Welcome to the commune podcast. My name is Jeff Krasno. So as the days get shorter and colder,

many of us are spending more time indoors and our immune systems are under new kinds of stress.

Between traveling for the holidays, gathering with family, and long, dark nights, it's easy to forget

that staying healthy isn't just about avoiding illness. It's actually about supporting the systems

in our body that keep us resilient. So today, we're revisiting three conversations that offer both

an introduction to how the immune system actually works

and some practical guidance for strengthening it during this winter season. So first,

you'll hear from Dr. Jeffrey Bland, often called the father of functional medicine, who explains

the immune system as a dynamic adaptive network

that's constantly responding to how we eat, how we sleep, and how we move through the world.

Then we'll turn to Dr. William Lee, physician and author of Eat to Beat Disease.

He explains how the microbiome, the bacteria in our gut,

actually talks to our immune system and how the foods we choose every day help to shape

that conversation. And finally, we'll hear from Dr. Roger Schwelt, critical care physician

and co-founder of Medcram.

He shares how vitamin D sleep and gentle stressors like heat and cold

can strengthen immune resilience and help the body fend off infection, especially in winter.

So think of today's episode as your winter immunity playbook,

a way to understand how the immune system functions

and the simple daily practices you can implement to support it.

These conversations reveal that our immune system isn't just a defense mechanism.

It's a reflection of how we live. So let's begin with Dr. Jeffrey Bland.

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