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This past weekend was my Aunt’s birthday. When my brother and I called her to wish her Happy Birthday, she returned the greeting with Happy Birthday. We told her that it was not our birthday; it was her birthday and asked why she was wishing us a Happy Birthday. She said “everyday you wake up and you are alive and breathing  is a birthday”.  She reminded my brother and me that we should celebrate each day as our birthday.

This weekend was also the same weekend I attended the virtual Academy of Integrative Health Medicine conference. I was with a group of health care practitioners who were dedicated to taking care of the whole person – body, mind, spirit, community and planet. They want to make sure that each day is your birthday.

One of the speakers was Dr. Tierona Low Dog whose lecture was titled Immunity 101. With COVID-19 still on the rise and the flu season starting, I thought it would be great to share about some of the ways we can build our immunity. She had a slide titled Health is in Our Hands with the following recommendations:

• Wash hands frequently. Stop touching your face. Wash hands frequently.
• Diet – rich in plants, protein and healthy fats. Ditch the highly refined stuff. Eat REAL food.
• Minimize exposure to environmental toxins/endocrine disruptors.
• Take care of your natural “barriers” (skin, nasal passages, lungs, GI tract)
• Learn to care for minor infections and wounds at home. And teach your children.
• Be watchful for, and correct any, micronutrient deficiencies.
• Hydrate – water is your beverage of hydration.
• Weight – maintain a healthy weight.
• Sleep – ensure enough regular  and restorative rest
• Stress – find healthy strategies for coping – vitally important for healthy immune response.
• Exercise – regularly, stay active, keep moving
• Treat the Earth as if she is truly was your Mother

In the coming weeks I will elaborate on some of these recommendations as well as other topics discussed in the conference.

Be watchful for, and correct any, micronutrient deficiencies- There was a big emphasis on nutrition and the importance of Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin A and Zinc. The recommendation was to take a good multivitamin. You should also consider getting your vitamin D levels checked.  Those with COVID-19 who had vitamin D deficiency were sicker than those that had sufficient vitamin D levels.

Another good resource on how to boost your immunity comes from the Functional Medicine website, please click here for more information.