~ Any combination of the above


THE Number One Way to Conquer a Cold or Flu: Vitamin D


Vitamin D is an amazingly effective


antimicrobial agent, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in your body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. In the United States, the late winter


average vitamin D level is only about 15- 18 ng/ml, which is considered a very seri- ous deficiency state. It's estimated that over 95 percent of U.S. senior citizens may be deficient, along with 85 percent of the American public.


In 2009, a team of researcher's from Children's Hospital Boston analyzed blood samples taken from 5,000 children under age 12 and found that nearly one out of five children in the U.S. have low blood levels of less than 50 nanomoles per liter, the level recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. They also found that two out of three children have a level below 75 nmol/L--which is still insuffi- cient, based on most of the research com- ing out today. No wonder colds and flu run rampant each year. The best source for vitamin D is direct sun exposure. If natural sunlight is not an option, then using oral supplements is your best bet. Remarkably, researchers have found that 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day abolished seasonal influenza. This is some- what surprising, as it is half the dose of what most adults need to achieve ideal levels of vitamin D.


Please note that this is far greater than


the recommended daily allowance (RDA) advised by public health agencies like the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recently doubled the RDA of vitamin D for children to 400 IU. This new guidance still falls absurdly short of what's needed to keep kids healthy, especially during flu season. In order to prevent the flu, children and adults need 35 IU of vitamin D per pound of body weight. So, for example, a child weighing 57 pounds would need 2,000 IU a day of vitamin D. Adults typically need an average of


5,000 IU per day—but some adults have to take 20,000 to 30,000 IU daily to get their vitamin D level up to optimal levels. Exactly how adults absorb and process vitamin D so differently is still somewhat of a mystery, so the only way to know if your vitamin D level is therapeutic and nontoxic is by having your blood tested. Not all vitamin D testing is accurate, so make sure your health care provider is ordering the correct test.


Lifestyle Options: Choose Wisely As you know, I'm not an extremist. I


advocate balancing healthful choices with enjoying life, which includes celebrating from time to time. That said, if you feel yourself coming down with a cold or flu, this is NOT the time to be eating sugar, artificial sweeteners or processed foods. Sugar is particularly damaging to your im- mune system--which needs to be ramped up, not suppressed, in order to combat an emerging infection.


Bose Ravenel, MD Dr. Bose Ravenel is a pediatrician


with a total of 31 years’ experience in private pediatric practice and 11 years in academic pediatrics. He of- fers an integrative and functional medicine approach to ADD/ADHD and other chronic health problems. Well known and highly respected


www.RobinhoodIntegrativeHealth.com Bose Ravenel, MD


in clinical and academic circles, we are honored to have him join our practice.


336.768.3335


You must address nutrition, sleep,


exercise and stress issues the moment you first feel yourself getting a bug. This is when immune-enhancing strategies will be most effective.


When people come down with a cold


or flu, it's because some combination of factors has weakened their defenses. You might be able to get away with one or two transgressions, but a bucketful of poor choices will cause your immune system to crash. And then suddenly…you're sick. When you're coming down with a cold, it's time to address ALL of the con- tributing factors immediately. This would be a good time to tweak your diet in favor of foods that will strengthen your immune response. Good choices include:


• Raw, grass-fed organic milk, and/or high-quality whey protein


• Fermented foods such as kefir, kim- chee, miso, pickles, sauerkraut, etc.


• Raw, organic eggs from free-ranging chickens


• Grass-fed beef • Coconuts and coconut oil


• Locally grown fruits and vegetables, appropriate for your nutritional type


• Mushrooms, especially Reishi, Shii- take, and Maitake, which contain beta glucans (which have immune-enhancing properties)


Dr


. Bloomfield, MD,


an independent practitioner, considers both traditional & alternative medicine.


Help for chronic conditions Pre-employment screenings In-house lab work Weight loss plans And more


Up to 45 minute consultations; most insurance accepted


1365 Westgate Center Dr., Suite G-1 Winston-Salem 336-659-6250


www.drbobbloomfield.com NOVEMBER 2017 31


We offer


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