5 Simple, Thrifty Immune Boosters

Posted on | August 4, 2009 | 6 Comments

With swine flu threatening to be back with a vengence this fall, the authorities seem bent on everyone getting a vaccine.  Vaccines developed in less than, oh, a few months, really make me nervous since they obviously haven’t had time to be really tested over the long haul.  Personally,  I would rather build my immune system to be able to optimally handle a virus.  Whether you decide to get a vaccine or not, there are some simple things you can do to build up your immune system now:

1) Cut out sugar.  The only exception I allow is a little bit of honey every so often in baking.  Sugar is so addictive and harmful, and one of the many disastrous effects of sugar is that it suppresses the immune system.  Ever notice how everyone starts getting sick after Halloween and around Christmastime?  I’m sure the glut of sweets doesn’t help things, if it doesn’t cause them altogether.  What you can do now is to start to wean yourself off refined sugar (and all refined carbs, since they metabolically become sugar in your bloodstream) by ditching sodas, boxed cereals, cookies, cakes, “fruit snax”, candy, and fruit cocktails. For 75 other good reasons to cut out sugar, check out this article by Nancy Appleton, CN. 

2) Eat probiotic-rich foods such as lacto-fermented sauerkraut, pickles, homemade yogurt, kefir, or kombucha. (Check out my resources page for great starters to affordably make your own) The beneficial bacteria populate your gut, improve your digestion and thus increase mineral absorbtion which in turn better feeds and fortifies your cells to fight against disease. I like the way James Elsen explains it here:

“….these healthy bacteria are vital
for healthy life. They make vitamins, they digest food, they make
antibiotic substances to keep down pathogens and they function as our
immune system.”

His entire article is fasinating, as he expounds on the healing nature of the GAPS diet (for which more info can be found here), which is the diet we have used to help heal our daughter.

3) Eat more good-quality fat. Butter from grass-fed cows, pastured lard and tallow, as well as coconut oil are all excellent choices. Saturated fat from animals (not hydrogenated vegetable oils!) are actually in composition the most like human body fat, thus the body is best able to convert these fats into energy (read: effeciant fuel, meaning your cells have what they need to fight disease!).  Coconut oil, especially, is essential for boosting the immune system due to its chemical makeup:

“Short and medium chain fatty acids contained in virgin coconut oil such as Caprylic (C8), Capric (C10) and Lauric (C12) have been found to have strong anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoal properties and are essential building blocks in boosting the bodies immune system. The essential fatty acids in coconut oil have been shown to be active in combating Candida Albicans. Furthermore, the digested form of lauric acid, monolaurin, has been shown to be active against lipid-coated viruses and has shown to be a successful resource for the reduction of the viral load in HIV patients” Source

For more info on how to obtain good quality animal fats and coconut oil, check out my resources page.

4) Take your cod liver oil! Or, as my kids call it: “Fishy oil”.  Yes, just like grandma used to do! Cod liver oil, especially the fermented variety, which can only be purchased online at this time (go here to order), is worth every penny due to its many, many benefits, which I explain in more depth here.

5) Eat a produce-dominated diet such as the one outlined in The Garden Of Eating: A Produce-dominated Diet & Cookbook
.  Chef Rachel, whose awesome blog is worth reading, suggests that each meal contain about 75% produce, with the rest being fat and protein from good quality animal products. Produce is rich in antioxidants, which even WebMD asserts are good for boosting immunity!  Here’s my review on The Garden of Eating Diet. It can be purchased directly from their website or through Amazon, but I hear you’ll get it much faster if purchased through their site.

 For more extensive information on this topic, you can read what Kevin Trudeau,  author of Natural Cures They Don’t Want You to Know About has to say about Swine Flu and Mass Vaccinations over at Kim’s Natural Cures Blog Carnival!

 

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Comments

6 Responses to “5 Simple, Thrifty Immune Boosters”

  1. Kevin Trudeau on Swine Flu & Mass Vaccinations | Hartke Is Online!
    August 4th, 2009 @ 10:42 am

    [...] Carrie from Thrifty and Organic blog out of Oregon checks in with Simple Thrifty Immune Builders. [...]

  2. Kimberly Hartke
    August 4th, 2009 @ 10:44 am

    You have described my approach to a “T”! Thanks for contributing this wonderful post to the Natural Cures blog carnival today!

  3. Vin - NaturalBias
    August 5th, 2009 @ 9:18 am

    Great tips, Carrie! It’s important for more people to realize that the threat of illnesses such as swine flu is more about immune deficiency than vaccine deficiency!

    The Garden of Eating is an awesome resource. I think Rachel now recommends more animal protein and fat, but the point remains that it’s important to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables!

    Another important part of boosting immunity is getting some sun exposure for vitamin D! Ever wonder why illness is so much more common during the winter? ;)

  4. carrie
    August 6th, 2009 @ 12:26 am

    Vin and Kim,

    Thanks for your comments!

    Vin, you’re totally right about Rachel’s revised recommendations, and I really needed to state that (it’s deep in the comment thread of my original review of her book). She’s definitely into more fat and protein now.

    Thank you also for mentioning the vitamin D. That is so true and obviously taking Fermented Cod Liver oil would help us maintain optimum levels, but their’s nothing like the good old sun!!

    Do you know if there are any studies that show if folks who live in, say the Mediterranean or closer to the Equator have stronger immune systems?

    Was just thinking about that today.

    ;)

    Carrie@ Organic Thrifty

  5. Liz in Seattle
    November 7th, 2009 @ 4:15 pm

    Wonderful tips for keeping the germs away to being with..thanks! I’ll take these to heart as cold/flu season progresses. Love that Vitamin D :-)

    But as a person whose family is recovering from H1N1, I must strongly recommend getting to the doctor ASAP and getting Tamiflu, as soon as symptoms occor. This is extremely important if you fall into risk groups, such as being pregnant, or being a child with underlying health issues.

  6. carrie
    November 9th, 2009 @ 7:53 pm

    @Liz,

    Thanks for your feedback! I am glad Tamiflu is so effective; that’s so good to know! I have also found studies that show there are other natural rememdies that have been just as effective, which I haven’t posted about yet, but as per my doctor’s reccommendations I’m taking several of these natural remedies, including Bovine Colostrum, for more great information on the healing/preventative effects of Bovine colostrum, go: http://www.icnr.org/flu/index.htm

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