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The
exciting news I have to offer this month is that we have moved our office
from Solomons to Leonardtown! We took possession of the new space on
November 1, and we are off and running! Our new address is 22650 Cedar Lane
Court in Leonardtown, but our mailing address will remain the same as
above. We work only by appointment, so if you want to come by and see the
new “digs,” please call first and make sure we will be there, and in any
case, give us until after November 6 to get things set up!!
The
topic for this month is how to strengthen the immune system. There are two
reasons for this: we are entering the “cold and flu season,” and we are
also entering a possibly prolonged period of extreme economic stress in the
lives of all of us. Either of these situations will drag us down if we are
not prepared for the fight. And the fight in our bodies, be it against
foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria or be it the destruction of
stress, is carried on by our immune system.
(Side
note: during the 33 years I practiced in Towson, MD I only missed one day
of work total! I think I might know something about keeping the immune
system strong!)
The
immune system detects when things are going haywire and corrects these
things. A simple example is when you shake hands with someone who has the
flu and then touch your eyes or mouth. The viruses from that person’s hand
enter your system with the desire to set up shop at your expense. You
become infective yourself and then you become sick. Quite often you are
most infective before you really become sick! When the virus first enters
your body, the immune system goes into action. It checks out the virus,
determines that it is an enemy, and then destroys it. That is, the immune
system does so if it is strong.
So,
to get to the nitty-gritty of the matter, how do we keep our immune system
strong? Some simple ways follow:
1.
We need to keep our gut strong. Dannon has a
wonderful commercial about how the good bacteria (called probiotics) help
the body to be healthy. I’m not a fan of yogurt for keeping the gut and
immune system healthy, but yogurt is certainly better than doing nothing!
We now know that the gut bacteria (in your intestines) are the source of
strength to about 80% of our immune system. That’s right—80%! And we also
know that the probiotics can be killed by antibiotics, preservatives in
food, poor lifestyle choices (poor diet, lack of rest, smoking, etc.), and
infections. I advise all of my clients to take a probiotic every day
and if the client gets sick, I advise doubling the probiotic. This is
definitely number one for a strong immune system and that goes for every
man, woman, and child!!
2.
Most colds and flu occur in the winter. One of the
reasons scientists believe this is true is that we are not exposed to
direct sunlight in the winter like we are in the summer. Therefore, we are
lacking in Vitamin D because the most important source of Vitamin D is
direct sunlight. So, I recommend a Vitamin D supplement year round, and I
recommend 2,000 IU in the summer, early fall, and late spring, and 4,000 IU
in the rest of the year, especially during cold and flu season. It’s really
easy to take—one or two drops of the liquid on your tongue per day will do
it. Vitamin D is very inexpensive—in fact, it’s the most inexpensive
vitamin available—just pennies per dose!
3.
You have heard that taking Vitamin C will help
prevent colds and flu. This was first proposed by two-time Nobel Laureate
Linus Pauling, and without question it is true. The amount to take can
actually be determined by a Vitamin C challenge, but this is not the most
pleasant thing to do, and it changes if you are exposed to bad viruses. I
myself take from 3 to 7 grams of Vitamin C per day, and I think everyone
should be taking 1-2 grams per day and increasing that amount if one is
exposed to infections. Vitamin C is the second most inexpensive
vitamin to take!
4.
We offer a homeopathic flu “vaccine” which is
extremely safe for everyone. This does not put the actual virus into your
body like the “flu shot” does. Nor does it contain all the contaminants
(including heavy metals) like the “flu shot” does. It simply alerts the
body’s immune system to get armed and ready in a good way. Thus, when the
flu virus enters the body, it is under attack from the first moments. We
have used this remedy in years past with great success!
5.
Get your rest!! Every body needs rest. Not just in
the form of sleep, but just as rest. It can be reading, watching
non-stressful television, listening to peaceful music, etc. Don’t kid
yourself that you can do fine on 4 or 5 hours of sleep. It just isn’t so!
Sleeping and rest allow the body to do the preparation of the immune system
and detoxification work it must do every day.
6.
Go to the pharmacy right now and buy some Sambucol.
This is elderberry extract and has been proven to kill pathogenic viruses.
Elderberry extract is another one of the things you were told was good to
cure a cold by your Grandmother, and once again—she was right! Buy it now
because it will be sold out once the flu season hits with a vengeance.
7.
Hot teas such as green tea and chamomile tea are
excellent for keeping the insides warm as recommended in Oriental and
Chinese Medicine. Several cups per day keep the immune system warm also.
8.
I can’t emphasize enough the need to eat locally and
for the seasons. Buy from local farmers who have stored things like root
crops, and make soups. This is the same theory as in number 7 from Chinese
Medicine. The clean pure foods (organic, free-range, grass-fed) are best.
See the soup recipe with this Newsletter.
9.
Help feed your immune system with good nutrition,
including supplements which have the herbs which will boost immunity.
Please see our “Supplement of the Month” in this edition of “Pathways.”
Please
tell your family, friends, co-workers, and everyone you know to please sign
up for the Newsletter Pathways to Optimal Health at www.wholebodyhealth.us and tell
them it’s free!
As
always, your questions, comments, and suggestions are welcomed!
All of Dr. Baldwin’s recommendations are based on
solid scientific research. However,
no one Nutritional Plan will work for ever person, nor will any one
Nutritional Plan work for every disease or degenerative condition. Pathways is not a substitute for
proper medical diagnosis of conditions which may require medical or
surgical intervention. Our
Diagnostic System allows us to treat the person with the condition and not
the condition that has the person.
Our program is not simply a weight loss program. It is a program intended to help
the client learn how he or she can attain optimal health and
wellness with a healthy immune system.
We maintain that everyone should be able to live life to the fullest
and enjoy each day of life. To get in touch with us, dial 410-326-6690 and
we will be only too happy to help you!
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