The Dr. Lam Show
The Dr. Lam Show
Simple Strategies to Improve the Immune System
It’s never been more important for you to help protect your body by boosting your immune system. And this isn’t as difficult to do as you might think. Here is where you’ll find gentle, natural strategies that improve your immune health without causing more stress or strain.
1:10 - Staying Hydrated to help Detoxification
3:52 - Sunshine and Vitamin D
7:25 - Sleep regulates Immune system
10:30 - Positivity and Mood
12:45 - Foods that are great for Boosting Immunity
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Do you get sick all the time and feel like it takes you forever to get well once you are sick? Then you may need to pay more attention to your immune system. The immune system is your body's first line of defense against cold, flu, and other symptoms. When it's working properly, you probably will not notice it, but when your immune system is imbalanced, you'll definitely know that something is wrong. This is the Dr. Lam show. And we're here to empower you to take control of your life as we talk about integrative medicine. I'm Dr. Carrie Lam. And I strongly believe that good health can be achieved through a mix of conventional and holistic medicine.
Dr. Jeremy Lam, MD:I'm Dr. Jeremy Lam, and I'm an expert in using this approach to take care of chronic conditions. Today, we're going to be talking about the immune system, which is one of the most important factors for continuing good and optimal health. We will provide some specific, easy and effective strategies to boost your immune system naturally, without worsening any adrenal fatigue issues that you might have. Let's get started with some lifestyle tips. The first tip is to stay hydrated. Staying hydrated is really the key to supporting your immune system. Your body is made of 70% of water. So it's vital to keep the body hydrated. When we talk about detoxification circuit and our neuro endo metabolic stress response, the water helps to flush and eliminate these toxic metabolites from your body. So that's why staying hydrated is so very important to help your body stay clean, and to be able to continue to detox your body.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Right, a lot of the proteins get denatured and from heat, but also from just being able to flush it out with water. Proteins that come from viruses or bacteria, or any foreign bodies, can get denatured. So warm water to hot water is tolerable to drinking, even in the summer. I know it can be hard, but that's why the Chinese people love to drink warm water and hot tea even when it's blazing hot. So warm water is the temperature that is probably closest to your body temperature. So that's why it doesn't take a lot of effort for your body to need to heat up unlike if you drink cold water. Hydration also helps with production of lymphatic fluid. Lymph is a vital part in your immune system and helping your body be in homeostasis means to be balanced. Lymph is also where a lot of your immune cells are held. So you want to keep that flowing and keep that going. So if you're someone who thinks that water is boring, Dr. Jeremy, what do you think they can do to help spice it up?
Dr. Jeremy Lam, MD:Well, this is some of the things that I add to help support the immune system is adding lemon, cucumber, orange slices, and even Rosemary to your water that can help with the taste and boost your immune system at the same time. You do have to be careful if you have adrenal fatigue, because excessive vitamins, especially vitamin C, can be beneficial for some, but also crash some people. So make sure that you check in with whoever is helping you with adrenal fatigue to see that you know that your body can tolerate it. And so that's the first tip is water. And so Dr. Carrie, what's our second tip.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Our second tip is sunshine. And everyone knows that I love being in the sun. Sunshine actually helps being a great source of vitamin D, it's free. It's very simple to get, obviously, you just go outside for 15 minutes and that's the amount of vitamin D that you might need. If you're in an area where sunshine is hard to come by, then you might have to take vitamin D supplementation. And it's always good to get your vitamin D levels checked in your blood. Then it can be optimized and you know if you have enough vitamin D in your system. Vitamin D is a natural steroid in your body So that's how it helps wit immune system with being les inflammatory. So sunshine is a great way of helping boost your mmune system. However, if yo have adrenal fatigue, Dr. J remy what do you think people sh uld be aware of?
