The weather made quite a sudden shift here in San Diego recently, from very hot to quite chilly in what seemed to be a day or two. As the temperature dropped, my wife and I noticed our six month old got a very mild case of the sniffles. Fortunately, with the help of the immunizing power of breast milk the little guy got better in two or three days. Whatever he caught, however, traveled to my wife and then to me. In today’s blog I would like to share with you my strategy for kicking a cold and what exercises I did while I was fighting the bug. Both my wife and I recovered quickly, in fact, I can’t say I was sick, just that I was fighting something off, which both of us did in under a week. I did have one day with a mild body ache, which is always my most obvious symptom when I get sick, which fortunately is rare.
Diet
To help boost my immune system upon symptoms I immediately start using a a product called wellness formula, that always seems to keep me one step ahead of the sickness. I also eat immune system boosting foods, one of the main ones being garlic. Raw garlic has the most potency but can be hard to eat, whereas roasted garlic is so much more palatable and easier to digest that you can usually consume a lot more. I roast an entire bulb for my wife and I and add it to dinner.
It goes without saying that we eat only healthy foods and stay away from sugar that suppresses the immune system quickly and significantly. I also increase my water intake by 50% but adjust for potentially lower activity levels because I perspire a lot when I workout hard, which I won’t be doing until I am completely well.
Exercise
My workouts vary day to day depending on how I feel. I start with something easy, usually deep breathing and tai chi. If you don’t know tai chi, don’t worry about it, try making big circles with our arms, rotating the shoulders through a full range of motion. Swing your arms from side to side, using a twist in your midsection and let your arms swing from side to side like when you were a kid. See how it feels to walk up and down some stairs, if its brutally challenging, then call it a day and get some rest. If it feels good, then perform some bodyweight squats, lunges and one leg toe touch. The point is, let your body move with no expectation beyond doing what feels good.
I personally believe that our immune system needs to be exercised just like your muscle and your brain if you want it to work at it’s best. Exposure to viruses and 99.99% of bacteria is a good thing and fighting them off naturally is the way to grow stronger. Microscopic organisms can adapt faster than any other creature on the planet so experiences like this can keep your immune system ahead of the game. Generally, the degree to which you fight the illness is a barometer for how healthy you are. As we move into flu season, I wish you all the best of luck getting a bug and fighting it off with little to no symptoms! Think of it like your immune system had a really good workout!
Until next time,
Peter Hirsh
