As the Seasons Change, Don't Forget Your Immune Health

September is here. The kids are back in school, the days are beginning to get shorter, and before long the weather will start cooling down. We'll spend more time indoors, and then before we know it, we'll be into Thanksgiving, Christmas, traveling, family gatherings, and all the celebrations that fill the last few months of the year.

It's one of my favorite times of the year.

But it's also the time when we start hearing more about colds, flu, and other respiratory illnesses. And every year around this time, I find myself thinking about something I've paid close attention to for many years:

My immune health.

Living With Hepatitis Made Me Think Differently About Getting Sick

For many years, while I was living with chronic hepatitis B, getting sick with something else was always somewhere in the back of my mind.

I was already thinking about my liver. I was having blood work done regularly, seeing my doctors, taking medication on a schedule, participating in clinical trials, and paying close attention to what was happening in my body.

So when flu season came around, I didn't just think, "Oh, it's the flu."

I would wonder how it might affect my body, how my liver would handle it, whether having hepatitis changed anything for me, and whether there was something I should be doing differently.

Maybe some of you living with a chronic condition understand exactly what I mean.

When you're already managing one health condition, you sometimes think about getting sick differently. Something another person might see as "just a bug" can make you wonder what it means for the condition you're already managing.

I don't share this to create fear. Quite the opposite.

Over the years, I've learned that knowledge can replace a lot of fear. When I understand what's happening in my body, I can ask better questions and make better decisions.

We Usually Don't Think About Our Immune System Until We Need It

Our immune system is working for us every single day.

We don't see it, and we don't feel most of what it's doing. But it's constantly identifying and responding to things that don't belong in our bodies.

I think sometimes we make immune health more complicated than it needs to be.

We hear about a certain vitamin, a certain supplement, a certain food, or a certain product that's supposed to "boost" the immune system.

But our immune system doesn't depend on one thing.

Our whole health matters.

How are we sleeping? What are we eating? Are we moving our bodies? How much stress are we carrying? Are we giving our bodies time to recover? Are we staying hydrated? Are there health conditions or medications that might affect us?

These aren't exciting questions, but they matter. And after everything I've been through with my own health, I've learned not to overlook the simple things.

For me personally, two of those simple things have become especially important: getting outside for some morning light and staying on top of my hydration.

I've become much more intentional about both.

I try to get outside in the morning and let my body know the day has started. And I pay attention to drinking enough water throughout the day instead of waiting until I'm thirsty or realizing late in the day that I haven't had enough.

Do I believe these things mean I won't get sick? Of course not.

I'm not saying that morning light or drinking water is a cure, an immune "booster," or a guarantee against getting sick.

I'm simply sharing what I've noticed in my own body.

When I'm consistent with these simple habits, I feel better. My energy feels steadier, and I feel like I'm doing some of the basic things my body needs from me.

That's really all I can speak to — my own experience, not a promise about what it will do for someone else.

And I think that's an important part of restoration too.

Sometimes supporting ourselves isn't about finding the next big thing. Sometimes it's about becoming more consistent with the simple things we've been overlooking.

Flu Isn't Always "Just the Flu"

Sometimes we talk about flu very casually.

For many people, it means several miserable days at home and then recovery. But that isn't everyone's experience.

In the United States, flu causes millions of illnesses each year and can lead to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations during more severe seasons.

Here's something that matters to me personally and to the liver health community: people with liver disorders are among those the CDC considers at higher risk for serious complications from flu.

That doesn't mean everyone living with hepatitis or another liver condition will become seriously ill if they get the flu. It simply means we need to know our risks.

There's another example I think is important: hepatitis A.

Having chronic liver disease doesn't necessarily mean you're more likely to catch hepatitis A, but hepatitis A can be more serious in someone who already has chronic liver disease. That includes people living with conditions such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cirrhosis, and other chronic liver diseases.

This is exactly why I believe education matters.

Not so we become afraid of everything around us, but so we can understand our own bodies and make informed decisions.

Prevention Looks Different for Different People

Of course, when we start talking about flu season and preventing infections, vaccination comes into the conversation.

I know people have different feelings about vaccines. Some people choose to receive recommended vaccines. Some have questions or concerns. Others choose not to receive them.

I'm not interested in turning that into an argument.

What I believe in is being informed.

Understand your own health history. Understand your risks. Ask questions. Look for good information. Talk with a healthcare professional you trust. Then make an informed decision about your own health.

And regardless of someone's decision about vaccination, there are other everyday things that still matter: washing our hands, staying away from people who are sick when we can, paying attention to indoor air and ventilation, getting enough sleep, eating nourishing food, moving our bodies, and managing stress.

And perhaps one of the most important things of all is simply paying attention when our body tells us something isn't right.

I Don't Want Us Waiting Until We're Sick

This is one of the biggest lessons my own health journey has taught me.

We often become very interested in our health once something goes wrong.

But what about before?

What are we doing while we feel well?

That's where restoration comes in for me.

Restoration isn't only about recovering after something happens. It's also about creating the conditions that help our bodies do what they're designed to do.

It doesn't mean we'll never get sick, and it doesn't mean we can prevent everything. We can't.

But we can become better partners with our bodies.

And sometimes that begins with very ordinary things: going to bed on time, drinking the water, getting some morning light, taking the walk, eating the nourishing meal, taking a break, managing the stress we've been carrying, keeping our medical appointments, and asking questions about something we don't understand.

These small choices don't always feel important in the moment.

But over time, they add up.

We're Going to Talk More About This

This subject has been on my mind so much that the faculty members from our Restoration Liver Health Summit are coming together again on September 19 for a special webinar about immune health.

Although we're coming together through our liver health work, this conversation isn't only for people living with liver conditions. It's for everyone who wants to understand more about supporting their health as we move into fall and winter.

But I'll admit I have a special place in my heart for the person living with hepatitis or another chronic liver condition who may be wondering:

Does my condition change anything?

Is there something I should be doing differently?

What questions should I even be asking?

I've been that person.

I understand those questions.

And I want us to create a place where people can learn and ask questions without fear or judgment.

We'll be talking about immune health from several angles, and we'll have an opportunity to look more closely at some of the everyday things that can be part of caring for our overall health.

I'll share more about the webinar over the next couple of weeks. For now, I simply want you to start thinking about your immune health.

This Week's Restoration Minute

Take a few minutes this week and ask yourself:

As I head into a new season, what does my body need from me?

Maybe you need more sleep.

Maybe you need to start moving again.

Maybe you haven't been drinking enough water.

Maybe you need to get outside in the morning instead of beginning your day indoors.

Maybe your meals have become whatever is quickest because life has been busy.

Maybe you've been carrying more stress than you realized.

Maybe there's a health question you've been putting off asking.

You don't have to change everything this week.

Start with what you notice. Then make one small choice.

Because taking care of our immune health isn't about living in fear of getting sick.

It's about knowing our bodies, understanding our risks, and making choices that support our overall health along the way.

That's something my own health journey has taught me not to take for granted.

Until next Tuesday, take good care of yourself — one small choice at a time.

— Bunmi