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Naturally Boosting Your Immunity // Nature > Chemicals

The issues of health and immunity are hot topics right now for obvious reasons. Navigating the decisions that we make for ourselves and our families at this time in history can be incredibly difficult and overwhelming. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will share my thoughts about naturally boosting your immunity, as opposed to using chemicals or vaccines to do so–or also in doing them in tandem with vaccines.

I have never before in my 37 years of life seen a medical recommendation rushed, pushed, forced and coerced as this COVID vaccine has been. I am not here to argue about it or to get deep into the politics of it. What I want to do is shed light on another–equally important and effective–method of boosting your immunity and protecting yourself from illness and viruses. That method is naturally boosting your immunity through nutrition and lifestyle choices.

A Preface on Vaccines

Before I go on, it is really important to pause here and share that I am not anti-vaccine. I am pro-vaccine when it comes to necessary, safe vaccination. Although there is no such thing as truly safe vaccination. Vaccine-reaction and vaccine-injury are always possibilities, but reactions and injuries are always a possibility anywhere in life. And surely vaccines have been integral to helping humanity when it comes to many of the diseases that were once crippling or fatal that we have now eliminated or drastically reduced through the use of vaccination. However, I believe there is a necessary balance. We must not rely strictly on vaccines to to keep our immunity strong.

I have always been what I call, “Middle of the Road” when it comes to vaccines. My children are fully vaccinated per the CDC’s recommended guidelines (with the exception of flu vaccines); however we did not follow the CDC’s recommended schedule for vaccination. Whereas, the CDC recommends that children begin to receive vaccines on the day they are born, I do not begin to vaccinate my children until 3-months-old. Whereas the CDC recommends giving children up to 6 separate vaccines at a time, I do not give my children more than 1 vaccine at a time; except when it comes to combined doses in which case they receive one combined dose and no additional vaccines at that time.

Further, it is my belief that here in the US, the bodies that make recommendations regarding our health have gone completely awry. Instead of making wellness the priority, making money is the priority. I believe we can see this with unquestionable clarity when we look closely at what is recommended and/or allowed (the over prescription of pharmaceuticals, toxic chemical food additives, carcinogenic pesticide treatment of produce, and so on) versus what is not allowed and/or recommended nearly enough (organic, whole foods, unobstructed fresh air, adequate hydration, exercise & movement, natural herbs & supplements, and so on). If these governing bodies truly card about our health, there would be a major focus on the second list and the items on the first list would simply be banned for the most part. Period.

I don’t want to focus anymore on vaccines in this post, but if you are looking for more information on vaccines, I recently shared a video on Instagram explaining my stance on the COVID vaccine which you can view here if you are interested. And I also have written at length about my vaccine position many years ago when I was still pregnant with Marina. You can read that post here: The Great Vaccine Debate: A Middle of the Road Stance.

Natural Living vs. Chemical Destruction

I could write a novel on this topic, but for the purposes of this post, I am going to keep it relatively simple and share ways that we can boost our immunity naturally. Then I will dive deeper into a few of these areas in upcoming posts. For the most part, the recommendations that I am going to share are completely simple, free, and accessible to everyone.

A brief history of how we got here. If you think about it, humans have been living on the earth for tens of thousands of years. We have been thriving, evolving and expanding. Whether you believe that we were divinely created by God and thus the keepers of God-given, divinely created immune systems; or whether you believe in the science that says we evolved from the earliest humans who lived between 6 and 2 million years ago in Africa–it is no matter. In either case, our species has surely been living and thriving on this planet for a very long time.

For all of that time, we were doing something right! We were strong, healthy and able. We populated and dominated the earth. Of course there was injury, illness and death. But for the most part, free from accidents, we lived healthy lives. It is not until the last century that we began to witness an epidemic of horrific illness cropping up–heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and others–devastating the lives of countless people. And all of these being truly man-created illness. They simply did not exist (at least not en masse) before we started meddling with the natural order of things. Today things have spiraled so far out of control that sometimes it feels as though we are moving toward inevitable destruction, both to our species and to our planet.

