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Acupuncture and The Four Pillars of a Healthy Immune System
Your immune system is as strong as you are, but specific “bugs” can compromise a healthy immune system. This article will help you find your immune system’s strengths and weaknesses and the tools to help improve and balance it. We explore the Four Pillars of a Healthy Immune System and how to bring balance. For further information and a more precise diagnosis, you can make an appointment at our clinic: Rebalance Acupuncture Edmonton.
How to Boost Your Immune System
Your immune system reflects your overall health. However, certain factors can compromise even a robust immune system. This article explores the four pillars of a healthy immune systemimmune system and offers tools to improve and balance each aspect.
1. The Physical Pillar
Maintaining balance is key to optimal health. Fresh air, nutritious food, clean water, healthy organs, and regular exercise are essential. Consuming unhealthy food can trigger adverse reactions in the digestive system. Similarly, unclean water or polluted air can harm the lungs and airways. Minimizing exposure to chemicals and toxins reduces stress on the immune system, keeping it ready and strong.
Is Hygiene Beneficial for the Immune System?
This question is nuanced. While avoiding germs by touching only sterilized items may seem logical, it can weaken the immune system by making it “lazy.” The immune system thrives on exposure to new stimuli, constantly learning and adapting. When deprived of this interaction, its ability to respond effectively diminishes.
Using common sense is crucial. Spend time in nature—interact with the earth, sun, trees, and animals. Wash your hands before meals and after using the restroom, but avoid over-sanitizing. If mask-wearing is necessary, take breaks when possible and practice deep breathing exercises. Step outdoors to breathe fresh air whenever you can, as prolonged mask use can limit healthy airflow.
The Importance of Interpersonal Contact for Immunity
Science supports the idea that regular interpersonal contact and exposure to different environments benefit health. For children, playing together allows their immune systems to adapt to various bacteria, germs, and molecules—even if it means they occasionally get sick. This exposure strengthens their immune systems over time.
The same principle applies to adults. Just as you wouldn’t start an exercise routine by running a marathon, overexposure to germs can overwhelm your body. However, gradual exposure helps build resilience. For instance, healthcare workers like nurses and doctors can handle higher levels of exposure because they have adapted to their environments. Striking a balance between cautious hygiene and allowing the immune system to interact with its surroundings is key to maintaining its strength.
Managing Existing Conditions
Existing health conditions and medications can weaken the immune system. Addressing and balancing these conditions is essential for overall health. Natural treatments like acupuncture can improve or resolve many issues, such as asthma, allergies, chronic cough, insomnia, constipation, and headaches. Strengthening your body by resolving these conditions lays the foundation for a healthier immune system.
Recommended Supplements to Boost Your Immune System
It’s always best to consult a naturopathic doctor for a proper diagnosis and personalized recommendations for effective results. This ensures you spend money on products that truly benefit your health.
- Vitamin C: Available as pills or, even better, through a Vitamin C IV (we offer Intravenous Therapy at our clinic).
- Vitamin D: Many individuals are deficient in Vitamin D, which is essential for maintaining a strong immune system. Spending time in sunlight is an excellent way to boost Vitamin D levels naturally.
- Other Supplements include zinc, selenium, probiotics, garlic, fresh ginger, honey, oregano oil, iodine, colloidal silver, and Vitamin A.
- Chinese Herbal Combinations: When taken at the right time, natural remedies like Gan Mao Ling can be highly effective in preventing the onset of colds.
Incorporating these supplements into your routine can help strengthen your immune system, but they should complement a balanced lifestyle and proper medical guidance.
2. The Mental-Emotional Pillar of the Immune System
Stress is widely known to deplete the nervous system and weaken the immune response. However, specific emotional triggers or conflicts can directly influence health.
Recall Healing says the emotional conflict most commonly associated with flu” or “flu-“like” symptoms involves arguments or disputes. Whether you’ve recently argued, are anticipating one, or are replaying a scenario, your brain “ay “acti” ate” a virus already present in your body, leading to illness. This explains why some people get sick when exposed to viruses while others remain healthy.
For example:
- Sore or dry throat: Often linked to stress in the throat area caused by arguments or excessive talking, which may precede a cold.
- Lung symptoms (e.g., cough or bronchitis): Commonly triggered by fear, as seen during events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Staying calm and avoiding public fear is crucial for maintaining immune health. Take practical precautions while considering everything to reduce stress and protect your well-being.
