Is it a rough winter, or is Primal making me sick? page

[MissJecka]

I only get sick once per yer. Well, at least that used to be the case.

I re-started Primal living in mid-January and since then I've been sick three times: twice with sinus congestion, and now I got diagnosed with inflamed bronchial tubes.

I'm flabbergasted at how I could possibly be getting this sick when I haven't been ill that often since I was about 10! I don't think it's "primal's fault" per se, but why is it coinciding so well with when I hopped on the bandwagon?

Is there any Primal-friendly ways to improve my immune system and increase my resistance to these things that keep ailing me?

[vtphoenix]

Depends on where you are. A lot of places in the US have been hit especially hard by the flu and rhinovirus this year. Temperature variations where there's a swing of 40 degrees or more also wreak havoc on the airways and cause sinus infections and cold like symptoms. I know I just about never get sick, but I do feel it when we have days of 60 and 70 degree weather intermittently with days of 20 and 30 degree weather.

If anything, Primal has made my immune system stronger.

[MissJecka]

If anything, Primal has made my immune system stronger.

That's why I'm so confused as to why I'm getting so sick lately.

[canio6]

That's why I'm so confused as to why I'm getting so sick lately.

It's been a crappy winter. As vtphoenix said, lots of cold and flus around. Something like 40 states at one point had a flu epidemic going on, and here lately there has been a straight-up nasty cold going around. It is the kind that lingers for weeks. I haven't been sick in years, including two on primal, but can feel myself getting sick now, which makes sense given the number of people around here hit with this damned cold. A stronger immune system does not mean an invulnerable one.

[lemontwisst]

A stronger immune system does not mean an invulnerable one.

+1.

If your body is busy detoxing since you've gotten back to Primal living, it may be using more energy to focus on that and leaving your immune system slightly more compromised, hence getting sick more often.

How serious have the infections been? More or less severe than what you would experience in the past? What about duration? You may be picking up more bugs, but if they're less nasty and don't last as long as when you were pre-primal, I'd still call that a bonus.

[AuroraB]

As far as 'primal-friendly' ways to boost your immune system, try these:

plenty of coconut oil - google the correlation between flu & coconut oil
colostrum - I'm talking about the capsule form (not liquid)

[AuroraB]

Oh yeah.... and don't forget Vitamin D

[magicmerl]

I'm flabbergasted at how I could possibly be getting this sick when I haven't been ill that often since I was about 10! I don't think it's "primal's fault" per se, but why is it coinciding so well with when I hopped on the bandwagon?

Perhaps some non-primal foods you were eating were fortified with something and now you are micronutrient deficient? I know I had to start taking magnesium...

[MissJecka]

Oh yeah.... and don't forget Vitamin D

Perhaps some non-primal foods you were eating were fortified with something and now you are micronutrient deficient? I know I had to start taking magnesium...

I already supplement D3 and Magnesium daily. Thanks anyway.

+1.

If your body is busy detoxing since you've gotten back to Primal living, it may be using more energy to focus on that and leaving your immune system slightly more compromised, hence getting sick more often.

How serious have the infections been? More or less severe than what you would experience in the past? What about duration? You may be picking up more bugs, but if they're less nasty and don't last as long as when you were pre-primal, I'd still call that a bonus.

Well, my first two were upper respiratory infections, which I'm used to getting... and, no, they didn't last as long as usual, I guess.

This one that I'm under right now is completely different - lung irritation of some kind. X-rays and nebulizer at the doctor... x-rays came back OK but I was prescribed an albuterol inhaler to use for the next couple of days. Got sent home from work early today because I was hacking up a lung so badly I nearly threw up at my desk. I've never had to use an inhaler or have any kind of lung thing (bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, etc.) ever before.

Since being home from work and chowing down on nutrient-rich foods and drinking lots of ginger-lemon-honey tea, I'm feeling a bit better. Hopefully it passes.

Thanks, everyone.

[Primal123]

Hope you feel better soon. Hacking up a lung is painful.

Interested in all these thoughts as this has been a sickly fall and winter for me as well. I don't get sick very often. Maybe every few years I'll get a cold. I have had two cold type illnesses and probably the flu since October. The first respiratory thing lasted for weeks and weeks, the flu had me in bed for over a week. Initially, I thought I got sick because I stopped taking my Vitamin D. But started that back up in November or December. Now I am wondering about micronutrient deficiencies. I've been doing LCHF for a while.

Wondering if I am cutting my veggies too low. I'm loading up on broccoli and greens this week and started taking a whole food multi again a couple weeks ago. Interestingly, my husband who is generally more likely to become sick has not picked up anything I have had. He did get a "cold" for three days when everyone else at his job was sneezing and coughing for weeks. I make him a big salad every day. Hmmm