By David W Dolan
The sad truth that we have learned though these last couples of months is that we need to learn how to live with the possibility of a virus — such as SARS-CoV-2 — that is lethal and can shut down the economy of the world.
The famous Dr. John E. Upledger, D.O., who was a clinician, scientist, and researcher at the National Institute of Health, said in 2010, “that the smartest organism on planet Earth is the virus. It has the ability to spread, mutate, and disguise itself against vaccines. It evolves.”
Viruses evolve to destroy our defenses as they mutate against whatever we throw at them. Dr. Upledger said that viruses are smarter than people and change much quicker. Humans change slowly if at all.
We are warned and we just pass it off. A small percentage of people actually work on improving their dietary health. Many work-out, exercise, and then eat and drink inflammatory foods with preservatives, additives, and downright poison to the human digestive system.
One of my favorite analogies on how the immune system works, is the Starship Enterprise that many of you might remember from ‘Star Trek’. The protection device of the Enterprise against invaders was a “shield” or force field that surrounded the ship. When the Enterprise was attacked by the foreign invaders, the shield made the attackers bounce off and kept the people inside safe. But, if the power/system was down, the shield became permeable and the invaders got through and slowly started destroying systems, one by one. Slowly the Enterprise became dysfunctional… if the power didn’t return, all would be lost! The engineer, Scotty, always found a way to bring the power back up and save the ship by repairing the protective shield.
Our immune system is the shield. So, when we let our body systems become run down, like through lack of sleep, eating badly, or overworking, the shield (immune system) lets in the invaders. Our body systems start to be compromised and slowly more and more invaders penetrate the body. If our force field were strong, the invaders would just bounce off! If our fuel, (food and water) is substandard, then our force field is already weakened. We have weakened ourselves with a lifestyle of drinking alcohol, soft drinks, sugar, smoking, eating inflammatory food, taking some prescription drugs that slowly compromise the immune system, lack of rest, and overworking ourselves. Pathogens (invaders) can get in. This virus threat and the others that will come, can kill us if we are not ready. So, masks, stay at home orders, gloves, are all just temporary measures at the last minute.
What we need is better health. It all starts with the gut and what we eat. That is our fuel for the protective shield called the immune system.
Can we as humans evolve as quick as the viruses? Maybe… if we were willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes that we need to optimize our immune systems. What if those changes would correct the underlying condition of whole-body inflammation that slowly compromises the body, and that the result is actual healing of autoimmune disease and digestive conditions of all kinds?
What would those changes look like?
We would have to seriously look at how we live, what we eat, and where we live.
During this COVID-19 pandemic, I have been saddened about the lack of effective public education about what it takes to keep your immune system strong. What does the public need to know that media and healthcare providers are not saying in a loud enough voice?
There are many suggestions about improving the immune system that are short-lived and very temporary. For instance, the idea about sunlight is a good one but that needs to be daily and won’t turn around a situation where someone is immune compromised like having an autoimmune condition. New focus must be on complete lifestyle changes to promote health that lasts through diet, exercise, and education about what is harmful to your general health. Helpful information that needs to be practiced daily.
Sadly, our public health education has been tainted and misinformation abounds. Our FDA is seriously faulty on what food and chemicals are allowed on the grocery store shelf. Many foods allowed here in the US are banned in other countries and categorized as “unfit for human consumption”. A serious scientific evaluation of the food industry and what is done to the food with pesticides, fertilizers, coloring, dyes, and preparation of meats and dairy for market would need to be done.
Do you think that is going to happen with the food lobby in Washington?
If you want to be healthy, it is up to you! Government obviously isn’t prepared or willing to clean up the FDA corruption in the food industry. So, we have an abundance of autoimmune conditions in the US that is worse than other countries. Why is that? It’s our human fuel, lifestyle, unhealthy living conditions, and emotional status. How many people tell you that they suffer from migraines, anxiety, and need a sleep aid to even go to sleep? Dietary changes can affect all of those.
Listed below are some changes to your lifestyle that over time, change the state of health and immunity.
- Big 3: Eat well, sleep 8 hours, and drink lots of water.
- Eat organic as much as possible
- Learn what foods create low level body inflammation (huge cause of conditions that promote disease.)
- Live in a place with clean air. (The western half of the US has lots of room and clean air)
- Learn what healthcare practices are detrimental to your health. Prescription drugs for example, is there an alternative change in diet that would eliminate the need for that expensive Rx?
- Learn what you can about the human digestive system and find out if wheat and corn are really healthy.
- Stop all soft drinks, energy drinks, sugar substitutes, diet drinks, smoking, and fast foods. You do want to get serious don’t you? Mental and emotional balance depend on you learning what foods create chaos with your brain and emotional state. (SUGAR)
- Reduce alcohol, reduce coffee, pizza, meat, and dairy products as much as you can.
- Increase organic fruit intake, fresh and frozen vegetables, and water consumption.
- Our standard for dehydration is faulty. We need much more water.
- Learn what spices are medicine and how to use them.
It all comes down to the fact that it is our responsibility to learn on our own, how to live a healthy lifestyle that will reject flu, infections, many diseases, digestive problems, and mental imbalances. You can’t trust other people to tell you. Educate your-self, and make an effort to start reading and watching videos about diet and nutrition. You will have to sort through for yourself what is true and what is taken out of context. There are plenty of healthcare professionals who don’t know or practice the above ideas for your immune health. We still sell soft drinks in the hospitals.
Dr. Upledger, D.O., who was named by Time magazine in the Easter edition of 2000 as a recognized “Healthcare Innovator of the New Millenium”, developed several styles of hands-on therapies for the purpose of developing strength in the immune system and nervous system. His most famous therapy derived from Osteopathic Medicine is called CranioSacral Therapy, along with Somato-Emotional Release is very effective at healing all sorts of disease processes and dysfunctional conditions. He also embraced Lymphatic Drainage by French Osteopath, Dr. Bruno Chikly from Arizona. These therapies cost about the same as a regular massage but are much more effective at helping the immune system get healthy.
But, most of all, take responsibility for your health and change your fuel, and repair your protective “force field”.
David W Dolan, LMT-CST David is a CranioSacral Therapist in Pagosa Springs, working at The Springs Resort & Spa. He is coordinating a hands-on Wellness Program incorporating detoxification of the Immune System.