Building Immune Resilience Through Whole Foods This School Year
plus some humor and chiropractic research info
Nutrient-Dense Foods and the Immune System
As fall begins and families return to the rhythm of school and work, one concern rises to the forefront: how to strengthen the immune system. Classrooms and office spaces bring people into close contact, increasing the spread of seasonal illnesses. While handwashing and sleep are vital, what we put on the table each day may play an even greater role. Nutrient-dense foods—those rich in vitamins, minerals, and natural fats—have long been recognized for their ability to nourish the body's defenses.
Dr. Weston A. Price's pioneering research in the early 20th century revealed that traditional societies that consumed whole, unprocessed foods had remarkably strong immunity and resistance to disease. He found that diets rich in fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, and K2) and trace minerals supported healthy growth, resilience, and recovery from illness.[4] Today, modern science confirms these findings: Vitamin A strengthens mucosal barriers, Vitamin D regulates the immune response, and Vitamin K2 enhances calcium metabolism, thereby indirectly influencing immune resilience. Together, these nutrients act as foundational support for the body's ability to defend itself.
Practical Foods for Fall Immunity
For families looking to apply this wisdom today, fall is the perfect season to embrace foods that naturally deliver these protective nutrients. Grass-fed butter and raw cheeses are rich sources of vitamins A and K2. Pasture-raised eggs and cod liver oil provide Vitamin D, especially as sunlight wanes in the cooler months. Bone broths, rich in minerals and amino acids, not only comfort the body as the weather cools but also help repair the gut lining, an essential part of immune health. Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kefir, help restore balance to the microbiome, which is now understood to be deeply linked to immune function.
Packing school lunches or preparing quick work meals doesn't need to rely on processed convenience foods. A hard-boiled egg, raw carrot sticks, and a slice of raw cheese nourish more deeply than a packaged granola bar ever could. By drawing on both ancestral traditions and nutritional science, families can establish a foundation of resilience that helps protect against the fatigue, frequent colds, and sluggishness often associated with the busy fall season.
Eating in harmony with nature and tradition is more than a dietary choice—it is an act of prevention, preparing the body to thrive in the months ahead.
Words of Wisdom
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
- William Butler Yeats.
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
- Benjamin Franklin.
"Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it."
- Albert Einstein.
"Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous."
- Confucius.
Researching Chiropractic
Chiropractic clinical case histories have been a regular feature of our patient newsletter since its inception. There seems to be no limit to the health problems that respond positively to chiropractic care. How many people suffering, reliant on medication and drugs, and facing a life of limitation could be helped by chiropractic care?
Probably most of them.
Spinal Stenosis: A 70-year-old woman with MRI-confirmed cervical spinal stenosis and spinal cord deformation developed neck pain, headaches, and burning sensations after a car accident. She received chiropractic care using Applied Biostructural Therapy and Atlas Coccygeal Technique—nontraditional, gentle manipulations focused on reducing neural tension. Her symptoms resolved completely after a few sessions and remained absent at one-year follow-up, suggesting these chiropractic techniques may offer safe, long-term relief in select stenosis cases.[5]
A 15-year-old girl with a 46° thoracic curve from adolescent idiopathic scoliosis underwent 18 months of chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation. Her Cobb angle reduced by 16°, along with improvements in posture, back pain, and bowel function. This case suggests chiropractic care may offer a non-surgical option for AIS.[6]
Humor
Why did the hammock get sad in September? Nobody wanted to hang anymore.
End of summer is like a bad breakup: you knew it was coming, but it still hurts.
I told summer not to leave... but it gave me the cold shoulder.
The beach waved goodbye... but the leaves just fell silent.