The Immune Miracle – Introduction

The Immune Miracle

The all-natural approach for better health, increased energy, & improved mood.

Shawn M. Talbott, PhD, CNS, LDN, FACSM, FAIS, FACN

Introduction

Every year, near “back to school” time, people start thinking about their immune systems. Right around that same time, I also get bombarded with questions about “stimulating” or “maintaining” immune system health. Maybe it’s because when kids go back to school, they’re exposed to germs from the other kids and they tend to get sick more often. It might also have something to do with the media reports of swine flu or bird flu that tend to air every year in the Fall. And it might just be because we’re heading into the beginning of the cold/flu season, which can run from early October to as late as April.

The sudden interest every year in “boosting” our immune system function in order to ward off or overcome a cold or the flu always makes me shake my head in dismay. Why? Because keeping our immune system strong should be something that we think about EVERY day of the year – not just when we have a “problem” such as an active cold, flu, or other infection. Just as we maintain optimal health by thinking about our daily nutrition, our daily exercise, or our daily amount of sleep, we should think about nourishing our immune systems every single day. By keeping our immune system properly “primed” for activity, we not only improve its ability to fight off viruses, bacteria, and even cancer – but we also help ourselves feel better, enjoy higher levels of energy, better mood, and improved vigor (mental/physical well-being).

Chapter 1 provides a brief discussion about immunity and disease– and what it means to “prime” versus “stimulate” our immune system function so we can optimize day-to-day immune protection. The Chapters that follow will delve into greater detail about how the immune system functions (Chapter 2), how stress can suppress immune function (Chapter 3), why priming your immune system is important for optimal functioning (Chapter 4), how to eat and supplement your diet for proper immune system nourishment (Chapter 5), and how a natural yeast extract may be the future of immune system support (Chapter 6).