity makes even more sense. The resilience of your immune system is vital year-round--and it could be lifesaving during a cold and flu season that coincides with a serious worldwide viral epidemic.
Holistic Immune Boosters for Optimum Health
Drug-resistant organisms are at an all-time high. There is no guarantee that pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines can keep up with the ability of viruses and other organisms to mutate or change form. Medicinal herbs have substances that are very complex and may have evolved to defend the plant against disease or predators. Many of these plants have either immune-modulating or anti-viral and anti-bacterial actions.
Chinese medicinal herbs are traditionally prescribed in formulas containing specific plants with special properties that work together. It takes years of training to learn how to use these herbal formulas as holistic immune boosters, customized to address the needs of each patient. Powerful, natural medicine from plants can be extremely effective to boost your body’s resilience and to treat symptoms of colds, flu, and other illnesses.
Your body has an immense capacity to protect itself and heal.
A functional medicine approach to a healthy immune system begins with the basics of prevention and lifestyle. Good quality sleep is linked to immunity, and so is diet, a positive mindset and how effectively you are able to deal with stress. Functional medicine lab testing provides insight in how to target nutritional supplementation and holistic immune boosters for each individual patient.
Q: What are holistic immune boosters and how does it work?
I offer an individualized treatment plan--a unique combination of Chinese medicine and functional medicine--that gives you and your family a fighting chance during cold and flu season!
A program for boosting immune system health would look like this:
- individualized treatment that takes the whole person into account
- customized Chinese herbal formulas are chosen for your personal constitution
- dietary and lifestyle recommendations
- functional medicine testing as needed:
- a GI stool test to find if there are hidden sources of inflammation such as bacteria, viruses or parasites in the gut, or if there signs of lowered mucosal immunity in the gut microbiome
- an adrenal stress test, because stress has an enormous impact on the immune system
- advanced testing for organic acids, nutrients and toxin levels
Q: When is the best time to get started?
Q: How long should I do immune system treatments for?
Interested in Holistic Immune Boosters?
Call to schedule now!
I am a functional medicine specialist located in Gainesville, Florida.
I'm currently offering treatments for patients at Bodies in Balance Acupuncture in their Northwest Gainesville clinic.
Let's discuss if this is the right treatment for you.
Company
Being Well Medicine LLC
Dorothy S. Wells, AP, DACM
Acupuncture Physician
Functional Medicine Specialist