Head Back Healthy

Let’s Head into the School Year Healthy!

(And prevent colds and flus this fall.)

As we head back into school and enter the dreaded cold and flu season, I want to share some practical tips for maximizing the immune system for the whole family. As a parent and functional medicine primary care physician, I have given this topic a lot of thought and study! We all notice the trend of colds, coughs and sniffles returning as soon as everyone comes back from summer play and returns to school. While the incidence of illness is sure to rise with the change of season and return to close quarters, there are things we can do to support our immunity and feel ready to take on the challenge of school, activities and waning sunlight!

I want to help our community become more empowered to take care of ourselves and gain authority and self-governance over our personal health care. I hope to inspire people to take action before illness arises and show you that nature provides cures that are often both gentle on the body and powerfully effective. I also want to remind you that your immune system is not only activated and alert when you are feeling crummy; it is working on your behalf every single day (perhaps every single moment of every single day) to protect you from the world around you, and it’s relying on you for regular, perhaps daily, interventions to course-correct.

Building a Strong Immune System is a Whole-Body, Whole-System Affair

Building healthy immunity is not just about increasing our white blood cell count to wipe out a microbe here and there, nor is it just about fighting off cancer. Building healthy immunity is a highly orchestrated minute-to-minute, 24/7 affair which takes a lot of resources from our body to maintain. Therefore, it makes sense that when we miss out on a few nights of sleep, play a bit too hard, undergo something very stressful, or simply don’t focus on our basic nutritional needs, we’re likely to get a return visit from our cold sores, “catch a cold,” or worse.

And do not underestimate the strongly immune-suppressing nature of stress. Stress doesn’t just live in our heads; it lives in and directs every cell and every organ, depleting the immune system’s ability to maintain balance.

Here are the foundations that I teach my family and patients for staying healthy and preventing and treating illness.

Focus on the Foundations

While it may seem obvious, we can lose sight of the importance of our body’s basic needs and the huge impact that imbalance will cause on our immune system. I suggest taking stock and prioritizing the following:

Prioritize Quality sleep! Our kids need a lot more sleep than adults do. EVEN TEENAGERS, who may resist an early bedtime, need more sleep than they are usually getting. Proper sleep, in a cool, completely dark and quiet room, is perhaps the most important factor in preventing sickness as we go back to school. I suggest parking phones in another room and supporting kids in developing a consistent and healthy bedtime routine. Teaching kids about sleep hygiene now sets them up for better sleep habits throughout their life.

Focus on Appropriate Nutrition!

Without the micro and macro-nutrients to build and maintain our bodies, we become susceptible to illness and aren’t able to live up to our potential. Rapidly growing bodies (kids!) are especially prone to nutrient deficiencies. This is a big topic to dive into but the basics to focus on are:

Get protein with each meal, squeeze in vegetables at every turn, and prioritize whole real food over packaged foods. Reduce all sources of added sugar as much as possible (soda is ideally avoided). Teach kids how fruit is a great dessert and simple food can be tasty when prepared well. I highly encourage involving the kids in the selecting, shopping, prepping, and cooking process. Cooking food for ourselves is becoming somewhat of a lost art but is one of the most important skills we can support our children in learning. (I have many resources for this; see the end of the article.)

Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate! 

Everyone in the family benefits from a full glass of water first thing in the morning. I take mine hot, sometimes with lemon, to wake up the digestive track and get a bit of vitamin C. Sending kids to school with a water bottle (stainless steel is best) will ensure more hydration during the day and reduce the chances of the older kids buying bottled drinks (which are often not very healthy).

Expose Yourself to Sunlight!

Opening the blinds and getting indirect sunlight in the eyes, first thing in the morning, actually has profound effects on our circadian rhythm, mood and immune system. Additionally, the body makes vitamin D when the sun hits the skin, so while we want to be safe with our sun exposure, it is important to try to get our skin in the sun for 10-20 minutes at a time whenever it is shining!

Move Those Bodies!

Our bodies were meant to move. Exercise, movement practices, even just strolling or bouncing around a bit, stimulates lymphatic flow which cleans up the blood and supports immunity. Regular movement is key for immune health as well as our mental health. Movement has a direct effect on our motivation, mood (dopamine!), and keeping our brain sharp (the research on this is strong!). Teach your kids to get out and move during every break, go outside for fresh air, do a set of pushups between classes, jump rope or throw a ball around. I can say very confidently that it is not healthy for kids who have been sitting all day to sit on their phones during lunch break — so start these conversations now. The best way to shape our kids' habits is by teaching them why certain behaviors are beneficial or not and letting them discover how it feels in their bodies. With teenagers, we can’t enforce these behaviors, but we can reinforce them by talking about it and helping them discover this in themselves.

Now what to do if you get sick…

First, an important pro tip: When you have the first whisper of an imbalance, that is the time for action. There is no need to suffer valiantly with your symptoms to prove how hardy you are or to see how it will play out. As soon as you cough, have a sore throat, or feel that exhaustion creeping in, follow these guidelines:

• Stop all dairy and sugar. Dairy is a big mucous maker. Sugar suppresses white blood cells. Keep natural sugars (fruit juice, maple syrup) low as well, but do use honey.

• Don’t force food. Take it easy with eating in general. Digestion takes so much energy that it’s often best to eat lightly — mostly cooked, simple foods — while healing.

  
  

• Put on a pot of soup. Just like our grandparents did, start with some ginger, garlic, onion, and turmeric. Add any other veggies you wish, like carrots, zucchini, and celery, as they are alkaline and rich in electrolytes.

  
  

• Bring on the ginger. Ginger is perhaps the most versatile plant for immunity and healing a multitude of ailments. Grate some fresh ginger and steep to drink in a tea. You can use ginger to fight viruses, drain a sinus infection, and calm a belly ache or sore muscles.

  
  

• Stay hydrated. Especially with diarrhea, vomiting and/or fever. Take note of this: dehydration causes some of the most uncomfortable symptoms that we associate with fever, like headaches. Drink electrolyte-rich beverages like it’s your job when ill.

• Rest. Sleep is the greatest healer. If someone is unable to sleep because of pain or fever, that’s when I reach for Ibuprofen; otherwise, I usually let it be. It’s OK to lounge around and sleep if that is what your body wants.

  
  

• Fire up immunity with herbs and vitamins. For respiratory viruses, I reach for vitamin A, D, C, zinc, quercetin, echinacea, elderberry, and mushroom complexes. Propolis (a spray is best for sore throats) stimulates anti-viral immunity in mucous membranes. And from your kitchen: a simple remedy is to juice ginger and turmeric (or grate and make tea) and mix with honey and lemon, which seems to reduce symptoms immediately. Take your chosen immune support every few hours.

• Remember that being in nature brings in-the-moment healing, and breathing fresh air is important! I’ve heard parents tell their children (and adults tell me) that they can’t go outside “because they are sick.” However, it’s ok and even beneficial to go outside when you are sick. Nature exposure increases natural killer cell activity which allows you to fight off infections better. 

Take good care of yourself!

In health,

Dr. Erika Siegel, ND 

For more integrative medical tips on building the immune system and aging gracefully, as well as cooking wholesome food for the whole family, check out The Nourish Me Kitchen — a first-of-its-kind, functional medicine field guide and cook book by Dr. Erika Siegel.