Why we're all sick, all the time
…and why we can’t just blame back-to-school germs
Ah, back to school. So fun. So exciting. And so taxing on the whole family’s immune system.
Even if you don’t have a little one starting school, you might be gearing up for the fall and winter months where colds and flus are more prevalent as we spend more time indoors with others, who probably are carrying germs from their tiny humans that you’ll be exposed too - there’s really no escaping it!
I’m here to give you ways to support your immune system while you aren’t sick so it can stand up strong against back-to-school plagues and ways to help your body fight off whatever is ailing you while you are.
Kids waiting for the bus stop - a new morning routine I've grown to love
What might be going on if you’re sick all the time
If you find yourself or your kids constantly battling colds, infections or just feeling generally unwell, it’s time to take a deeper look at what’s going on.
Let’s briefly discuss the Neuro-Endo-Immunology loop
If I’m losing you with that weird term, it’s essentially a fancy way of saying that the nervous system, endocrine system (hormones), and immune system are all wired together. And stress in one system will cause a trickle effect of stress to the others, until you’re on this hamster wheel of constant illness and infections. Sound familiar?
Here’s how it works in the body
Quick PSA that this is a very oversimplified explanation, but I figured not everyone wants a 4 hour lecture on physiology…so here we go!
Neurological Stress
Your nervous system is constantly getting feedback from your thoughts, feelings, emotions and environment. Constant perceived stress from things like fear, overwhelm, infections, viruses, digestive distress, poor diet, lack of nutrients, etc. will keep your nervous system on high alert. Your adrenals will pump out norepinephrine that eventually creates cortisol needed to ensure your body can “survive” the perceived threat. As you can imagine, this was an extremely useful evolution when we were living in the wild and needed to run away from tigers, but not so useful when you’re just trying to survive a busy week on take out and frozen food.
Endocrine Stress
Over time, your neuro stress will impact your endocrine system. The endocrine system realizes it needs energy to produce stress hormones like norepinephrine and cortisol needed for your survival, and will turn off production of other less critical hormones as a response in order to conserve energy for the “threat” at hand.
Sex Hormones: Energy typically dedicated to producing progesterone (a critical sex hormone for reproduction in women) is “stolen” to produce more cortisol. This was actually critical to survival at some point. Our bodies recognizing that we were in a dangerous environment, unfit for reproduction. Again, very helpful in the wilderness. Not so helpful in New York City.
Thyroid: Cortisol will eventually inhibit the conversion of T4 to active T3 (the active form of the thyroid hormone) which can lead to hypothyroidism and other diseases of the the thyroid.
Immune Stress
Increased endo-stress then effects your immune system. When epinephrine and cortisol are raised it begins to ramp up certain parts of the immune system and lower other parts of the immune system. In the long run, this causes autoimmune disorders, allergies, inflammation, and more.
The Loop
The inflammation and immune result utlimately signals more stress neurologically. Which triggers more endocrine, and immune responses, which triggers more stress….and the cycle goes on and on.
This is why it’s not enough to simply “treat” hormone imbalances or inflammation alone. To truly get to the root cause of any imbalance in the body, you must address underlying stress causing the hormone issues or inflammation to begin with. We have to keep asking “why”.
Things that stress can cause in our bodies
Thyroid function
Inflammation
Sex hormone production
Intestinal permeability, leaky gut and digestive issues
Blood sugar regulation, Type 2 diabetes, Insulin resistance
Weight gain
So how can we mitigate this initial stress?
When you hear “stress” you might immediately think of overwhelm, anxiety, busy-ness, worry, fear. Those are all very real stressors, but there are a lot of other things that cause perceived stress to our nervous system.
Here are some underlying stressors that could be impacting you that you might not see as obvious stress:
Nutrition
A diet of mostly processed food
Hard to digest foods
Eating things that you have a sensitivity to (gluten, dairy, nuts, etc.)
Not giving your digestive system a break
Eating too little
Getting too little vitamins/minerals
Lifestyle
Drinking coffee first thing in the morning
Fasting for too long (or while under other stress)
Exercising before eating
Not getting enough rest, sleep or downtime (go, go, go!)
Overcommitting
Toxins / Underlying infections
Food dyes, additives and fillers
Pesticides/herbicides
Chemicals in cleaning products
Chemicals in personal care products
Air pollution
Tap or well water
Heavy metals
Infections such as: viruses, bacteria, lyme, EBV, Herpes, Parasites, H. Pylori
Emotions
Having too many activities in our day that amp us up (these will be unique to you - I could be stressed out on my drive to work, but maybe you’re relaxed because you’re solo, listening to a podcast you love or talking to a loved one)
Being around stressful or toxic people (friends, family, romantic partners)
Worrying
Fear
Self-doubt
So back to the immune system and your impending fall colds…
The best thing you can do for you and your kids immune system is find and lessen the total stress burden on the body especially when you aren’t sick.
Nutrition
Eat whole foods as much as you can and choose better processed food brands. The occasional processed food isn’t the problem. It’s when these foods become the majority of our daily caloric intake. If it comes from a box or a bag, it’s likely devoid of real nutrients and then filled up with synthetic versions. It takes a lot for the body to assimilate synthetic nutrients into usable forms for the body. Stick to foods that came directly from a plant or animal and choose your boxed foods wisely with our Better Brand and Grocery Shopping guide
Cook your food. Raw food is harder to digest and can create hidden “stress” on the digestive system. Use a fork test to make sure food is easier to assimilate nutrients from
Take a food sensitivity test or schedule a consult with our team to determine if this is the right test for you. You can also start with simply eliminating common sensitivities like gluten, dairy and eggs.
