Nature has all of the answers and is a mighty force when it comes to immune support.  Chronic illness can be traced back to immune dysregulation- whether it is from inflammation, deficiencies, toxic exposure, stress, poor nutrition, or lack of exercise – just to name a few.  When you give the body the nutrients that it needs, you can just watch the body’s vitality get restored.  Some call it a miracle, I call it nature doing its work.  That is why I practice Naturopathic Medicine.

I am constantly reminded to go back to basics with my patients.  Most of our immune system resides in our gut.  This is why microbiome testing plays such a significant role for healing in my practice.  Testing for immune markers in our stool is extremely helpful.  Gut health issues are an obvious reason for stool testing, but also skin issues are a red flag that someone’s microbiome needs treatment.  Remember, our skin is our largest organ.  Whatever is going on within us will navigate to find its way out of us.

Healing may also just be a matter of nutrient deficiencies.  Testing is key when it comes to proper supplementation.  Vitamin A, C, D and Zinc are my favorite go-tos for immune support.  Supplements are the wild wild west and people are being prescribed the wrong dosages and even worse the bottles they are purchasing are doing more harm than good.  Vitamins A and D are fat soluble and if someone is taking too high of a dose it can become toxic and overload your liver.  There are many different forms of zinc, so make sure to get the kind your body will absorb.  If someone is acutely sick, I do the zinc tally tests in my office to find out if someone needs it.  Vitamin C is such a wonderful antioxidant that our bodies desperately need when we are sick and it is plentiful in citrus and cruciferous vegetables.

It’s important to re-test labwork to make sure you are absorbing your supplements.  IV therapy is another way to get nutrients if you are suffering from malabsorption and it is offered in my office.  High dose vitamin C can be very effective for chronic illness.  Plus, I consult with our in-office IV therapist to give specific recommendations that my patients need based on labwork.  Again, anyone can get IV therapy – but are you getting the vitamins and minerals your body actually needs?

Chronic illness such as Lyme disease, Epstein Barr Virus, Long COVID, Autoimmune Disease and much more take away one’s quality of life.  Why turn to harsh medications with side effects without laying the foundation with proper vitamins and minerals first?  Antimicrobials are extremely effective against infections and there are so many natural options without side effects.  There are tons of natural antiviral support including high dose Vitamin A.  Don’t treat a virus with an antibiotic – makes no sense.

When you lay the foundation of health with nutrition and proper supplementation you are setting yourself up with a great means of defense against chronic illness.  If you already suffer from chronic illness, take action sooner than later to find help.  Let’s get back to basics, back to nature and back to restoring health!