Q&A with David Simon, MD

1. My son, age 12, has been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. Although his runny nose, sneezing, and congestion can be relieved with medications, I don’t like the idea of having him take these drugs on a continuous basis. Is there anything we can do to reduce his reactivity to his environment?

2. I’m 40 years old and teach school for a living. My young students are often sick, and I catch everything that’s going around. What are some steps I can take to stay healthy when I’m exposed to illness?

Perfect Health: Drs. Chopra and Simon, it would appear that although both these individuals are experiencing different types of health problems, the common factor is an imbalanced immune system. Would you care to comment?

Deepak Chopra: Yes, both of these questions are asking essentially the same thing: How do I improve my resistance to disease and help heal myself when I fall ill? These are important questions we all face, but we usually don’t give much thought to them unless something is disturbing our comfort and well being.

David Simon: Unfortunately, all of us at some time experience a challenge to our health, which is often directly or indirectly related to our immunity.

PH: What exactly does our immune system do for us?

DC: Our immune system has two primary responsibilities. One is to monitor the boundary between inside and outside, ensuring that potentially harmful things (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and toxins, for example) are kept out. The other role of our immune system is to monitor our inner territory, identifying suspicious changes in normal cells that may reflect unhealthy transformations. When our immune system is functioning optimally, we keep the bad things out and do not allow the development of illness within.

DS: The immune system works by continuously monitoring the identity of substances trying to enter. Our immune cells look for an ID card—an antigen. Specific immune cells called macrophages (which literally means “big eaters”) circulate in the body, checking IDs. If a macrophage encounters something unfamiliar, it checks its ID card and determines whether or not the substance is supposed to be there.

PH: Could you tell us more about how these “ID checkers” do their work?

DS: If a macrophage identifies a potentially harmful virus, bacteria, or cancer cell, it sends out chemical messengers alerting other immune cells that it has recognized an invader. The other immune cells become activated and respond to the call to neutralize the threat.

DC: The messenger molecules used by the immune cells also provide information to our nervous system. There is such close communication between our brain and our immune cells that some scientists refer to the immune system as a circulating nervous system. Both systems rely on memory, use the same chemical messengers, and are continuously adapting to changing environments.

PH: I think most of us, even it it’s on an unconscious level, realize that there is a connection between our emotional well being and immunity, but is there any hard scientific evidence out there to back up this idea?

DS: Hundreds of studies over the past decade have shown that the level of stress or comfort we feel in our lives influences our immune cells. When we are experiencing a lot of emotional turbulence, our immune cells receive confusing messages from our brain. When we are under a lot of stress, we tend to forget to take good care of ourselves. Disturbed sleep, poor diet, and lack of exercise contribute to weakened immunity.

PH: So our immune cells are always checking in on our emotional state and then responding to what they find?

DC: It’s as if our immune cells are constantly eavesdropping on our internal dialogue. When our mind is calm and peaceful, our immune cells behave more effectively than when we are in a turbulent, distressed state of mind.

PH: What are the consequences of an out-of-balance immune system?

DS: A healthy immune system responds appropriately to challenges. An unhealthy immune system may respond too aggressively or not aggressively enough, resulting in allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, or even cancer. Even diseases that were not previously considered to be immunologically mediated, such as coronary artery disease and Alzheimer’s disease, are turning out to strongly be influenced by immunity.

DC: The bottom line is that immunity is the essence of a healthy, balanced life.

Welcome to Ayurveda: the world’s most ancient healing system

Dating back to India more than 5,000 years ago, Ayurveda comes from two Sanskrit root words: Ayus which means life, and Veda, which means knowledge or science. Therefore, Ayurveda is usually translated as “the science of life.”

A neti pot is a small container with a spout that can be gently placed into the nostrils to administer warm salt water. Usually made from a ceramic material, a typical neti pot holds about 2/3 cup of water to which 1/8 teaspoon of salt is added.

Nasya involves the application of a few drops of oil to the nasal membranes. Use only an edible grade of sesame, almond, olive, or Nasya oil (an aromatic herbal oil blended specifically for the purpose of Nasya). Place a drop of the oil on your pinkie finger and apply it inside your nostril. Gently sniff up and repeat on the other side. Caution: Do not use other types of undiluted essential oils directly on your skin.

Allergies begone!
If you are prone to allergies:
• Increase your intake of pungent foods. Drink ginger tea.
• Favor foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids—flax seed, walnuts, leafy green vegetables, soy, and cold-water fish.
• Use a neti pot to clean your sinus passages.
• Try using herbal Nasya oil to protect your mucous membranes.
• Take the Ayurvedic remedy Trikatu to help clear and drain your sinuses.
• Consider the Ayurvedic herb boswellia (Boswellia serrata)¸ which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antiasthmatic properties.
• Consider the herb butterbur (Petasites hybridus), which has been shown to reduce the symptoms of allergic rhinitis
• Drink plenty of fluids—water, juices, and herbal teas.

Seven simple ways to ignite your immune system
• Manage your stress. Learn and practice a meditation or relaxation technique on a daily basis.
• Eat well. Favor fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Limit your intake of red meat, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates.
• Get to bed no later than 10:30 p.m. Awaken with the sun.
• Exercise. Integrate flexibility, strength building, and cardiovascular activities into your daily routine.
• Laugh. Studies have shown that one good belly laugh improves immune function for 24 hours.
• Get touched. Massage awakens immune function and feels good.
• Look at things that inspire you. Limit your exposure to violent images. A Harvard study showed that watching violent scenes weakens immunity, whereas watching
loving images stimulates immune function.