Protecting Immunity During Stressful Times
On this installment of the Cancer Education Series, Dr. Andy Nish emphasizes protecting your health and immunity during stressful times. Dr. Nish is the Medical Director of the John Stoddard Cancer Center at UnityPoint Health Des Moines and has his accreditation in Integrative Medicine from the University of Arizona. Dr. Nish delves into integrative methods for focusing your mind to help your body be healthy during times of uncertainty.
Dr. Nish believes many people feel fearful of their own mortality and uncomfortable with the idea of not knowing what the future will bring. He addresses that one’s physical body can be heavily impacted by their mind. Shifting the mind toward positive thoughts will have a positive impact on the body, rather than inundating the brain with negative content and thoughts that can have an adverse impact on health. Dr. Nish gives the example of how stressful it can be to watch the news for even 20 minutes every day. He suggests taking those 20 minutes and focusing on having contemplative time with meditation. If your mind is in a constant state of fear and worry, your body will follow suit.
Dr. Nish poses the question, “Is it true that you’re not safe?” Stress and the fight-or-flight response are generated by the feeling of unsafety. In the absence of this concern, there is an improvement in the state of one’s mind, body, and emotions. Dr. Nish then discusses tools you can use to achieve this state.
Stress mitigation - seeing a potentially stressful event through a different lens can reframe the event into something more positive. Dr. Nish suggests trying breathing techniques, mindfulness meditation, or forest bathing. Forest bathing is a concept developed in Japan in the 1980’s in which a person visits a forest or natural area and walks slowly, taking in the atmosphere and environment. It is said to have calming, rejuvenating, and restorative benefits.
Sleep - getting the proper amount of sleep and keeping consistent sleep patterns.
Optimizing your home environment - make your home into a healing space that enhances feelings of calm and relaxation. This can be done through letting natural light in, placing plants or natural pictures around the room, being cognizant of clutter, listening to nature sounds or soothing music, and optimizing scents and humidity levels.
Exercise - daily exercise not only improves your physical health but also boosts your immune system and your mood. Dr. Nish stresses that exercise does not have to be done in a gym; simply getting outside and walking, doing yard work, or going for a jog all are great forms of exercise.
Nutrition - avoid foods that are high in sugar, salt, fat, and are highly processed. Consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as they have compounds called flavonoids that can help protect from infection.
Maintaining relationships - creating and maintaining strong, loving, and nurturing connections can protect us from chronic diseases and deteriorating mental health.
Dr. Andy Nish gives great insight into how people can protect their immunity during times of stress without pharmaceutical intervention. For more, check out this installment of the Cancer Education Series on Above + Beyond Cancer’s YouTube channel.
Blog written by:
Shona Heywood
(she/her/hers)
BS Administrative Management, MBA Marketing
shonaheywood@gmail.com