Seven Immune-Boosting Must-Haves

August 25, 2021
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

As we continue to be faced with viral threats to our health, it’s time to revisit the importance of fortifying our immune system to the highest level possible. What I love about nutrition and holistic health – and what makes it ideal for such a time as this – is that we focus on making our bodies so strong that they can overcome anything! 

A strong immune system is the cornerstone for maintaining health. So, let’s review the essentials we need in our toolbox to build and keep a solid fortress against the virus. After all, would you build your fortress with hay or sticks when you can build with stone? 

Taking control of your immune health includes eating a clean diet, exercising regularly, getting good quality sleep, tuning in to your emotional and spiritual needs, and supplementing with herbs and vitamins. If you already struggle with fatigue, digestive woes, immune issues like allergies, or chronic illness, then it’s important to detox and rebuild.

A healthy immune system defeats foreign invaders on its own – including viruses. It functions best when environmental toxins and exposures are minimized, and detox pathways are open and functioning optimally. 

These concepts are the foundation for my Radical Longevity plan, which focuses not only on eating a clean, nourishing, and detoxifying diet, but also on eliminating toxins in your environment and reducing inflammation in your body for a long and healthy life. 

Once your diet and lifestyle are promoting health and fighting disease, it’s time to shore up your immunity with nutrients specific for a strong and healthy body. Several studies have been done to determine what makes a viral infection mild for some and life threatening for others. 

A number of nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, selenium, iodine, and zinc have been studied for their effectiveness and I absolutely recommend them. 

Here are my top seven immune-boosting must-haves:

  1. Check your pH. The first thing I do when I feel fluish or chilled is I take extra salt. Why? Because I know my pH is out of balance and to bring it back, I mix ¼ tsp of Celtic Sea Salt and ¼ tsp Cream of Tartar (for extra potassium) in 4 ounces of water and drink each day. And I measure my pH levels regularly. You can easily assess your own health status by using a pH paper or nitrozene paper from any drug store. This paper is used to test both the saliva and the urine pH levels.

    The pH scale is from O to 14, with 7 as the neutral point. From 7 to 0, the pH becomes more acid. From 7 to 14, the pH becomes more alkaline. The ideal reading from both urine and saliva is slightly acid at 6.4. Testing pH levels provide valuable information about the body’s biochemistry through the acid-alkaline balance. An overly acidic condition is usually associated with lowered resistance to disease. Virus, bacteria, fungus, and parasites exist in an acidic body.
  2. Shore up your immune system. Immune Formula is designed to strengthen your immune system in unique and powerful ways with a blend of key immune enhancing glandulars, nutrients, plant extracts, minerals, and vitamins specifically chosen for their highly researched and time-honored benefits to the immune system. It simplifies your regimen by combining vitamin C, D, zinc, quercetin, into a simple all-in-one formula.
  3. Make sure it’s methylated. Your daily multi should contain methylcobalamin (the preferred form of B-12) which plays a role in the production of glutathione which I will talk about below. I take and recommend Advanced Daily Multivitamin to ensure glutathione production and overall immune health with over 30 key vitamins and minerals (including the ones I listed above) in highly absorbable forms.
  4. Boost antioxidants with vitamin C. Vitamin C has long been known to possess anti-viral effects by increasing the activity of natural killer (NK) cells and T cells, while inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. I recommend supplementing with UNI KEY Health’s Time-C to keep your levels of this vitamin consistently high throughout the day.
  5. Don’t go without D. I cannot overstate the importance of vitamin D supplementation for your lung health and immunity. Your airways, bronchial tubes, and even the small air sacs called alveoli are lined with vitamin D receptors, responsible for several different immune functions designed to protect these delicate lung tissues. This is especially important over age 50, because alveoli lose some of their elasticity as we age, which results in a decreased ability to hold air and increases the risk of developing pneumonia and respiratory failure from viruses. Vitamin D also helps regulate T cells, which help us fight off viral infections and decline as we age.
  6. Play it safe with silver. Silver has a long history of use for microbial, fungal, bacterial, and viral concerns. I recently wrote about the most effective form of silver I’ve found in this article. Silver Excelsior chelated silver oxide is available in a 4000ppm concentration, which is 15 times more concentrated than any colloidal silver you can buy. This biocompatible silver gets inside cells right where viruses replicate. I dilute mine to the recommended 150ppm, then use 8 drops in my sinus rinses and gargle with it at least once daily.
  7. Go big with glutathione. As a master detoxifier and antioxidant, glutathione occurs in every cell in the body but is most active in the liver. It is interesting to note that in people with cancer, AIDS and other serious diseases, glutathione levels are generally severely diminished, suggesting that this antioxidant may play a key role in immune system decline. To help boost glutathione levels, think dietary protein. Because glutathione is comprised of three amino acids (cysteine, glutamine, and glycine), one of the best ways to stimulate production is with one or two daily servings of whey — the gold standard when it comes to quality protein powder. Fat Flush Whey Protein provides non-denatured and naturally occurring amino acids along with healing lactoferrins and glycoproteins not found in most other whey products, due to their heating processes which render cysteine useless. Watch this video for more about why Fat Flush Whey Protein is so pure.

    Other dietary sources of glutathione include asparagus and the “fragrant” cruciferous veggies — kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli— that are rich in other sulfur-bearing compounds that contribute to the dietary synthesis of this amazing antioxidant.

Wishing you all abundant health in the months and years ahead!

Immune Formula from Uni Key Health

Immune Formula

Time-C - Vitamin C Supplement - Uni Key® Health

Time-C

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Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

4 Comments

  1. Donna

    I’m so glad I’m taking the Advanced Daily Multi that has all the vitamins you are recommending.

    Reply
  2. Catherine

    Interesting that the Fat Flush Whey has that antioxidant and other things that are very healing. I just use it in my smoothies because I love the taste.

    Reply
  3. Gail

    I’ve never heard about this form of silver. I really want to try it. I get sore throats a lot.

    Reply
  4. Carmen

    I’m trying to get out in the sun more and take a vitamin D supplement every day.

    Reply

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