Optimizing Immunity with Dr. John Yim

04/08/20 • 16 min

With COVID 19 statistics constantly in the headlines and world leaders headlining how little is known about the virus, we wanted to provide our listeners with actionable steps around what we do know about our immune system.
Dr. Yim briefly explains what the immune system does and then focuses on dietary and lifestyle choices to optimize immunity. Beth, host of Vital Moments gives some sage advice about growing your own microgreens for their denser nutrient profile.
He shares information about his favourite vitamins, A, C, E, Zinc and Selenium and how mushrooms can provide an added layer of immune support. Working with high quality nutrients is key and he outlines the difference between pharmaceutical grade and non pharmaceutical grade.
His focus and special interest is in gut health and how it impacts and influences the entire body and discusses the Five R's of Optimal Gut Health. You can watch Dr. Yim's lecture on the Healthy Gut here.
Actionable Steps
1. Get out in the fresh air and walk around your yard or a quiet street.
2. Watch nature videos
3. Challenge a friend online to workout with you
4. Meditate daily
5. Focus on eating more vegetables and plant based proteins
6. Drink enough water, every day!
7. Practice Abdominal Breathing
8. Get on a program that includes immune promoting and supporting nutrients

Previous Episode

Becoming Better: Creating a Better Health Story

Rituals, Melatonin and a Continuation on the Conversation about Sleep
Sleep is important for good health at any time, but now, in the face of a deadly pandemic, it's even more important and for many harder to come by. Stress and anxiety can have you staying up late with eyes glued to the news, or wide awake fretting about things you want to control but can't.
With immunity needing to be optimized more than ever, enough quality sleep is often times put on the bottom of the to-do-list.
Dr. Yim goes into detail about the cycle of stress and how melatonin production can be negatively impacted. Both Beth and John also talk about their journey to improving sleep, how food impacts quality of sleep and how gratitude and refocusing is helping both of them become better.
Resources and Further Reading
Fighting Fatigue
More podcasts and videos on sleep, check out the video on detoxification with Chantal David
Find out if your lack of sleep is due to imbalances. Interesting info on tests offered by one of our labs.

Next Episode

A Conversation about Fertility with Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Carmen Anne Luterbach

One of the most common hormone imbalances in fertility care is progesterone.

Progesterone means to promote gestation --or the hormone that promotes a healthy preganncy.

You may have low progesterone if you do not ovulate, if you have fertile mucus during the luteal or post-ovulatory phase or if the luteal phase is less than 11 days.

Some symptoms of low progesterone include, but are not limited to:

-mid-cycle spotting

-cycles less than 25 days

-short luteal phase

-lack of a BBT temperature spike, or instability of temperatures during the luteal phase

-spotting before your cycle starts

-night sweats, hot flashes

-insomnia, especially in the luteal phase

-spotting just before your cycle starts for a few days

-long, heavy, prolonged menstrual cycle and flow.

Remember, it is the BALANCE of the progesterone --the YIN hormone and the estrogen ==the YANG hormone, that is important. You may have a relative estrogen excess or be in an estrogen dominant state, in which your naturopathic doctor can support your liver and digestive tract to detoxify the extra estrogen.

Genes

The gene that involves folic acid and a critical process in the body called methylation --is the MTHFR gene. When you have deficits in this gene you have a higher requirement not just for folate BUT for the right form of folate: L-5-MTHF. The folate from food. From dark green leafy vegetables mainly.....like Kale! For patients hoping to conceive, dark green leafy vegetables are their POWER food. Here are some symptoms that may indicate your MTHFR gene needs support:

-Hypothyroidism

-Low wbc count (white blood cells) most of your life

-required IVF to conceive

-required significant interventions to become pregnant and carry to full term

-recurrent miscarriages

-have a child on the austim spectrum

-have a child with Down's syndrome

-blood tests for folate or Vitamin B12 are elevated even though you do not take these suppekents

-do not tolerate alcohol of any type

-feel BEST after eating leafy green vegetables.

list adapted from page 75 of Ben Lynch's 'Dirty Genes'.
Refreshing Spring Greens Salad.

One of my family's favourite ways to get in the super greens....and the natural folate!! Adapted by Dr. Luterbach from Christmas Kale Salad from www.nourishingmeals.com
Salad:
1 large bunch of your favourite type of kale, chopped (remove large stems)
1/4 purple onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries 1 large, ripe pomegranate peeled1/2 small can of mandarin oranges
1/2 cup pecans, roasted
Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Place the kale in to a large serving bowl. Add the onions and cranberries; set aside. To make the dressing, place all of the ingredients into a small jar, cover, and shake. Pour dressing over the salad and massage into the kale to soften the kale and breakdown the cell walls. Massaging your kale with a salad dressing will partially digest it for you, increasing nutrient availability. Add the roasted pecans just before serving so they remain crunchy! Enjoy!