Space out your meals. Only eat every 3-4 hours to give your digestive system plenty of time to break down food
Eat balanced meals to ensure proper macro and micronutrient intake: Start with 20-30 g of protein, 1-2 cups of veggies and 1-2 TBSP of fat at each meal
Lifestyle
Have coffee during or after your breakfast
Stick to a 12-14 hour fast vs. longer intermittent fasting protocols. If dinner is at 6 pm, don’t eat again until 6 am. 12-14 hours is enough to get a lot of the benefits that longer intermittent fasting protocols claim to give, without the restriction or hanger.
Exercise after breakfast or lunch to ensure body has proper energy stores before expending
Prioritize periods of rest in your day - listen to a podcast, read a book, do a quick meditation. Plan your bedtime so you can consistently get 7-8 hours of sleep a night
Say no :)
Toxins
Prioritize brands that are limiting unnecessary ingredients in food, personal care and cleaning products
Eliminate use of pesticides and herbicides on your lawn. Buy organic food when you can.
Filter your air with a good air purifier
Filter your water with a good water filter (spoiler alert - Brita is not one I recommend)
Support your liver to detoxify any build up of toxins over time
Run functional labs to determine underlying infections in the body
Emotions
Do an audit of how you’re spending your time. Are the activities taking up most of your time contributing to your happiness, a big goal, or general well-being? If no, see if you can delegate or get rid of that activity.
Sometimes we don’t have total control of what we have to do during our days. Use these nervous system-regulating habits to help you remain calm against the daily triggers of life
Deep Breathing Exercises: Deep, diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the "rest and digest" response. This counteracts the "fight or flight" response of the sympathetic nervous system.
Mindfulness and Frequencies: Mindfulness practices help you become more aware of your thoughts and bodily sensations, allowing you to respond to stressors with more intention and less reactivity. Start with just 5 minutes a day and find quick meditations on YouTube or use an app like Calm or Headspace. You can add to your experience by listening to Binaural Beats or Calming Frequencies.
Gentle Movement and Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting and stress-reducing effects. Gentle forms of exercise like yoga, tai chi, and walking are particularly beneficial for nervous system regulation.
Spending Time in Nature: Studies show that spending time in nature can lower stress levels, improve mood, and enhance cognitive function. The sights, sounds, and smells of nature can have a calming effect on the nervous system.
When you ARE sick (or during periods of extreme stress)
Being sick stinks and not everyone has the luxury to rest and recover, but that is the number one best thing you can do for your body when you aren’t feeling well. Think of the illness (viral or bacterial) as stress of the body and give it the rest it deserves so you aren’t adding more stress to your body’s plate.
It’s also important to note that while over the counter medication will mask symptoms and make you feel better for a short period of time, it’s not helping your body actually fight the virus. A fever is your body heating up to ward off the virus. While it’s absolutely crucial to seek medical attention if the fever is too high, we’ve been conditioned by conventional medicine to think a fever is something to treat, rather than a symptom and normal physiological response to a virus.
It’s also adding additional stress to your body and liver because they are processed in the liver and many have artificial dyes and synthetic ingredients that must be filtered out.
I’m not one to shy away from a couple Advil to help me get through a nasty sore throat, so zero judgement here, but knowledge is power, and I don’t think the OTC drug community does enough to educate consumers on what’s actually happening under the hood.
Lean on the information above to support your body, but you can also support the acute stage of illness with homeopathic supplements, additional rest, and some additional liver love as it works to filter out the pathogenic viruses from your body. Here’s how.
Supplements
Stress requires greater vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to repair oxidative damage and balance nutrient requirements. The fastest nutrients to be depleted are the following, because these buffer the stress response and metabolize carbs for glucose:
Zinc
B Vitamins
Magnesium
Vitamin C
Glutamine
Remember: Just because something is supportive doesn’t mean more is better. It’s important to not mega-dose these vitamins and minerals. Work with a certified integrative health practitioner to properly dose these based on your specific needs, lifestyle and symptoms. Over-doing one mineral can cause imbalances in another area so it’s important to seek help when doing this solo.
Other supportive supplements
Beekeepers naturals liposomal vitamin c
Tea/herbs for immune support
Boiron ColdCalm and Oscillococcinum
Raw, local honey for sore throats
Supportive liver-boosting therapies
Dry brushing
Epsom salt baths
Castor oil packs
Above all a calm body is a healthy body. If you are experiencing fatigue, digestive issues, unexplained weight gain, thyroid issues, hormone imbalances or other symptoms that don’t feel normal, we’d love to help you uncover their root cause.
Schedule a free consult with our team today and learn how we can help you identify hidden stressors and simplify and personalize a whole-body wellness plan so you can heal and feel your best.
Lauren Mallers is a 2x certified integrative health practitioner, coach, and wellness expert. She’s dedicated the last half decade to learning about nutrition science and lifestyle factors that impact long-term health after being diagnosed with IBS and experiencing a miscarriage after her first child. Her curiosity and determination to understand the root cause of any health issues she’s encountered left her dissatisfied with the answers and treatment plans that conventional healthcare offered her. Lauren has taken her 15+ year career in customer-success-based roles in tech and marketing and opened Calibrate to provide the same exceptional level of education and support to individuals looking for an alternative solution to managing and solving their chronic health challenges. To work with Calibrate or learn more, schedule a free consult today.