Your Inner Mask
Remember that even if you are in an environment that requires a face mask, you absolutely must remember to also maintain your “inner mask” (thanks to Dave Asprey for this little phrase.)
What’s your “inner mask” well, mostly I’m referring to your metabolism and your immune system. We are in the “cold and flu” season right now in the Granite State and that’s aside from all of the ongoing buzz with C-19. Only wearing a mask over your face isn’t the answer to staying well, so what else can we do?
Given the ubiquitous coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, immune support should be at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Various vitamins and minerals have been flying off the shelves because of their recognized immune-supportive qualities, including zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D. (Most knowledgeable health care providers knew this long before Covid.)
Speaking of health care providers, I highly recommend you get a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) as they are the experts when it comes to these matters. I’m going to give you some tips on how to maintain and fortify your “inner mask” every day but if you really want to learn what YOUR body needs, please get a good ND.
Let’s get into it.
1. Take Vitamin D3 (ideally with K2 and vitamin A) until your blood levels are at least 70. I already went into why D3 is so important on an earlier blog, read about it here: https://www.precisionchironh.com/blog/blog-post-two-k4b6s
2. Take 20-40mg of zinc (balanced with copper)
Zinc is an important part of the body’s process that activates white blood cells – called T-lymphocytes (T-cells) – that control the body’s response to inflammation. Having an adequate level of zinc is necessary to assure the immune system functions optimally.
In addition, zinc is an essential cofactor in regulating the nervous system (now we are talking my language) because its presence is essential in the production of GABA, a neurotransmitter that supports restful sleep, helps put the brakes on stress, and promotes a focused state of mind.
Although copper deficiency is rare, it can result from high levels of zinc intake because of a decreased ability to absorb and use copper from the diet. When supplementing any nutrient, it’s important to consider the appropriate amount to take. If intake is too low, then the desired results might not occur. If supplementation is too high, then negative side-effects could occur. Many alternative and integrative practitioners recommend a ratio of 15 mg of zinc to 1 mg of copper – similar to the ratio achieved if you remain within RDA guidelines. Again, this is why you should have a naturopathic doctor, it’s not safe or smart to “guess” what works or doesn’t for you.
3. Diet: you are what you eat.
In trying to keep this as concise as possible, I hope by now all of you know to avoid the following: processed foods, fried foods (loaded with omega 6 oils), refined oils, and excessive amounts of sugar and soy products - ALWAYS!
4. Exercise: there is SO MUCH evidence to support exercise immunology.
During moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic exercise bouts of less than 60 min of duration have shown a very pro-immune effect. Specifically, “acute exercise” stimulates the interchange of innate immune system cells and components between lymphoid tissues and the blood compartment. Although transient, a summation effect occurs over time, with improved immunosurveillance against pathogens and cancer cells and decreased systemic inflammation.
Did you catch what’s in bold? It’s saying there is a cumulative immune benefit against cancer and pathogens (viruses, bacteria, things that invade the body) when you exercise regularly with a moderate to vigorous intensities! That’s huge.
5. Sleep: sleep enhances your immune defense, in other words the saying “sleep helps healing” is true. When you sleep there is a bidirectional (2-way) communication between the central nervous and immune system which is mediated by shared signals (neurotransmitters, hormones and cytokines) and direct innervations of the immune system by the autonomic nervous system. This means your immune system is hard wired to your nervous system....more on that below.
6. Structural Chiropractic Care: Since we know that your brain (nervous system) is connected to your immune system, doesn’t it make sense that a nervous system which is not operating efficiently will have a negative impact on your immune system (and vice versa?) YES! So how well is your nervous system functioning? You can’t answer that but at Precision we can. Our Insight scanning technology looks at 3 different components of your nervous system to give you a “Core Score” of your present function. Yeah, we know it’s cool.
An important note: No dietary supplement can diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, including COVID-19. Always maintain good hygienic practices in order to reduce the likelihood of being infected with the ANY virus, not just COVID-19.