Dr. Jeremy Lam, MD:Well, some people have temperature sensitivity or intolerance, and they don't do well with the heat. So just a few minutes of exposure, especially direct sunlight can sometimes crash people. And we've seen this in some of our patients. In that case, you want to go under the shade, or use an umbrella. It's very important to have sunshine, and early morning is actually quite good. And we found that you know, before 10am is good, because then it will also give you that freshness of the air that will also help. Okay, and even in the shade, you can still get UV rays if you're heat intolerant. Again, if you do go outside, you know, don't wear too much sunblock, because sunblock is going to block the vitamin D production on your body. So to actually help create vitamin D, just don't wear sunblock, and then try not to go in direct sunlight. Like I said, just early mornings are the best.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Also, if you're trying to get sunlight through windows might not be the best idea. Many types of windows block UV rays, and therefore your body will not be able to convert the sun rays to the vitamin D that you need in your body. So you can't get vitamin D through windows just so you know.
Dr. Jeremy Lam, MD:So which of these ideas that we've talked about so far can you implement to make the most difference? If you want to make a lasting change, you shouldn't try to adopt all of them at once. This will only overwhelm you and cause additional stress, which is the last thing you need, if your adrenals are weak. Choose one strategy, whether it's drinking more water, making small goals of how much water you're going to drink each day, and you'll be surprised at what a difference will make for your life. And so that's an easy way to make a lifestyle change. But for more help and support with that process, you can call our team at 714-709-8000 for a free initial phone call and more ideas on how to boost your immune system. Now, Dr. Carrie, what's the third thing that we're going to be recommending that helps with boosting the immune system.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:So you want to make sure from this lifestyle to make sure you're getting an adequate amount of sleep. That's the third thing. Right sleep regulates the cytokine production in your body, which in turn helps the regulation of your immune system and the inflammation that goes on. That's how your body reduces the amount of inflammation through your sleep. Sleep is very interesting because if you have enough sleep, you can't really force your body to go to sleep, right? It's not going to happen. Sleep is something that's natural and with enough sleep, you will automatically wake up. But at the same time, if you don't have enough sleep, your body will force you to sleep and be very tired, especially in the afternoon, you get an afternoon slump. And so the lesson is that if you have to go to sleep at a certain time, let's say before 10 o'clock, you have to really train your body and your circadian rhythm to get used to that time. It's not something that is just easy to change overnight. And you have to listen to your adrenals and your body. If you need naps during the daytime, then take the naps because with adrenal fatigue, you may get tired, right? A lot of times when you think sleep hygiene, you try not to sleep in the middle of the day, so that you sleep better at night. But if you have adrenal fatigue, you might need that afternoon nap. So always ask your provider about what is the best way to tackle your sleep because it is one of the hardest things to deal with when you have adrenal fatigue.
Dr. Jeremy Lam, MD:The biggest problem today in adrenal fatigue is what we call autonomic imbalances. And patients often complain of being very wired and tired. They can't go to sleep when they need to, wake up in the middle of the night, and have a very dysregulated circadian rhythm. And so you know, that's worse for the immune system because it lowers the immune system. People that don't have good rest tend to get infections more frequently, and may also have longer bouts of infection. Even though talking about sleep is a whole separate discussion, it is suffice to say that sleep is important for the immune system. So don't fight it. If you feel like you need rest and you need sleep. Just go ahead. There are so many sleeping aids, but we have to warn you that sleeping aids can sometimes be beneficial but they can also backfire. It can have an exaggerated or paradoxical response, especially if you're in the advanced stages of adrenal fatigue. So just give us a call and we'll guide you through what to do, because everyone is different, and everybody's body is also different.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:Next, we're going to talk about a positive attitude. We all know how important this is, especially when you're staying home and you just feel housebound and your liberty is lost and you're bedridden, we want to make sure you have a good mood. A negative attitude can bring more stress, and worry, and make your adrenals more fatigued. Therefore having less cortisol, and more inflamed, affects your immune system. So your immune system are like warriors and soldiers on the front lines of defense. They want to be inspired before they go into battle. They want this arousing uplifting, positive speech and attitude in order to help them fight well. And they don't want to dwell on bad things that can happen. That's why you should really focus on the positive. Some other things you can do is unplug from news, you know, sometimes it can just be very overwhelming. And most of the time they only report on bad news. But I do like hearing good news. So there are certain channels that would be able to give you good news from time to time. So focus more on positivity and what you're grateful for. How do people do that Dr. Jeremy?
