thoughts on immune system

[XX]

and the supplements needed to strengthen in. Anyone got any thoughts? Ive been searching around but havent found much.

[2Scoot]

Green Tea and I'm thinking some of the anti-ox's but Im not 100% on that. I'll do some checking.

[Siberian]

NAC is good, i believe the ALAs as well. of course just be sure you have enough Vit C, E, A, D, etc. zinc is good for immune system too as well.

for long-term improvement, mushrooms are particularly good. not the usual button mushrooms, but things like portabello and shiitake. the latter of the two is quite expensive but they make extracts that are reasonably priced. astraglus root and elderberry are both great for the immune system as well. also, probiotics are very good. these are things that should be used every day for many days and will improve the immune system over time IMO.

for acute (i.e. cold/flu) improvement (although some can be used every day as well) i like fresh raw garlic, John Benz talks about 1g of Vit C every hour that your sick, and certain essential oils have very strong antibacterial properties (orgeano is a common one when fighting infection). i think olive leaf extract is supposed to be very good as well. again, these are things i would use only when i know im fighting an infection, except for garlic which everyone should try to eat each day IMO.

just some general thoughts on this which i am sure everyone has heard before but keep hands away from your face when possible (this is huge). and of course i am sure IA will tell you it is largely a mindset. according to him, convincing yourself 100% that you will not get sick will prevent you from getting sick. this is something i agree with very strongly.

EDIT: GT as 2scoot mentioned is definitely helpful. i think there was a study done which found ppl who drank GT had some major immune system cells 10X more active than ppl who didn't. don't quote me on that and i don't know the exact study but i vaguely remember reading that somewhere.

[Grassroots]

Shiitake mushrooms are supposedly very good for this, read about mushrooms and immune XX.

[XX]

thanks Grassroots, I will certainly check out all your suggestions!

[iron addict]

I am going on 8 years without a cold or flu.

I refuse to be sick. And believe we all have the capacity to enhance our immune system to extreme levels by a wide variety of methods. The strongest IMO being the mind. We can make ourselves sick. We have MOUNTAINS of data on that, we can make ourselves well or not be infected in the first place also. We are now beginning to collect the data on that and it is all promising.

I am going on 8 years without a cold or flu.

I refuse to be sick. And believe we all have the capacity to enhance our immune system to extreme levels by a wide variety of methods. The strongest IMO being the mind. We can make ourselves sick. We have MOUNTAINS of data on that, we can make ourselves well or not be infected in the first place also. We are now beginning to collect the data on that and it is all promising.

Did you know that we ALL have cancer every day? True statement and our body destroys it before it can proliferate. We are all exposed to an astoundingly large array of viruses and bacteria every day. Our body fights it off MOST of the time. Getting infected is the rare exception when compared to what we are exposed to. A VERY rare exception at that. You CAN enhance your immune system through diet, exercise and supps, but the strongest enhancement IMO and many researchers comes from within:D

IA

[Sand Blaster]

Wesley, I think, however, you're aided by not having a ton of contact with people, right?

Geez, I have contact with 100 different people per day at least four days per week. I get sick about once a year...

SB

[iron addict]

Last couple of years it has been mininmal compared to most people the 6 before no.....

IA

[richardhead]

IA, there was a book you recommended regarding using your mind to heal the body...do you remember the title?

[Siberian]

richardhead -

perhaps you mean Quantum Healing by Deepak Chopra. It's a good read.


IA -

could you point me in the direction of some of the new research that shows how our minds can affect whether or not we are sick. is this in pubmed and other databases or should i be looking somewhere else? i love this topic and would enjoy reading some more about it.

[iron addict]

Plenty of stuff on pubmed. It's all over the net and even on mainstreame news constantly if you pay attention.

Want a cool statistic? Heart attacks rates go up 20-45% MONDAY MORNING depending on which study you look at. We are the only creature with the capacity to do this apparently. Here is a clip I looked up 2 seconds ago.

(CNN) -- Monday mornings could seriously damage your health, according to new research.

A study carried out by Japan's Tokyo Women's Medical University and published in the American Journal of Hypertension showed that many workers suffer a significant increase in blood pressure as they return to the office after the weekend.

High blood pressure is associated with a greater risk of suffering a heart attack or a stroke, and the results could help to explain why there are more heart attacks on Mondays than at any other time of the week.

Research published several years ago in the British Medical Journal showed a 20 percent spike in heart attacks at the beginning of the week.

In the latest study, 175 men and women were fitted with devices to measure fluctuations in their blood pressure over the course of a week. The results showed a surge among those getting ready for work on Monday morning.

Volunteers who were not going to work didn't experience a comparable increase, suggesting a link between increased blood pressure and work-related stress.

"Most people are free of the mental and physical burdens of work on a Sunday and experience a more stressful change from weekend leisure activities to work activities on Mondays," said Dr Shuogo Murakami, who led the research.

