Cold & Flu Immunity Protocol

Comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to fight seasonal sickness

It’s cold & flu season again. I haven’t seen many great immunity protocols out there other than the basic “sleep + hydrate + spam Vit C & Zinc". Sure it’s a decent foundation. But we can do much better. And that’s exactly what we’re delivering this week - the most robust Common Cold Immunity Protocol available.

If you feel like you’re picking up symptoms, it’s time to employ this. I’ll preface this: if you want to have sustainable immunity success, get your foundations dialed in consistently beforehand (i.e. movement, circadian alignment, sun, diet) & you’ll have even more impact fending off any viral infections. Never fails when I get sick - it’s from a few late nights, junk sleep, missed the gym, or some combination of those bad habits catching up.

Since you’ve been following along and becoming more educated, you’re more sensitive to your individualized biofeedback. You’ll know exactly what this feels like. Something feels off. In this case, it’s time to blast the protocol. If you have any sort of biometric tracking device, you’re at even more of an advantage of being able to tell earlier (likely 1-2 days). Some key metrics to look out for early:

1. Elevated resting heart rate

2. Lower heart rate variability

3. Higher respiratory rate

4. Increased body temperature

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Mechanisms of Action & Symptom Manifestation

First, let’s get a simple break down on how we get infected by the common cold virus (rhinovirus) as an example:

1. Rhinovirus transmits to us directly via contaminated surfaces or aerosol droplets from another infected person (shame).

   

2. Targets epithelial cells in our nasal cavity & upper respiratory tract using ICAM-1 (Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1) as the primary cell receptor. Think of this as a key finding its lock. Once it attaches, it shifts its shape to create tiny pores in the cell membrane. The virus then injects the RNA genetic material into our cell.

3. Viral RNA takes control of our cell machinery. Ribosomes - create our healthy proteins - begin making viral proteins now that the cell is infected. These newly infected cells start to burst and release more viruses.

4. Immune response triggers our first line of defense: the innate immune system. Infected cells start producing interferons - warning signals to nearby cells. This signals putting surrounding cells into defense mode saying: “tighten up the defenses and ensure its harder for the virus to spread”.

5. Symptoms develop. This is when we start feeling sick.

   1. Systemic symptoms = fatigue, headache, fever

   2. Local symptoms = nasal congestion, sore throat, watery eyes, sneezing, post-nasal drip, cough, runny nose

   

6. Our adaptive immune system now steps into the fight. Consider this as the special forces of our immune system - mounting targeting attacks.

   1. T cells = identify & destroy infected cells

   2. B cells = produce specific antibodies against the virus

   3. Memory cells = remember how to quickly identify & eliminate infected cells

That’s the extent of what we need to know. Let’s jump into what you really care about.

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Protocol

Now that we’ve got a basic understanding of how the common cold virus transmits & how our immune system functions in response, let’s shift the focus to building a robust immune response through the major pillars:

• Sleep

• Nutrition

• Movement

• Environment

• Supplementation

• Stress

Sleep

How it works: There’s a reason this is listed first - sleep is paramount in our rapid recovery process. You want to recover like a superhuman? You need to sleep like a superhuman. Simple. Especially at the onset of a viral infection.

When we sleep, we have a number of key mechanisms at play facilitating a smooth recovery. First, we get an uptick in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-8, & TNF-α) & enhanced natural killer cell activity - both needed to initiate and sustain a prolonged, effective antiviral response. Next, sleep supports the activation of adaptive immunity by enhancing the proliferation of T-cells and downregulating our cortisol levels.

So that’s how sleep works in supporting our fight against the viral infection. But how does it impact our recovery? If you’re sleeping < 7 hours/night, you’re ~3x more likely to develop a cold compared to those who sleep 8+ hours. It’s even more pronounced for sleep efficiency - those achieving < 92% efficiency are 5.5x more likely to catch a cold than those with 98%+ efficiency.

Protocol: Minimum of 7 hrs/night. Aim for 8-9 hrs. If possible, 20 - 30 min early afternoon nap.

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Nutrition

Caloric Surplus

How it works: Do not fast. There’s a time to impose acute levels of calorically restricted stress on our body. A period of recovery where we need the immune defense system fully engaged in the fight against the common cold virus is not the time. The immune response to a viral infection is energetically costly. Since our cellular energy demand increases, eating in a caloric surplus ensures adequate ATP availability for our bodies to replicate DNA, synthesize protein, & promote cellular division.

Intaking enough energy also reduces physiological stress & prevents excessive cortisol release. Chronically elevated cortisol - exactly what we’re seeking to avoid in a calorie deficit - suppresses immune function by downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokine production & lymphocyte activity.

A caloric surplus gives your body enough:

• Carbs → fuel immune cell activity

• Proteins → rebuild tissues + produce new immune cells & antibodies

• Fats → regulate inflammation + support micronutrient absorption

Protocol: Track your calories (i.e. Cronometer). Aim to keep protein high. My ideal immunity macro breakdown looks like the following: 30% protein, 40% carbs, & 30% fats.

Micronutrients

How it works: We want to deliver as rich of a micronutrient profile to the cells to support the immune system as efficiently as possible. Each micronutrient plays a critical role in bolstering innate & adaptive forms of immunity. Some of the most important ones with sources & optimal daily immunity intake (based on 3,000 kcal intake) are provided below:

• Vitamin A

  • Sources: Carrots, kefir, sweet potatoes, spinach, butternut squash

  • Optimal Daily Immunity Intake: 2,000 μg

• Vitamin B6

  • Sources: Wild-caught sockeye salmon, ahi-yellowfin tuna, turkey, grass-fed/finished beef, chickpeas, banana

  • Optimal Daily Immunity Intake: 6 mg

• Vitamin B12

  • Sources: Clams, oysters, ahi-yellowfin tuna, venison, wild-caught salmon, grass-fed/finished beef, Greek yogurt

  • Optimal Daily Immunity Intake: 8 mcg

• Vitamin C

  • Sources: Broccoli, kiwi, mandarins, acerola cherries, bell peppers, grapefruit, supplements (discussed later)

  • Optimal Daily Immunity Intake: 5,000 mg (split into 4 - 6 dosages)

• Vitamin D

  • Sources: Cod liver, wild-caught salmon, ahi-yellowfin tuna, pasture-raised/organic eggs, ribeye, chicken (skin & dark meat)

  

  • Optimal Daily Immunity Intake: 5,000 IU

• Copper

  • Sources: Oysters, sweet potatoes, dark chocolate, cashews, mushrooms

  • Optimal Daily Immunity Intake: 3 - 5 mg (aim to keep Zn : Cu = ~10 : 1)

• Magnesium

  • Sources: Pumpkin, flax & chia seeds, raw cacao, spinach, dark chocolate, almonds, supplements (discussed later)

  • Optimal Daily Immunity Intake: 1,000 - 1,200 mg (split into 3 - 4 dosages)

• Selenium

  • Sources: Brazil nuts, ahi-yellowfin tuna, shrimp, sardines, wild-caught salmon

  • Optimal Daily Immunity Intake: 200 - 300 mcg

• Zinc

  • Sources: Oysters, grass-fed/finished beef, chicken & turkey (dark meat)

  • Optimal Daily Immunity Intake: 40 mg

We’ll revisit some of these that are difficult to hit through diet alone in the supplementation section below. Now onto some of my favorite nutritional levers.