Boosting Lander’s immune system was paramount as he underwent chemotherapy and radiation.
With COVID-19—a glaring topic in our current world—the immune-boosting practices we use are worth sharing to help others. I’m far from an expert on viruses, but it’s my understanding that for most healthy individuals, the likelihood of surviving the illness is high.
In conjunction with CDC recommendations such as social distancing and universal precautions, I believe the following topics give us the best chance to strengthen our bodies. During Lander’s treatments, he has been very much isolated, especially from public places. This aspect isn’t new for us and requires major adjustments.
Nutrition
There are two phases to the diet of equal importance.
What to Eat – LanderMan Plan http://bit.ly/LanderMan, Wahls Protocol, Bulletproof Diet, Pegan – Dr. Mark Hyman.
What Not to Eat – sugar, processed flours, vegetable oils, and more
Foods have an enormous impact on the immune system, both positive and negative.
Very much interrelated, the gut microbiome makes up a vast amount of the body’s immune system. Proper nutrition is essential. https://meandmcgeemarket.com/cancer-now-what/
Supplements – Nutrients and Superfoods
I want to warn everyone that taking supplements is dangerous if you don’t understand what you are doing and in the absence of blood work. With Lander, I took extreme caution in everything he consumed.
Supplements to consider include a multivitamin; vitamins A, D, and K; and omega-3
Vitamin A and D information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2906676/
I take a combination of A, D, and K every morning.
Most immune-boosting products marketed are elderberry, reishi mushroom, glutathione (GSH), and NAC (N-acetyl cysteine). I take NAC and GSH but didn’t give them to Lander. For the mushrooms, Lander would drink Four Sigmatic coffee with me. He didn’t get a whole lot of it, and it’s probably an area I would have increased, looking back.
Eat curcumin, the compound found in turmeric, which is a powerhouse. I don’t believe there was a meal I didn’t add some to, especially for Lander. Curcumin is notoriously difficult for the body to use. Three tricks for helping the body utilize it include combining it with black pepper, heating it, and eating it with fat. It’s pretty easy to accomplish all three by seasoning early in cooking using black pepper and butter or ghee.
Curcumin
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4603973/
Spirulina is blue-green algae and is made up of many vitamins and minerals as well as plant-based compounds.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5274660/
Bone broth is another excellent way to supplement a broad spectrum of nutrients vital for bodily functions like iron, vitamins A and K, fatty acids, selenium, zinc, and manganese.
I use a bone broth protein powder I mix in all sorts of meals, and Lander never even knows.
Full Spectrum Light
Humans’ need for infrared light is an area of focus that will continue to garner attention. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31170016
I’ve been very hesitant to discuss this topic because it seems so strange. However, as I’ve said many times, I will look into applying anything that will help Lander and that has no downside.
Lander uses a Joovv machine daily. https://joovv.com/ There are so many positives about this tool, and I’m going to write an article solely on infrared and near-infrared light coming up. Without going too deep, the blue lights we are constantly exposed to are damaging in many ways, and as we get further along in our research into this newer realm, we will begin to understand the damage it is causing. For many years, Americans were oblivious to the health horrors due to tobacco—largely smoking—yet now we are well aware. I expect that constant exposure to blue light will be the same.
Sunlight
Getting sunlight is a necessity for overall well-being and a way of getting vitamin D.
I recently had a blood test that showed my vitamin D levels were extremely high, which is rare, as Americans generally have a huge deficiency in vitamin D and magnesium. What I found in looking into my high levels is that the most common reason is over-supplementation and tanning bed usage. I’m not promoting using a tanning bed, merely making an observation.
Sunlight, especially in the early morning, helps set the sleep cycle and improves sleep. We’ve all heard we need to exercise, and I think we tend to make this way more complicated than it has to be. I highly recommend getting exercise daily, even if it’s just a walk in the sunshine. I encouraged Lander to play outside as much as I could. This is another one of the many things I believe contributed to his success to date.
Quality sleep is impacted by every one of the topics previously mentioned. Getting sleep regulates the body and is vital for every aspect of health. The benefits of quality sleep are too numerous to list. A few tips for getting better sleep:
- Turn off blue light screens a few hours before bed.
- Have a bedtime routine at approximately the same time each night.
- Apply all of the previously mentioned topics.
I track my sleep with an Oura Ring. https://ouraring.com/meet-oura
Saunas are another tool for improving life. I love them and feel relaxed after using a sauna. Using an infrared sauna contributes to additional benefits.
The reduction of stress is huge for improving well-being. Meditation, yoga, exercise, and laughing are all valuable for this purpose and help so much.
These are some of the things we implemented that I felt compelled to share. In no way am I saying that doing these will prevent COVID-19 or any other illness. We do these to help our bodies be as strong as possible.
Please let me know if there is anything you’d like me to explain better or if you completely disagree. Learning through exchanging ideas is very important. Helping others is the mission.