[2Scoot]

I too have allot of contact with people but I wash my hands constantly it seems. I also never verbalize that I even feel sick. IMO you can will yourself into being sick.
The mind is more pwerful than any of us realize.
When I was going through cold weather, jungle, and desert survival I realized just how important attitude is to survival as well as health.

[XX]

I too have allot of contact with people but I wash my hands constantly it seems. I also never verbalize that I even feel sick. IMO you can will yourself into being sick.
The mind is more pwerful than any of us realize.
When I was going through cold weather, jungle, and desert survival I realized just how important attitude is to survival as well as health.

Im of the mindset that Wes is....I couldnt tell you the last time I got sick...had food poisoning twice int he past few years, but as far as just getting a cold or flu...doesnt happen to me and me believing it isnt going to happen plays a huge role, like Wes mentioned.

Hatter sucks at what you mentioned Scoot. if he even gets the slight bit run down he verbalizes it all the time "man i feel awful, Im run down, Im gettin sick" shit like that...and I told him he just makes it worse when he does it. Wes can you get on him about that...he dont listen to me :)

[iron addict]

Trouble has research that shows up to 75% of infections and disease are stress related. Hans Selye the father of stress research found on research with animals that ENOUGH stress of almost any kind lead to DEATH of the animals.

The three stages are:

Alarm: This is the first phase
resistance: At this stage excess stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are released.
exhuastion: at this point some of the following symptoms and much more are produced:
recurring infections
allergies/hay fever
stomach and other digestive symtoms
insomnia, irritabilty, lck of energy
lack of concentration
chronic fatigue
depression
teeth grinding
diarrea/IBS
migrain
PMS
neck and back pain
appetite disorders (too much, not enough)
addictive tendancies where none previously existed
And WAY more than I hae time nor desire to type

A LOT of the world lives in stress mode 24/7. WAY too much to do, WAY not enough time to do it, and unrealistic expectations of results/success/failure.

IA

[iron addict]

I START to catch a cold/flu a couple of times a year. As soon as I feel the symptoms coming on I get into a meditative posistion and first repeat a mantra about a zillion times that I will NOT allow the intruder to infect me. Then I do visualizations of my immume system kicking ass on the infection. My T-cells are some bad-ass warriors--lol.

I will spend 2-3 hours doing this for a day or two and I always beat it back down before it gets hold.

IA

[iron addict]

Every single thought you have changes your body chemistry a teeny bit. That is not a saying or analogy, but the stone cold truth. Think on that:D

IA

[2Scoot]

I'm down with that 100%. That is why I only associate with people that are positive and motivated in life. Negative people can bring me down in a hurry!

Whenever I come in contact with a new client or maybe just someone I meet in the store I always try to be as positive as possible...but I wont fake it. Thats just how I am. Chicks dig me and dudes want to be like me :) LOL!!

[Sand Blaster]

Three things to stay well,

1) Get plenty of rest.
2) Wash hands frequently and don't touch your face.
3) Don't fly.

I have flown 24K in the last 45 days. I've been sick once. I was getting a cold before I got on the plane and was fighting it well. But, after that plane ride, I was done. I was sick for three days. I hadn't been sick like that in a year.

SB

[2Scoot]

Is it true that a colder environment is a healthier one?
I have three sons and none of the get sick during the year. They have the occasional headache and such but thats it.
I leave the theromstat in the house on 67 during the winter (I'm hot as hell most of the time anyways) and no one complains. At night it goes to 64.

We also sit in the hot tub during the winter months, usually once a day. That has to be healthy for you to sit outside and get that good clean cold MI air.
The we do sprints around the house in the snow.....thats brutal but you only live once :)

[Hoops]

Wesley, I think, however, you're aided by not having a ton of contact with people, right?

Geez, I have contact with 100 different people per day at least four days per week. I get sick about once a year...

SB

I lived in dorms for 2 years with about 700-800 other people in my dorms. I also was in very large class rooms of over 300 people daily. I recall getting sick once, not counting my nose running or something like that. I was sick for MAYBE 3 days.

Right now I buss tables, so I come in contact with god knows how many people's food and I'm around countless people a night. The worse I ever get are some seasonal alergies where my nose runs. And I did get an eye infection a while but that's not really being "sick"

[richardhead]

While we are talking about stress and health, here is the book IA recommended for meditation and relaxation:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9163094886/104-4666645-0763960?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

[Sand Blaster]

I lived in dorms for 2 years with about 700-800 other people in my dorms. I also was in very large class rooms of over 300 people daily. I recall getting sick once, not counting my nose running or something like that. I was sick for MAYBE 3 days.

Right now I buss tables, so I come in contact with god knows how many people's food and I'm around countless people a night. The worse I ever get are some seasonal alergies where my nose runs. And I did get an eye infection a while but that's not really being "sick"

Aren't you special? :D

SB

[XX]

yes hoops is very special, lol :)

[itstime]

Inositol and IP-3 combo is supposed to be very good for immune cells.
there is a brand name, but i cant think of it right now.

[John Benz]

Like Wes, I never get sick. He is right as rain about the power of mind over matter. As soon as I feel a cold or flu trying to take me down, I do several things concurrently.

