Module 8: Immunity and Nutrition Building Resilience

 Homeopath Edel Bolger O’Hora (Feb 2023)
 
With all the pathogens around, why are we not sick every single moment?  The answer is, our immune system gives us different types of immunity to protect us from disease. There is: 
Innate Immunity, also called natural or inherited for example skin protects the body, acid in stomach protects.
Adaptive Immunity is where the body makes antibiodies to protect itself, it also has white blood cells called T/B lymphocytes  

 A balanced whole foods diet is your best insurance against all kinds of viruses and infections.

• If you have a poor diet you’ll tend to get sick more often than someone who eats a healthier diet.
• Viruses and bacterial infections will hit you harder and keep you out for longer and eating poorly while you are sick will only make you sicker.
• Good nutrition allows our bodies to respond to germ invaders quickly and efficiently.
• Fat cells release inflammatory substances that can activate a “false alarm” immune response.
• Added sugars and high glycemic load diets may reduce white blood cell function and be pro-inflammatory. Gluten might also have a similar response in people with a certain genotype.
• Dietary protein insufficiencies may lower immunity. At each meal, men should eat about two palms of protein dense foods, and women should eat about one palm.

 
The human immune system is intricate, complex and amazing.Throughout every part of our bodies, it protects us from the myriad germs, fungi, and viruses that threaten to tear us apart. In fact, 70% of our immune system is in our  GI tract(Gut)  
 
When we eat, our immune systems get into the act from the very first moment we pop the food into our mouths. Hydrochloric acid will destroy most invaders in our stomach before they can reach our intestines. If our stomach acids lose the battle, we also have proteins and chemical compounds further down the digestive chain that can sense and fight any harmful bacteria that may have made it past. Finally, our own personal bacterial population (those probiotics you hear so much about) help prevent harmful bacteria from entering our bloodstream or taking root in our small intestine and colon.
 
In order to function well, the cells of our immune system need plenty of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids. Nutrient deficiencies are far more common than you might have thought , this is why it is recommended we work to prevent them.
 
Prebiotics (a.k.a. food for bacteria) help nourish our good microbial friends. Usually this is some form of semi-digestible fibre that our bacteria can chow down on, and/or that helps move food through the GI tract. Examples of foods are yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, kampuchea, cider vinegar. We will recover quicker when the gut has friendly bacteria from these food sources.
The best whole food sources of prebiotics are:

• Vegetables: asparagus, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, and onions
• Carbs: barley, beans, oats, quinoa, rye, wheat, potatoes, and yams
• Fruit: apples, bananas, berries, citrus, kiwi
• Fats: flax seeds and chia seeds
  
  

Should you feed a cold and starve a fever, as the famous adage recommends? One small study did find that eating helps combat a cold virus. And fasting allows the body to fight fever-related infections. On the other hand, during periods of very low food intake: our defences against specific pathogens are lower, and the immune system is suppressed. Our own appetite cues probably give us the clearest picture of what we should eat (or avoid eating) when we get sick.
 
-For example, very few of us want to eat when we’re hit by influenza or by gastroenteritis. This is the body’s way of guarding its own resources — energy that may be better used to fight off invaders when we’re sick.
 
Inflammation helps us fight off invading pathogens but too much inflammation will make our symptoms worse. Inflamatory Bowels disease is an example where inflammation is not good and causes nutrition imbalance and mal-norishment. Whereas diarrhoea for children will get rid of unwanted bacteria but may lead to dehydration in young babies.

A fever will increase metabolism as well as body temperature, speeding it through the system. At the same time, a fever can also dehydrate us, which makes it harder to move a pathogen through the body and out.
 
Foods that help recovery:  
Garlic. Acts as an antibiotic, and has consistently been found to lessen the severity of colds and other infections.
Chicken soup. Commonly touted as a food for colds, chicken soup actually works! It provides fluids and electrolytes, is warm and soothing, and may also contain anti-inflammatory properties that decrease cold symptoms. You have to use real chicken soup though — the sort you make from simmering a chicken carcass — rather than stuff from a can or package.
Green tea. Boosts the production of B cell antibodies, helping us rid ourselves of invading pathogens.
Honey. Has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, and is an effective cough suppressant. In one study it was as effective as a cough-suppressing drug. A few teaspoons in a cup of green tea is all you need. (Plus, you’ll get the benefits of green tea at the same time.)
Elderberries. These have antiviral properties and are loaded with phytonutrients. A few small studies have found the elderberry extract reduces the duration of colds and other upper respiratory tract infections.
 
To Prevent sickness right now:

• Exercise regularly
• Eat healthy
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Washing your hands
• Getting enough sleep
• Managing stress
• Eating plenty of nutrient-dense foods
• Feeding your healthy bacteria
• Periodic fasting is found to be positive
• Supplementing Vitamin D, probiotics, and a wide-spectrum food-based vitamin/mineral supplement.

 
This module discusses faddy eating, meal planners and shopping tips.
The modules includes homeopathyic remedies that help with family ailments such as vomitting, diarrhoea and other issues like constipation.
 
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is a vital part of maintaining good health and helping you to feel your best. Tmajority of people can get everything we need by ensuring we’re eating a healthy and varied range of foods. A balanced diet supplies the fuel your body needs to work effectively. Without balanced nutrition, your body is more prone to illnesses. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars, and saturated fats are essential to ensure your body functions at its best.
 
Reference:
Books:

• “The nutritional health handbook for women”- | 20 December 2001 by Marilyn Glenville
• “The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine” Third Edition Paperback – 20 Nov 2014 by Michael T. Murray M.D. (Author), Joseph Pizzorno
• “The Optimum Nutrition Bible: The Book You Have To Read If Your Care About Your Health” Paperback – November 4, 2004 by Patrick Holford

Websites:

•  www.FSAI.ie :Food Safety authority of Ireland
•  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/:citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online book.
• https://www.livescience.com/why-a-balanced-diet-is-important

Homeopathy Consultation is a process tailored on a case by case basis. It identifies the individuals reaction to the world they live in and provides homeopathic medicines to give a long term, natural and positive approach to your health and well being.
 
THIS WEBSITE IS INFORMATION ONLY. The information on this website is based on the opinion and beliefs of Edel Bolger O’Hora. Edel would love to hear from you. To book a consultation, please use the Online Calendar or facebook Homeopathy with Edel