How to Heal the Flu from an Emotional Perspective
When you notice the first symptoms of the flu, take a moment to reflect on your recent emotional state. Have you had an argument or “an “internal argument” in the past few days? Emotional stress can impact the immune system, triggering physical symptoms. If this resonates, focus on forgiving, releasing, and letting go of the conflict. Sincere emotional release can significantly alleviate symptoms, often within an hour.
Consulting with a Recall Healing practitioner can be beneficial for individuals who argue frequently or experience the flu more than once or twice a year. These professionals help uncover subconscious patterns that may lead to recurring conflicts and illnesses. Chronic conditions such as allergies, persistent coughs, and bronchitis often have underlying emotional causes. Addressing these root conflicts is essential for achieving complete recovery.
Recall Healing offers a pathway to identify and resolve the emotional triggers behind illnesses, supporting holistic Healing and long-term health.
3. The Energetic Pillar of the Immune System (Chinese Medicine)
In Chinese medicine, the body possesses a protective energy known as Wei Qi. This energy is closely linked to the function of various organs, with the lungs playing a central role in its effectiveness.
In Chinese medicine, external pathogens, such as the energy associated with flu-like symptoms, are viewed as natural forces. These external pathogenic factors, often called wind cold or wind heat, can enter the body and disrupt its balance.
To maintain strong Wei Qi, avoiding overexposure to environmental factors that weaken this protective energy is crucial. For example:
- In winter, limit exposure to cold weather and dress appropriately to shield your body.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to air conditioners, fans, or drafts in summer, as these can also disturb the body’s energy balance.
Protecting and nurturing your Wei Qi can strengthen your body’s natural defenses against external pathogens, supporting a healthier immune system.
Treating the Immune System in Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine offers effective methods to strengthen and balance the immune system, addressing both acute and chronic conditions.
- Acupuncture: Acupuncture is highly effective in treating a weak immune system. Following a proper diagnosis can address both chronic weaknesses and acute illnesses, restoring balance to the body.
- Chinese Herbal Medicine: Herbal formulas are particularly effective when taken during the first 2-3 days of illness. They can prevent symptoms from worsening and help you recover faster. Keeping herbal remedies like Gan Mao Ling at home is highly recommended for addressing flu-like symptoms promptly.
- Lifestyle Practices: Strengthen your Wei Qi with breathing exercises such as qigong, yoga, and cardio workouts. A balanced diet and adequate sleep are essential for maintaining immune health.
- Dressing for Protection: During colder months, ensure you dress appropriately. Clothes that cover the back of the neck, an area sensitive to external factors, help protect your energy balance.
In Chinese medicine, there are cases of what is referred to “as “Pandemic” Qi,” such as highly contagious viruses like COVID-19. Exposure to such pathogens may lead to illness even with a strong immune system. However, when your Wei Qi is robust, the symptoms tend to be milder, and recovery is faster.
4. The Inspirational (Spiritual) Pillar of the Immune System
The fourth and final pillar of a healthy immune system is the inspirational pillar, often overlooked but profoundly influential. Inspiration connects deeply to the immune system, providing energy that strengthens both body and mind.
For instance, consider a mother “ho “cannot afford to be “ick” because she needs to care for her children. Her sense of purpose gives her a remarkable boost of energy and resilience. When life feels meaningful, your body responds with high-level energy, enhancing your immune system.
What inspires you? It could be your work, a favorite hobby, your loved ones, or even a connection to a spiritual path. Nature, with its beauty and tranquility, can also offer profound inspiration. At its core, the body’s energy thrives on a love for life—an enduring force that has carried humanity through countless challenges, such as ice ages, wars, famine, and plagues.
Let this legacy remind you: we are here because of the strength and resilience of our ancestors. Don’t allow seeds of fear, despair, or defeat to take root in your mind. Instead:
- Turn off the noise of fear—from the media or elsewhere—and tune into your heart.
- Connect with others. Isolation is an illusion; we are all interconnected, like cells within a single body.
- Embrace the flow of life and love within yourself. You’ll feel better and inspire those around you to do the same.
Our natu “al “herd immunity” is built on physical health and the strength of love, connection, and mutual support. Together, we thrive.
Summary: The Four Pillars of a Healthy Immune System
Achieving a balanced immune system involves nurturing its four key pillars: physical, mental-emotional, energetic, and spiritual aspects. Each pillar plays a vital role in maintaining resilience and overall well-being.
At Rebalance Acupuncture Edmonton, we offer holistic healing services to support and strengthen your immune system. We aim to restore balance and promote lasting health for your immunity and overall well-being through treatments such as acupuncture, recall healing, and other personalized therapies.