First... Rid yourself of as much stress as possible. Stress is the root cause of all disease. Think good thoughts and banish ill will from your mind. I switch over to a primarily vegetarian diet, as viruses cannot thrive when the system is strongly alkaline. Avoid hard to digest foods, like milk and red meat, and up your water intake, as most people tend to keep themselves in a constant state of mild dehydration, drinking soda pop and coffee instead of pure H2O. Don't work out when hit with a virus as the body needs to be fully charged to repair tissue and you will be overloading the immune system.

The immune system depends on good circulation and a healthy heart. Everyone should add CoEnzyme-Q-10 to their sup list as it energizes and heals the heart and thus dramatically strengthens the immune system.

Echinacea taken daily and also Siberian Ginseng will help maintain a strong immune system.

Remember, adequate water intake is the most important factor besides a positive mental attitude for staying healthy and disease-free.

[SoG]

Something I've been interested in lately is metabolic typing, in other words, eating the right foods for your genetic profile. Apparently the oldest, primitive human tribes and nations in the world without access to modern day Westernized food live to ripe old ages without any cancer or heart disease. And then when put on a Western diet, they develop the same symptoms that are rampant throughout our country.

Maybe you can expound on this, Wesley? This sounds like something up yours or Trouble's creek.

For anyone interested, you can pick up "The Metabolic Typing Diet" book at amazon--goes over the basics fairly well at a decent price.


Best,
Dave

[Khryz]

Very informative thread. I was especially suprised by John Benz' statement about how viruses cannot spread while eating a vegetarian diet. That's good to know!

[John Benz]

Something I've been interested in lately is metabolic typing, in other words, eating the right foods for your genetic profile. Apparently the oldest, primitive human tribes and nations in the world without access to modern day Westernized food live to ripe old ages without any cancer or heart disease. And then when put on a Western diet, they develop the same symptoms that are rampant throughout our country.

Maybe you can expound on this, Wesley? This sounds like something up yours or Trouble's creek.

For anyone interested, you can pick up "The Metabolic Typing Diet" book at amazon--goes over the basics fairly well at a decent price.


Best,
Dave
We've known for years now that people adapt to their environment and the body functions much morte efficiently when you eat foods grown in your own area.

Most primitive people eat whole unprocessed food, preservative free and tons of fiber. Their water is from natural streams or glacier ice and full of trace minerals and zero fluoride. Junk food is the main cause of cancers, crohn's didease and most intestinal problems. This isn't rocket science. Eat more fiber and drink more water...and remember the old saying, "The colon must be clean before the body can heal itself."

[John Benz]

Very informative thread. I was especially suprised by John Benz' statement about how viruses cannot spread while eating a vegetarian diet. That's good to know!
I heard Linus Pauling state this on tv many years ago. He claimed that megadoses of Vitamin C and converting the body to an alkaline ph level were the 2 most important factors in fighting viral infections. ;)

[2Scoot]

I heard Linus Pauling state this on tv many years ago. He claimed that megadoses of Vitamin C and converting the body to an alkaline ph level were the 2 most important factors in fighting viral infections. ;)

I do remember that. Bill Romanowski talked about this in his latest book "Romo"
He said that he was sold on ionized water as it will put the body into a perfect ph balance. He has a son who suffered from a breathing disorder of some kind and once he started drinking this water the disorder went away. Coincidence? Maybe but I have been looking at them but they are a bit pricey.

[Hoops]

My dad has in the entire time I've known him never been sick by normal standards. He got a stomach virus drinking from a pond and he stepped on a needle and got such a bad infecting he had to be IVed. Beyond that he never missed a day of school or work in his entire life.

I sorta learned how to "will myself sick" just long enough to get a day out of school, but that was mostly me just BSing my mom when I didn't want to go.

I simply don't understand getting sick. It's a weird idea that honestly I don't know much if anything about. I've been sick, but so few times it's hard for me to really even remember what it's like.

But apperntly I'm just "special"

[2Scoot]

And youre just now realizing that Hoops? :)

[Double3]

I don't get sick very often.

Right now I have a cold trying to get me but I've been holding it off pretty good. Just a few light coughs the last 2 days.

[Hoops]

And youre just now realizing that Hoops? :)

Well my mommy has always said I was special, but that's her job.

[BeachMuscles]

I got a cold from sharing a beer bong with a roomie couple weeks ago. Not the highlight of my career. But did lost 7 lbs and boosted my self esteem when i had more veins. $$

[XX]

Beach, I love your signature line!

I think a lot of sickness is controllable by the mind, as seen in numerous REAL WORLD examples given by lots of you guys.

[2Scoot]

I got a cold from sharing a beer bong with a roomie couple weeks ago. Not the highlight of my career. But did lost 7 lbs and boosted my self esteem when i had more veins. $$
And I always thought germs couldnt live in a sterile environment :)

[BeachMuscles]

Atleast it wasn't mono from making out with sooooo many girls. haha