Learning key steps to boost your immune system

Dr. Michael Blackman

Winter brings plenty of outdoor fun but also a flurry of viruses that can challenge your immune system. As we spend more time indoors with more people around us, we find ourselves exposed to everything from colds to flu to COVID 19 and RSV. However, there are steps we can take to boost our immune system and help guard against illness.
One key step is to get an assessment of your overall health. If your immune system is already weakened by chronic illness or seemingly mild dysfunctions have been plaguing you for some time, then you may be at risk for more serious illness. Perhaps you suffer from ongoing digestive issues, chronic pain, sleeplessness, fatigue or other troubles. Whatever the issue, getting at the root cause can help set you on the path to better health—and stronger immunity.
The first step I recommend is having a Nutrition Response Test. This is a simple, painless test that can be done in the office. It uses muscle response to provide information about organ function. The test looks at six common barriers to healing, or “stressors.” One or more of these may be impacting your health. The six stressors are: food sensitivities, immune challenges, metal toxicities, chemical toxicities, scars and post-pandemic factors. Our bodies are exposed to a lot of toxins, pollutants and chemicals during our daily lives and work. We may not feel the effects of these stressors right away; it can take years for them to chip away at our overall well-being. But, whether we notice it or not, this exposure can affect our overall health and ability to respond to elements such as viruses.
The Nutritional Response Test provides critical information about what is or is not affecting our health. With that information in hand, a plan of action and healing can be prescribed. Correcting the effects of these stressors on the body so the body can repair itself is done through safe, natural, nutritional means. When the body starts getting what it needs to foster healing, changes will occur and optimal health can be achieved.
However, no one sees benefits over night—the longer the body has been dealing with a chronic condition, the longer it can take to recover. But, usually gradual improvement is felt within a few weeks.
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In addition to assessing any chronic conditions, the traditional methods for improving the immune system still hold true:
- Get a good night’s sleep
- eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein
- drink plenty of water
- get regular exercise
- get outside. Being in the fresh air and enjoying the natural world can restore, mind and body. Also important—see to your mental and emotional well-being—engage with friends and family, take time for yourself, meditate, try yoga or any effort that helps calm your mind and renew your spirit. All of these things will help you win the battle against winter’s germs.
To learn more, or make an appointment for Nutrition Response Testing, contact West End Wellness at 603-703-3643. West End Wellness also offers immunity-boosting supplements and other treatments. Visit www.westendwellness.us to learn more.
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