Two major shifts have influenced our scientific understanding of how our immune system works. The first was the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s, which had a very similar pathology to the COVID-19 pandemic. When coming out of HIV/AIDS in the early 90s, there were increased instances of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, similar to long-haul COVID-19.

In the early days of chronic fatigue syndrome, many medical professionals wrote it off as a psychosomatic phenomenon. Nowadays, with a better understanding of this phenomenon, it’s actually seen as a result of the impact these diseases had on the immune system. And with this knowledge, new research is showing ways to start feeling better again by promoting a better, healthier immune system.

Epigenetics and Immuno-Rejuvenation

Epigenetics modifies the way genes are expressed and function. This includes your immune system cells, which retain those epigenetic changes, even if they are harming your own body. That’s where Immuno-Rejuvenation comes into play, when your body starts producing new, healthier cells. And some of the most important factors to trigger rejuvenation are part of our everyday life.

Although our bodies produce 100,000 or more new cells every second, the question becomes whether or not it can replenish cells faster than it can collect damaged ones. When the immune system can’t keep up, we end up in a net state of continual damage.

For example, the foods we eat add external pathogens that our immune system has to deal with. Fasting is a great way to give our immune system a rest. Specifically, foods that activate high glycemic responses show indicators of comorbidity with obesity, diabetes, and other diseases that damage the immune system. When we intermittently fast, it can cleanse older, damaged cells, and replenish newer, healthier ones.

Other Immuno-Rejuvenation Factors

Getting enough rest and a good night’s sleep is also critical to the immuno-rejuvenation process. On the opposite side, avoiding being sedentary and making sure to get enough movement and exercise throughout the day helps stimulate rejuvenation, as well as helping with your sleep.

The gut microbiome also plays a very key role in regulating immune function. In a healthy gut microbiome, most of the organisms you’ll find there are “friendly” or symbiotic. If you have an excess of parasitic bacteria, they’ll be negatively impact your immune system, making it even harder to rejuvenate. Polyphenols and flavonoids found in many fruits and vegetables also help create a more balanced gut microbiome. In fact, flavonoids participate in immuno-rejuvenation by getting rid of damaged cells and regenerate fresh cells. The Mediterranean Diet has shown great results in improving immune health by targeting the appropriate foods to boost this immune system renewal process.

Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat for Immune Health

Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat was a really important food in colonial America because it’s very hearty and doesn’t require chemical pesticides and herbicides. It hasn’t been consumed in the Americas for about a hundred years, but has been recently rediscovered due to its health benefits. Buckwheat isn’t a wheat or a cereal, though. It’s a fruit seed that doesn’t include any gluten in it. It also comes in many forms, including shake mix, supplements, and more.

Learn more and promote your own immuno-rejuvenation with this information-packed episode!

Guest Bio

Dr. Jeffrey Bland is a World-Renowned Nutritional Medicine Expert, “father of Functional Medicine”, and founder of Big Bold Health, a company on a mission to transform the way people think about one of nature’s greatest innovations — the immune system. Through Big Bold Health, Jeffrey is advocating for the power of Immuno-Rejuvenation to enhance immunity at a global level, often through the rediscovery of ancient food crops and superfoods. To get there, Jeffrey is building a network of small farms and suppliers throughout the US that take a clear stance on regenerative agriculture, environmental stewardship, and planetary health. Jeffrey’s career in health spans more than 40 years. A nutritional biochemist by training, he began in academia as a university professor. Jeffrey then spent three decades in the natural products industry, working alongside other pioneers. A lifelong educator, Jeffrey has traveled the world many times over in his role as the “father of functional medicine.” In 1991, he and his wife, Susan, founded The Institute for Functional Medicine. In 2012, Jeffrey founded another educational nonprofit called the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute. Jeffrey is the author of The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life, as well as countless additional books and research papers.

Links

@drjeffreybland
https://jeffreybland.com/
Bigboldhealth.com
Podcast
plminstitute.org