Dr. Jeremy Lam, MD:Well, we recommend writing in your journal for what you're grateful for, because studies have shown that when you are writing down what you're grateful for, you can actually stay joyful, you can have a more balanced cortisol level. And so that's a good thing if you're wanting to have more of a positive attitude. Sleep well, get some sunlight, drink more water, and don't dwell on negative things in life. These ideas are simple, but the difference they can make to your immune system can be profound. And if you're struggling with these changes, and just want to know more about adrenal fatigue, you can always talk to our expert team at 714-709-8000. And so let's dive into some of the foods that are really great for the immune system. We know that apple cider vinegar helps maintain a healthy gut flora with good probiotics. And so keeping a very healthy digestive system means that your immune system is going to stay strong as well. The key to apple cider vinegar and other foods that we're going to mention is the fermentation that provides many probiotics. Similar fermented foods include sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, or nacho. They're all really good fermented foods that can give you good probiotics to support your immune system.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:However, you do want to be careful if you have Candida, or systemic Candida because fermented foods can make the Candida grow more. If you have histamine issues, anything that's fermented might make that worse if you're a sensitive body. So just depending on who you talk to, what kind of body you have, what underlying issues, be careful about fermented foods. Otherwise, they are very great form of probiotics. Another type of food that's really good for your immune system is garlic. Garlic contains a chemical called adenosine which helps to support the immune system, and improve blood circulation, reduce stress and anxiety, help with blood pressure. Unfortunately, garlic can be very strong on your gastric system, especially if you take it raw, so if you have a weak stomach, then you have to be very careful. Some people love it, and it's a great food. We recommend a lot of our clients to take garlic to help with immune system. What other foods are there, Dr. Jeremy?
Dr. Jeremy Lam, MD:One thing we often recommend is to take either chicken broth or beef broth, because it's packed with nutrients and minerals to help support the immune system. Even your traditional home remedy can work and so it's very soothing during these times as well. Some things that we sometimes add to soups is also ginger. Ginger is a powerful natural antioxidant and reduces inflammation, helps with detox and aids in digestion. So taking some ginger during these when you're feeling more down and ale is good to help boost your immune system. Another one is beets which is a great detoxifier. And so the detox circuit is important to the immune system. So add beets in your salad or to cook with in some of the meals. And lastly, turmeric, which has been used for centuries is also good for the immune system, because it's a great anti inflammatory agent. It also improves liver function. So turmeric is very good to help boost our immune system. And so you know, of all the foods that we've talked about, do you think you can add one or two easily to your diet, because it can have quite a positive impact on your immune system. There are a lot more foods that can impact your immune system. So if you'd like some more ideas about what to eat for support, then talk to our team at 714-709-8000.
Dr. Carrie Lam, MD:We thank you for listening and we hope that you have some take home useful tips on how to boost your immunity whether it's water, drinking of water sleeping well or the right foods to eat. We hope that you find this Dr. Lam show very helpful. Please subscribe to the show, so that we can keep bringing you practical strategies to help you achieve good health. Good bye for now remember that we are the Dr. Lam show. We're here to empower you to take control of your health.
Unknown:This podcast has been produced and broadcast solely for informational and educational purposes by Lam clinic statements and views expressed in this podcast are not medical advice and have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. The products and supplements discussed in this podcast are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you believe you may have a medical condition please consult your own doctor. Opinions of guests are their own and Lam Clinic does not endorse or accept responsibility for any of the statements and views made by guests. The views and opinions of guests in the podcast are their own and do not reflect those Lam Clinic this podcast does not make any representations or warranties about guests qualifications or credibility. In some cases, individuals on the podcast may have a direct or indirect financial interest in the products or services referred to herein podcast listeners should always seek the advice of their physicians or other qualified health providers with any questions they may have regarding their own medical conditions. Podcast listeners must always continue to follow the advice of their personal physicians for all of their medical needs.