Again, whether you believe in God or science, you will agree that there is a natural order to things. There are plants and animals on this earth and we are designed (whether by God or by science) to eat them in their natural forms. So many good things come from the earth–fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, and so on. When we ate these good things straight from the earth unpolluted; when we breathed fresh air (unobstructed by pollution); when we drank clean water (unobstructed by pollution); when we spent much time moving our bodies and soaking in the light of the sun–we were healthy. If we do these things today, we will be healthy.

Unfortunately, it is not that simple. We are living in a society that would prevent us from doing these things at every turn. But that doesn’t mean that we should not try. We have to try! If you make them a priority, these things are possible. Yes, you have to go against the grain often. You have to advocate for yourself. It can be a little more expensive than the garbage that this society would have you eat and drink. It can be a little more time-consuming, too. But I promise you that it is worth it. After all, if you don’t have your health and your family’s health–do you really have anything at all?

7 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Immunity

1. Whole, Organic Food: This is as simple as it gets in theory, quite difficult in practice. Whole foods are foods taken straight from the earth, unchanged, unaltered, unprocessed. An apple is a whole food. A squeeze pouch of applesauce that has been boiled down to remove its fiber and vitamins and then mixed in with processed sugars and chemical preservatives is not a whole food. Do you see the difference? Whole foods = straight from the earth. Processed foods = modified by man. I’ve written more about whole foods here if you want to dive a little deeper.

2. Adequate Hydration: 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Do a little research and find out how much water your body needs to be adequately hydrated. The impact of chronic dehydration is severe and this is such an easy one to amend. Just drink enough water!

Short-term side effects include: dry mouth, decreased sweating or urination, dark-colored urine, dry skin, feeling tired, hair loss, and dizziness. It is also proven that dehydration drastically impacts our ability to concentrate and focus.

Long-term side effects include: decreased blood volume, increased blood viscosity, decreased urine output (thereby increasing the amount of waste products within body), decreased electrolytes, decreased kidney function.

3. Physical Movement

4. Sunshine & Fresh Air

5. Healing & Peace

6. 7 Hours of Sleep a Night

7. Cultivate a Healthy Microbiome (Good Gut Health)

I am going to do deep dives into those last 5 areas in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

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    How to Overcome Fear & Stop Resisting

    “To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness.” —Eckhart Tolle

    Stop resisting the will of the Universe. I’ve said this to myself thousands of times. It is perhaps one of the most powerful tools that has led me to peace of mind.

    In the past four years, I overcame depression, anxiety, and I lost sixty pounds. When you overcome a lifetime of anxiety & depression, a lot of things change. For one thing, you begin to enjoy life. Simple things that you hadn’t noticed before fill your heart with joy—Spring, a cold glass of water on a hot day, a good workout, a kind word, a smile. When you are overcome by the effects of anxiety & depression, you do not have time to notice these simple pleasures. (They are often overshadowed by the negative, irrational thoughts swarming inside of your head.)

    Happiness begets happiness, as I like to say. However, even in my increased state of happiness, I knew that something still wasn’t right. It took me awhile to realize what it was. Only after months of careful self-observation did I realize what was happening.

    A hard day at work = I was disgusted, angry, plagued by head aches.
    A frustrating experience at a car dealership = I was furious.
    An upcoming flight and travel arrangements = I was anxious, worried, sick to my stomach.

    I was continually allowing my mind to make me angry, sick, sad, frustrated, etc. Yet, after each of these experiences I learned some valuable lesson or something really important & meaningful happened as a result.

    Hard days at work always lead me to clarity about how myself and my team could be more efficient.
    The frustrating experience at the car dealership actually prevented me from making a terrible mistake and purchasing the wrong car.
    Recent travel and trips have brought me incredible successes in my personal & professional life.

