Patients ask me what to eat all the time—and it’s a fair question. Food matters. A lot. But nutrition is just one piece of a much larger ecosystem. Healing from chronic illness requires rebuilding the underlying systems that regulate immunity, inflammation, detoxification, and cellular energy. And those systems don’t run on food alone.
This post outlines the core lifestyle interventions that I’ve seen make the biggest impact over the years—not just in my patients, but in my own life. These are the non-negotiables: the baseline habits that support all other treatments. When these are dialed in, everything else works better—supplements, medications, even mindset work.
Hydration: The Unsung Hero of Detox and Cellular Function
Optimal hydration isn’t just about quenching thirst—it’s about facilitating every major biochemical process in your body. Water is required for mitochondrial energy production, lymphatic circulation, bowel motility, and the detoxification pathways in your liver and kidneys. Dehydration, even mild, can impair cognition, mood, and immune defense.
I recommend aiming for 2–3 liters of purified water daily, but the way you drink matters just as much as how much. Large boluses (like chugging a liter twice a day) can trigger a temporary increase in urination without adequately hydrating your tissues. Frequent small sips—2 to 3 ounces every hour—are more effective for cellular hydration and mimic the steady-state replenishment you’d get from IV fluids.
Choose filtered water—reverse osmosis or spring water when possible—and avoid plastic bottles, which can leach endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Clean Food: Nourishment Without Inflammation
Food is information. Every bite sends chemical signals that shape gene expression, immune tolerance, and mitochondrial output. While individualized food plans may be necessary in some cases, there are universal principles that apply to almost everyone with chronic inflammatory illness.
Prioritize organic, non-GMO, whole foods to reduce exposure to pesticide residues and synthetic additives that may interfere with immune and endocrine function. Avoid processed foods, seed oils, fried items, and high fructose corn syrup, which contribute to oxidative stress and metabolic dysfunction.
Many patients benefit from a reduction in common allergens (gluten, dairy, soy), though this isn’t always necessary long-term. Food sensitivity testing is often unreliable, so I typically recommend a clinical trial of removal and reintroduction to evaluate tolerance.
Finally, watch oxalate intake. While foods like spinach, beets, almonds, and sweet potatoes are often marketed as health foods, they can be high in oxalates—a class of plant-based compounds that can impair mitochondrial enzymes and contribute to joint pain, urinary symptoms, and systemic inflammation in sensitive individuals. Gradual reduction (not cold turkey) is key to avoiding oxalate dumping symptoms. You can find more detailed guidance in my blog posts on oxalates.
Sleep: The Core Repair Cycle
You cannot out-supplement poor sleep. During deep sleep, the glymphatic system clears waste products from the brain, the immune system shifts into surveillance and repair mode, and cellular regeneration is ramped up.
Aim to be in bed by 11 PM and stay resting until at least 6 or 7 AM, even if sleep is elusive. The circadian rhythm is set by light and dark cycles, not just hours of sleep. Resting in the dark during this window helps reinforce your body’s natural clock and hormone rhythms, including melatonin, cortisol, and growth hormone.
Support this by eliminating blue light exposure at night, using blackout curtains, and minimizing EMF exposure in the bedroom (turn off Wi-Fi, keep phones out of the room, and avoid sleeping near smart meters or routers).
Even if you can't sleep, resting in the dark during circadian sleep hours supports healing in ways we’re only beginning to fully understand.
Air Quality: The Inhaled Immune Trigger
You breathe over 11,000 liters of air per day, and if that air is contaminated—especially with mold spores, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dust, or mycotoxins—it can act as a chronic inflammatory trigger. This is particularly important for individuals with mold sensitivity, CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome), mast cell activation, or any form of chronic immune dysregulation.
If there’s a history of water damage or you suspect mold exposure, I recommend testing your home using tools like ERMI or HERTSMI-2 to assess for fungal contamination. Even in the absence of visible mold, indoor air can still be a source of inflammation due to off-gassing from building materials, flame retardants, and particulates from cooking or gas appliances.
That’s why I recommend investing in high-quality air purifiers—especially in your bedroom and main living areas, where you spend most of your time.
The brands I trust and recommend:
- Air Doctor – Excellent for particle and VOC removal with multi-stage HEPA and carbon filtration.
- Austin Air – Long-lasting, medical-grade filters with strong performance on VOCs, gases, and allergens.
- Air Oasis – Offers advanced purification with HEPA + ionization + UV options. Particularly helpful for mold-prone environments.
Clean air isn't a luxury—it’s a therapeutic input. Run your purifiers continuously and replace filters as directed. This one intervention often reduces fatigue, brain fog, sinus congestion, and mast cell-related symptoms more than expected.
Nervous System Regulation: The Gatekeeper of Immune Recovery
Stress isn't just emotional. It’s biochemical, neurological, and immunological. Chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) reduces vagal tone, impairs digestion, increases gut permeability, and shifts the immune system toward inflammation.
The antidote isn't a vacation—it’s consistent, intentional downregulation of the stress response. Simple tools like 4-7-8 breathing, box breathing, or brief gratitude meditation (even 3 minutes a day) can start to rewire these circuits.
For deeper retraining, the Gupta Program offers a structured approach to limbic system and vagus nerve rehabilitation. I often recommend it for patients dealing with chronic infections, mold illness, fibromyalgia, post-viral fatigue, or trauma-linked illness, especially when symptoms persist despite treatment.
Movement: Support the Lymph, Don’t Sabotage the Mitochondria
Movement is critical for lymphatic drainage, circulation, and mitochondrial signaling—but in chronic illness, the “no pain, no gain” mindset can backfire. Overexertion often leads to post-exertional malaise (PEM)—a crash that can last for days.
Instead, focus on low-impact movement that stimulates circulation without overwhelming your system. Start with gentle stretching, short walks, or low-weight strength exercises, and increase gradually as tolerated.
If movement consistently triggers fatigue or flare-ups, that’s data—not failure. It’s a sign your mitochondria, immune system, or limbic brain need more support before scaling up activity.
Adjunctive Therapies That Amplify Healing
Far Infrared Sauna
Far infrared (FIR) saunas stimulate sweat-based detox, increase circulation, reduce inflammation, and support mitochondrial biogenesis. Unlike traditional saunas, FIR penetrates more deeply into tissues, making it better tolerated by patients with heat sensitivity.
I recommend the Relax Sauna, and the goal is 30 minutes, 5 times per week, as tolerated. Start slow and hydrate well. FIR therapy can be especially helpful for mobilizing mold toxins and improving resilience in those with chronic infections or CIRS.
You can learn more here:
https://www.relaxsaunas.com/?tap_a=14913-903ea3&tap_s=203424-cfb40e
Red and Near-Infrared Light Therapy
This therapy delivers wavelengths of light that penetrate skin and tissues to stimulate cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondria—boosting ATP production and reducing oxidative stress. It’s also anti-inflammatory and supports tissue repair.
Use a panel-style device for 10–15 minutes per area, ideally 6–12 inches from the skin. Budget-friendly options include models from Therasage and Megelin. You can also learn more about the science behind this therapy through educational sites like WebMD.
Final Thoughts: Simple ≠ Superficial
These aren’t trendy hacks or extras to get around doing the “real work”—they are the real work. You don’t need to be perfect, but you do need to be consistent. Think of these interventions as the foundation under your house: invisible most of the time, but absolutely essential to keep everything standing.
When these pillars are in place, the more advanced treatments—whether antimicrobial, hormonal, or immunological—are far more likely to succeed.
And if you're already doing all of this? Congratulations. You're actively shifting your biology toward safety, repair, and resilience.