SUPPORT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
We hope you are all well. We miss our brick and mortar face to face time so much and want to continue to support your wellness journey remotely as we all are adapting to this temporarily strange and sometimes scary situation.
Forged Barbell advocates for health through exercise, nutrition, hydration, community building, and recovery. We are dedicated to being here. We will continue to provide programming, video content, wellness and nutrition guidance, high quality food-sourced nutritional supplements, and virtual community gatherings to support you and your loved ones. Below is a set of recommendations to help support your and your family’s innate immunity and provide resiliency in the face of this novel virus.
Stress Management: when your body is in “fight or flight” mode, it perceives an external threat, which makes it much less effective at identifying and protecting you from an internal threat such as a viral infection. High cortisol (stress hormone) levels depress lymphocytes and other immune cells and diminish S IgA (antibody) levels. Activities such as deep breathing, sitting on the floor, laughing, spending time with loved ones, meditation, and walks in nature can help shift your body out of “fight or flight” and optimize your immune function.
Blood Sugar: consistently high blood sugar reduces white blood cell activity and depresses the immune system. Avoid processed sugars, high glycemic fruits, and processed carbohydrates such as breads and pastas, which quickly spike blood sugar. A single blood sugar spike can depress the immune system for up to 24 hours.
Mineral Balance: ionized calcium supports white blood cell activity, zinc is a component of the enzymes required to boost the immune system and help protect against free radicals, and iodine is a natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent. These minerals can be found in food and/or supplemented.
Digestion: proper digestion includes stomach acid with low enough pH to kill pathogens and cleave minerals and other nutrients off of proteins allowing them to be bioavailable to your body. Improper digestion can lead to gut disbiosis and immune challenges in the intestines. Digestion can be supported by reducing stress around mealtimes, chewing, dedicating time specifically for meals, and through supplementation.
Fatty Acids: the appropriate mix of fatty acids is critical for the management of inflammation (as well as stress hormones and sex hormones, but that is a topic for another email). Omega 3s, Omega 6s, and saturated fats needed for proper prostaglandin function can be obtained through food or supplemented.
Hydration: water is required to keep the mucosal lining of air pathways and the digestive tract moist, which is a protective barrier from pathogens entering our bodies. 70-80% of our entire immune system is located in the mucosal lining of the small intestine. Water also supports good lymphatic flow and proper blood viscosity, which facilitates immune cell movement throughout the body.
Gut Flora: the good bacteria in the gut destroy viruses and pathogenic bacterial invaders in the digestive system. Compromised gut microbiomes diminish IgA numbers and reduce neutrophils and macrophages. Taking a probiotic and/or eating fermented foods can boost the production of beneficial microorganisms and extend the life of IgA.
Immuno-depressant things to Avoid:
Toxins including toxic cleaning supplies, exposure to air pollutants such as smoke, exhaust, and gasoline fumes, and pesticides on food
Stress
Refined sugar & carbohydrates
Over training
Known food allergies and/or sensitivities
Immuno-supportive things to Increase:
Nutrient dense whole foods diet
Sleep
Pure filtered water
Exercise
Recovery
Stress management
Community connections
Please reach out with any concerns. We are here to support you in any way we can.
Supplements
There are many supplements that can assist with immune support. Knowing which supplements your body needs is much more of an art than a science, and there is no way I can make any blanket recommendations through a computer screen. However, there are some supplements that stand out. The brands we carry and endorse are brands that we believe in from how they are sourced, produced, and how effective they are in our body. We consider these supplements potent medicine to enhance our lifestyle. Supplements should never be used to compensate for poor lifestyle choices.
Zinc: Zinc is mandatory for the proper functioning of the immune and digestive systems of the body. It is also has many other functions including synthesis of cholesterol, fats, and proteins; regulates the release of Vitamin A from the liver; critical for cell growth and cellular replication of DNA (directly impacted by viruses); skin and bone integrity; prostate health; essential fatty acid metabolism; and taste perception. Our pick is Zn-Zyme by Biotics Research.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is commonly known as an immune stimulant and antiinflammatory compound, but it also plays several other roles in the body. It plays a role in the formation and maintenance of collagen (skin, ligaments, cartilage, vertebral disks, joint linings, capillary walls, bones, teeth), formation of serotonin, folic acid absorption, dopamine and epinephrine, stimulates adrenal function, helps thyroid hormone production, aids in cholesterol metabolism, lowers blood cholesterol, protects Vitamin E, A, and B Vitamins, and plays a vital role in detoxification. Vitamin C can help with back pain and inflammatory pain related to weightlifting and intense exercise. Heat destroys Vitamin C, so is only available dietarily in fresh raw foods and is metabolized quickly, so should be ingested several times throughout the day. And everyone should be taking Vitamin C right now. Our pick is Bio-C Plus 1000 by Biotics Research.
CBD: CBD is an acronym for Cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic compound found in the Cannabis plant (this means it doesn't get you high). All mammalian species possess the endocannabinoid system (ECS) which regulates many vital bodily functions such as stress management, sleep, appetite, immune systems responses, hormone production, and mood to name a few. CBD works by interaction with this endocannabinoid network to assist its task of maintaining bodily homeostasis. Our pick is Vermont Pure CBD. They offer both tinctures and balm to help manage stress, pain, inflammation, and immune response.
Shrooms: The ability of medicinal mushrooms to boost the immune system and increase resilience to viral invaders has been well documented over the past several years. Chaga, lion's mane, reishi, cordyceps, enokitake, maitake, shiitake, tremella, Agaricus blazei, and meshima are the mushrooms included in our pick: Four Sigmatic Mushroom Blend Mix. (Host Defense is another pick of ours, but they are currently sold out).
Do your research. We are here to support you. Once we can safely gather again, Lauren will continue to do free muscle testing for immune support. In the meantime, reach out if you need supplements. We continue to fill orders remotely and can ship them directly to your home.