    Upon observing all of this, it hit me. Even when things seemed terrible, even when I was really upset, eventually the pain of the situation would subside. Moreover, I would come out on the other side wiser, stronger, and grateful. Every thing that happened (happens) to me is a direct result of the will of the Universe (you can call that God, fate, destiny, or any other name you’d like to give it, no matter). Yes, every thing that happens is a direct result of the will of the Universe and an opportunity to learn and grow. In order to live true happiness, I had to stop resisting the will of the Universe. Once I did this, my life changed in incredible (and previously unimaginable) ways. When I stop resisting and simply “go with the flow” I find that I am constantly filled with a deep calmness in my soul. I do not worry or suffer. I simply exist and let all scenarios play themselves out. I understand that even pain is necessary and that ultimately it will carry me to a place of light & peace.

    Fear is Unnecessary

    At the root of every single feeling of discomfort, lies one emotion: fear. Fear is the emotion responsible for all forms of suffering. Sadness, anxiety, worry, rage, hatred, envy, and all other forms of suffering are rooted in fear. However, once you stop resisting the will of the Universe, you will understand that fear and suffering are actually not necessary at all.

    The vast majority of fear and suffering is a result of living in an unreal world and/or allowing negative, irrational thoughts to control our minds. The unreal world is the world of sky rise buildings, electricity, paper money, McDonald’s, television, marketing, vanity surgery, reality TV, etc. The real world is the world of trees, dirt, sun, stars, wind, rain, whole foods, self-love, generosity, family, love, etc. Can you see the difference? Once you remove yourself from the suffocating chains of the unreal world, and begin living in the real world, you will find that most of the fears that you experience are completely unnecessary. The vast majority of anxieties that we suffer from are made-up.

    – fear of judgment
    – fear of failure
    – fear of humiliation
    – fear of public speaking
    – fear of making a mistake
    – fear of travel
    – fear of forgetting something
    – fear of being alone and so on

    Once you realize that these fears are made-up in the unreal world, they can hold no power over you. All of the above are irrational anxieties. None of those things would actually put your life in danger or expose you to any harm. The only place that they can affect you is in your head. But you must remember that you have control over what goes on in your head! You can use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to end the suffering.

    Eventually, you will realize that true fear might have a place in your life, but that is only when you are truly in danger. Perhaps while being chased by a bear or masked murderer, while falling from a cliff, etc. Yes, in those instances, your fear is justified and it can help you by creating adrenaline, increased strength, quicker reflexes and cognitive ability. But other than those “real” true fear situations, there is really no need for fear and certainly no need for emotional suffering.

    Live Without Resistance or Fear

    Once you learn to stop resisting the will of the Universe and to live without fear, you will experience an entirely new & improved sort of living. You will find that all of the things that you once desired, but were afraid to seek, are actually within your reach. For example, I was emotionally crippled by irrational anxiety for the first half of my life. This made it impossible for me to speak in front of people. I could not ask a question in a class of twenty, let alone get up in front of a group of people to speak. My anxiety over public speaking was so great, that it crippled me. I once experienced a debilitating panic attack at a dinner party of five family friends! But… that is ancient history.

    Now, my former self is hardly recognizable. I have spoken in front of groups of sixty people or more with grace and confidence. I know that my fear is irrational & unnecessary, so I overcome it. Sure, my heart rate may increase, I might sweat a bit—but I do not let it stop me! I remind myself that that the fear is not real and I move forward to success.

    You are entirely capable of achieving the same same sort of success in your own life—personal & professional. Whatever your fear is, you can overcome it.

    “You’ll seldom experience regret for anything that you’ve done. It is what you haven’t done that will torment you.” —Wayne Dyer

    To allow fear to rule your life, is not to live at all. So stop resisting the will of the Universe and stop allowing fear to rule your life. Begin living, truly living, right now. There is nothing in your way. What is your greatest fear? Can you believe that it is unnecessary? What would you do if you had no fear in your heart at all? How different could your life be?

    The only time you run out of chances is when you stop taking them!

    I am now offering personalized coaching sessions to individuals suffering from anxiety &/or depression. If you are interested in scheduling a session or would like to learn more, please contact me at denabotbyl[@]gmail[.]com for details and rates. Include CBT Session in the subject line.

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