Immune System Strength with Dr. Leonard Calabrese PH135 Pursuing Health

“What we’re talking about is systemic, low-grade inflammation where the body’s barometer for this inflammatory response is turned up just modestly.  This contributes to a whole host of diseases.  Diseases of chronic inflammation that range from type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease with heart disease and stroke, neurodegenerative disease, fatty liver– which is now epidemic in our society– as well as autoimmune disease.  So, now these diseases which are non-communicable– you can’t catch them– they are the leading cause of death on our planet right now and they’re being driven by chronic, systemic low-grade inflammation” – Dr. Leonard Calabrese
Dr. Leonard Calabrese, is a rheumatologist, immunologist, and doctor of osteopathic medicine.  He is the head of Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Clinical Immunology and manages the Clinical Immunology Clinic.  After graduating from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Dr. Calabrese completed his internal medical training at Cleveland Clinic, followed by a fellowship in rheumatic and immunologic disease.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Calabrese has authored more than 300 publications and become an internationally recognized HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C researcher.  He is also passionate about utilizing lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep and stress management to reduce inflammation, control disease, and bolster immunologic function.  Based on growing scientific evidence that environment and behavior play a large role in immune function and gene expression, Dr. Calabrese is leading the charge in educating physicians and empowering patients so that they can feel confident in using wellness behaviors to help strengthen their immune function and improve their overall health and happiness.
Dr. Calabrese and I recently sat down to chat about the basics of the immune system and what practices we can implement in our day-to-day lives to reduce inflammation and lower our risk of chronic disease.
In this episode we discuss:
Dr. Calabrese’s medical background and what drew him to immunology
How the field of immunology has changed over the years
The role of our immune system: how it interacts with our body and our environment
How the immune system can become overactive
What inflammation is, and what causes contributes to it
What we can do to reduce our inflammation
Diet, intestinal permeability and their effect on the immune system
The role of diet, exercise, sleep and stress on the immune system
Social genomics and how we can influence which genes express themselves
Dr. Calabrese’s thoughts on the impact of gratitude practice
Habits that Dr. Calabrese implements in his own life to manage stress, diet, exercise and sleep
Dr. Calabrese’s vision for the Immune Strength program and how he hopes to help patients on a broader scale
Three things Dr. Calabrese does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health
One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health
What a healthy life looks like to Dr. Calabrese
You can follow Dr. Calabrese on Twitter and via his CME courses.
Links:
How Your Immune System is Affected by Diet, Stress and Exercise with Dr. Leonard Calabrese
National Institutes of Health
Nurses’ Health Study
The Institute for Functional Medicine Interview with Dr. Alessio Fasano
Our health is on your plate, Dr. Roxanne Sukol
Why Sleep Is Important for Health: A Psychoneuroimmunology Perspective, Dr. Michael R. Irwin
Effects of Sleep and Sleep Deprivation on Interleukin-6, Growth Hormone, Cortisol, and Melatonin Levels in Humans
UCLA Norman Cousins Center for Pyschoneuroimmunology
Human Social Genomics
Stress Free Now
10% Happier, Dan Harris
Headspace
The VB6 Diet, Mark Bittman
Pacer
Go! To Sleep
The Role of Gratitude in Spiritual Well-Being in Asymptomatic Heart Failure Patients
Healio Rheumatology
Related episodes:
Ep 22 – Brigid Titgemeir on Functional Nutrition