As the world enters its third year in a global pandemic, Debbie and I have been looking back and reflecting on what we’ve called “the greatest missed opportunity.”

While our country was acutely thrust into an intense focus on immunity, what has become increasingly apparent to us is that both Western Medicine and mainstream media are selling a message that the only way to be safe, or to survive an infection, is to get a vaccine or wait until there are effective medications.

While I have always included vaccines and medications, when appropriate, as part of a holistic approach to health, the majority of my work is spent counseling patients on all the other effective lifestyle and nutritional therapies that are available.

Just because it’s common, doesn’t mean it should be accepted

One of the most common consultations I see in my practice is for kids who are getting frequent upper respiratory infections. In medical school, I was taught that it is acceptable for kids to get 12-13 illnesses a year and this just never seemed like it should be true to me.

Over the years, as I gained more integrative tools, I indeed found that it is not only untrue but should also be unacceptable!

Most of the time, if a family is willing to address some foundational aspects, we can significantly decrease the number of illnesses their child is getting—quickly, effectively and naturally. The same is true for many other conditions including eczema, allergies, asthma, digestive issues, fatigue and some autoimmune and mental health conditions.

What we have learned so far

While there are certainly no guarantees in life in general—or with illness in particular—what we have learned from the current pandemic is that you can decrease your complications and mortality rate significantly by improving your overall health and resiliency.

This includes factors such as optimization of nutrients, exercise, stress reduction, proper sleep, balanced blood sugar, and a healthy body weight (to name only a few).

What if this was widely talked about? What if people had been encouraged to use these last two years as an opportunity to improve the state of their health?

Not only would those people who are at greatest risk from injury or death in the pandemic likely lower that risk, but they might also lower their risk from the other medical conditions that claim the lives of millions each year as well.

Our natural state is resilient

On my mountain bike rides I like to stop and notice the many wonders of nature. I feel particularly awed by the natural resiliency that I observe.

From the tree that bends but is too strong to break…to the plants that somehow lay roots on top of a rock…to the flowers that appear through a crack in the concrete or emerge through a pile of snow. This is true strength. This is the kind of health and resiliency that I personally strive for—for myself and those I care for.

Remember that being resilient isn’t about never getting sick. It is about recovering completely and re-emerging with strength.

Debbie and I have both been practicing and teaching these types of principles for several decades now. Let us share this approach with you this winter with our Immune Recharge program.

While our focus this winter will be more specifically on immune health, as always, we will be sharing our general approach that can help you build a strong and resilient foundation.