About the Book
The word immunity has unfortunately become an all-too-common term in our vocabulary, and for good reason. When the pandemic hit, many of the major drug companies created vaccines that offered us “immunity” against this specific virus. Yet, few of us understand that almost all these vaccines work based upon their activating our own built-in systems of defense. It is our very own immunity to these viruses that can make the difference between illness and health. To help clarify what each of us can do to protect ourselves and our loved ones, Pamela Wartian Smith, MD has written Max Your Immunity. Here is a complete guide to understanding and maximizing your natural defenses against various infectious diseases.Max Your Immunity is divided into three parts. Part One explains how our innate and adaptive immunity systems work. Our innate immunity system is based on our built-in barriers designed to fight or separate us from infectious agents. Our adaptive immunity, also called acquired immunity, is composed of lymphocyte cells that are triggered when a specific pathogen enters the body. These cells learn to identify the invading pathogens and hunt them down. In this section, each component in both systems are clearly identified and explained. Part Two provides ten important things that you can do to increase and strengthen all of these components. And Part Three provides specific nutritional plans to increase your body’s immunity to help defend against the most common health disorders.By simply having a clear understanding of how our internal defenses work and what we can do to increase our immunity, we can play an important role in maintaining good health. Max Your Immunity can help show you what you need to know to protect yourself and your family.
Table of Contents:
Contents
Acknowledgments, vii
Introduction, 1
PART 1
How Your Immune System Works
1. What Makes Up Your Immune System?, 5
2. What Is an Autoimmune Disease?, 17
3. How Is Your Immune System Measured?, 23
4. Does Your Immune System Change With Age?, 27
PART 2
Lifestyle Changes to Strengthen Your Immunity
5. Alcohol: Moderation Is the Key to Health, 33
6. Exercise: Whether You Like It or Not, 38
7. Your Gut: A Healthy Gut Equals a Healthy Immune System, 54
8. Inflammation: Its Effect on the Immune System, 86
9. Sleep: Get a Good Night’s Sleep, 110
10. Smoking: How It Affects the Immune System, 123
11. Stress: Manage Your Stress, 129
12. Sugar: Minimize Your Intake for Healthy Eating, 138
13. Thyroid: Optimize Its Function, 146
14. Water: Stay Hydrated, 164
PART 3
Herbal and Nutritional Therapies for Immune Building
HERBAL THERAPIES
Astragalus, 172
Cordyceps, 173
Echinacea, 175
Elderberry, 176
Garlic, 177
Ginseng, 179
Goldenseal, 183
Glycyrrhizin, 185
Olive Leaf Extract, 189
Oregano, 190
NUTRITIONAL THERAPIES
Arginine, 193
Carnitine, 196
Chromium, 199
Cysteine, 199
Glutamine, 201
Manganese, 203
Selenium, 206
Vitamin A, 208
Vitamin D, 210
Zinc, 212
OTHER NUTRIENTS
Beta Glucans, 217
Carnosine, 219
Colostrum, 220
Glutathione, 222
Sulforaphane, 224
THERAPIES THAT DECREASE INFLAMMATION
Aloe Vera, 226
American Skullcap, 227
Boswellia, 228
Cayenne Pepper, 229
Chinese Skullcap, 232
Curcumin, 233
Feverfew, 235
Fish Oil, 236
Ginger, 237
Green Tea, 238
N-Acetyl Cysteine, 240
Pomegranate, 244
Pycnogenol, 246
Resveratrol, 247
Rosemary, 249
Thyme, 251
White Willow Bark Extract, 252
Conclusion, 255
Resources, 259
References, 263
About the Author, 264
Index, 265
About the Author :
Pamela Wartian Smith, MD, MPH, MS, is a diplomate of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Physicians and past co-director of the Master's Program in Medical Sciences, with a concentration in Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, at the Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida. An authority on the subjects of wellness and functional medicine, Dr. Smith is also the founder of the Fellowship in Anti-Aging, Regenerative, and Functional Medicine.
Review :
"A guide, written for lay readers, to good lifestyle habits anyone can adopt to better support their own immune system, especially amid threats such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . . . it should be emphasized that Max Your Immunity is absolutely not an anti-vaccination or anti-mask book - it simply focuses on good health habits that work well in addition to vaccination and wearing masks . . . an excellent supplementary resource for personal health and wellness collections, highly recommended."
