31: How To Strengthen Your Immune System To Fight Viruses and Avoid Getting Sick | Dr. Paul Anderson, ND

The immune system: we hear about it all the time, especially this time of year as cold and flu season is in full swing.  When your immune system is working properly, you don’t even notice it. However, a compromised immune system can increase your risk for developing infections and subsequently getting sick. In today’s episode, I speak with Dr. Paul Anderson, ND, about a wide range of options for boosting your immune system — from improving sleep, exercising, using hot/cold therapy, to mitigating blood sugar spikes. We also delve into the dangers of fever suppression, problems with the flu vaccine, and other key factors that contribute to strong immune function.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• How to add layers of protection to our immune health by improving quality of sleep, mitigating blood sugar spikes,  exercising, & reducing stress
• Hot and cold therapy—how to use hydrotherapy to kick your body’s immune response up a notch, and how following heat with cold can help get more white blood cells in circulation
• Why fever suppression could be harmful
• How fasting can rebuild your immune system
• & So much more! 

Resources:

• Dr. Paul Anderson, ND | Website | Instagram | Facbeook | Youtube
• Effect of a Single Finnish Sauna Session on White Blood Cell Profile & Cortisol Levels in Athletes and Non-Athletes
• Let Fever Do Its Job
• Short-term fasting & immune function
• If you want to boost immunity, look at the gut
• Intermittent Fasting in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Critical Update of Available Studies

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• To access notes from the show & full transcripts, head over to WellnStrong's Podcast Page

Chapters

• 6:38 What is the immune system & how does it work?
• 10:57 Where most of the immune system is located within our bodies
• 13:27 The gut-immunity connection
• 13:38 The importance of supplementing with a probiotic when taking an antibiotic
• 14:12 Common key factors that contribute to strong immune function
• 15:09 How our immune system re-charge during sleep
• 16:29 The importance of staying hydrated for optimal immune function
• 18:24 The importance of basic body movement
• 20:57 Key foods to prioritize to avoid getting sick
• 23:28 The toxins & chemicals present in food & water today
• 25:44 When to choose organic vs non-organic
• 27:08 How pro-inflammatory foods can trigger an immune response
• 27:29 The biggest predictor of immune excitation in the bad direction
• 28:28 How extra insulin creates inflammation in the body
• 30:44 How to test for food sensitivities
• 33:44 The difference between a food "sensitivity" vs "allergy"
• 38:46 Is restricting our feeding window beneficial for immune function?
• 42:13 How intermittent fasting is connected with a 36% greater risk of the recurrence of breast cancer
• 43:24 The time period in which you start to get the benefits of fasting
• 43:40 Induction fasts vs intermittent fasting
• 45:08 How to determine the proper time period to fast
• 48:12 The benefits of fasting for cancer
• 49:29 Natural alternatives to conventional cold treatments
• 51:39 Why vitamin C is so critical
• 56:07 Essential oils that kill bacteria
• 57:10 The benefits of sauna therapy for immune function
• 58:27 Why increasing your body's core temperature can help you fight a cold
• 58:35 How to get the similar physical benefits of a sauna session without actually having one
• 1:00:49 The flu vaccine - is it effective?
• 1:02:42 The importance of informed consent when it comest to vaccines
• 1:06:41 The institutional mindset when it comes to vaccination protocols
• 1:08:51 Why fever suppression can back-fire
• 1:15:19 Fever therapy & cancer remission