Positive Health Online

Before the pandemic, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that the average American spent 93% of their life indoors – roughly 87% inside buildings and 6% in automobiles. This was a problem; they emphatically stated because, “EPA studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times – and occasionally more than 100 times – higher than outdoor levels.” (source)

This was a pretty big deal a few years ago when Americans got wind that indoor air quality had a direct impact on their immune function.

Then the pandemic happened…

Since then, no EPA reports have been released, but considering the amount of time we have all spent sheltering-in-place and in quarantine, one can guestimate that people are now indoors 95% - 100% of the time. Sadly, this is not isolated to America anymore. The pandemic has levelled  the playing field so to speak on time spent indoors, which is currently a global problem because billions of people across the world are not getting the fresh air and vitamin D through sunlight exposure that they need to maintain a healthy, robust immune system. 

And it’s not just fresh air and vitamin D that we need to remain healthy. People need to breathe in the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are released into the air by surrounding trees and plants for proper immune function. People need to decompress and release the stressors of the day. People need to move and allow their body to touch the earth and ground itself. 

As the pandemic progressed, word got around about the importance of going outside to maintain proper immune function and the topic of forest bathing (“shinrin-yoku”) started trending on social media and podcasts across the world.

Forest bathing (the ancient Japanese practice of simply “being in nature”) is a new concept for many people in Western civilization. Shinrin meaning “forest” and yoku meaning “bath” in Japanese, refers to immersing oneself in a forest atmosphere or nearby park with trees and enjoying nature.

The key to forest bathing is to connect with nature through your five senses. Not to be confused with hiking or any sort of exercise, shinrin-yoku exposes us to VOCs, which are the active chemical components emitted by plants and flowers that give them their distinct aroma. They are also more commonly referred to as “essential oils”.

Multiple clinical trials have uncovered that naturally occurring VOCs in nature have a profound, measurable effect on enhancing immune function by boosting mood, reducing stress, burnout and overwhelm, as well as increasing the activity and quantity activity of natural killer cells (NK cells). (source, source, source)

NK cells are white blood cells that support immune function. In fact, they are a component of the first line of defense against tumours, inflammation, and viral infections. Essentially, being out in nature is synonymous to wearing a personal aromatherapy inhaler or diffuser necklace. As you may expect, when researchers evaluated how study participants fared indoors with aromatherapy diffusers running, they found an effect similar to being out in nature!

We can then, quite literally, bring the outside in with essential oils and obtain the same beneficial constituents that trees and plants release during forest bathing. And in doing so, we reap their powerful benefits: uplifting our mood, calming the nervous system, treating illnesses, and strengthening the immune system.

Below you’ll find a few of my favorite immune boosting essential oil blends, which can ward off illness during cold and flu season and keep your immune system in tip top shape the rest of the year, too.

Immune-Boosting Blend

10 drops cinnamon bark essential oil

10 drops clove bud essential oil

10 drops eucalyptus essential oil (Eucalyptus globulus or E. radiata)

10 drops lemon essential oil

10 drops orange essential oil 10 drops rosemary essential oil

Supplies

5 ml essential oils bottle with ca

1. Mix the essential oils in a 5ml bottle.

2. Use as directed in the following recipes.

Immune-Boosting Capsule

Makes 1 dose

2 to 4 drops Immune-Boosting Blend (see above)

Organic virgin coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

 Supplies

Pipette

Size 00 vegan gel capsule

1. Using a pipette, drop the essential oil blend into the bottom half (the longer, narrower one) of the capsule. Fill this half to the brim with coconut or extra-virgin olive oil.
2. Fit the wider top half of the capsule over the bottom half and secure it snugly.
3. Immediately swallow the capsule with water after breakfast and/or dinner (see Note). Take once or twice daily during cold and flu season and monitor your symptoms.

Note: Do not make and store these capsules for future use. This is not a long-term solution, and using it for more than three or four weeks at a time is not advisable. Be sure to consult with your health-care provider if you’re taking immune-suppressing medications, blood thinners, or other medications that can interact with these essential oils. Discontinue use immediately if adverse reactions occur.

Dr Z’s Immune-Boosting Snack

1 tablespoon unsweetened creamy almond or sunflower butter

1 serving liposomal vitamin C (this is a form of the vitamin that makes it highly absorbable by the body)

1 teaspoon raw honey (manuka is best)

1 teaspoon organic virgin coconut oil

1 to 2 drops Immune-Boosting Blend (see above)

1⁄4 teaspoon organic pumpkin pie spice

Tiny pinch of Himalayan pink sea salt

 Supplies

Small glass bowl

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a glass bowl.
2. Whenever you want a healthy immune-boosting snack, eat it solo or with some freshly cut veggie sticks or apple slices.
3. During cold and flu season, this recipe can replace the Immune-Boosting Capsule remedy. Simply enjoy it twice daily at the onset of a cold, or once per day for prevention during cold and flu season.

Note: Be sure to consult with your health-care provider if you’re taking immune- suppressing medications, blood thinners, or other medications that can interact with these essential oils. Discontinue use immediately if adverse reactions occur.

Further Information

For further information Dr Zielinski may be contacted via support@naturallivingfamily.com   NaturalLivingFamily.com