| Should you be afraid of Coronavirus? To answer that, I’ve taken most of what you see here from Dr. Jolene Brighten’s post on the Coronavirus. I think she does a really good job of putting things into perspective. First off, the news is doing a good job of heightening our fear. We hadn’t heard much about this virus before, which is in part why it sounds scary. The strain is new, but this is what viruses do—they mutate into new strains. So, I don’t think we should be afraid, but we should be mindful, cautious, and smart about how we are caring for ourselves. In healthy individuals with competent immune systems, symptoms will be a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, severe respiratory distress, kidney failure, and even death. But we aren’t really seeing the latter in the US right now and the majority of people who have died in other countries had other conditions that had already compromised their health. |
| Dr. Brighten says, “To master your craft you must first understand your opponent.” So let’s looks at what a virus is and does. |
| The Flu & Coronaviruses are just that—viruses. Antibiotics won’t work here. In fact, they can make things worse by decimating your gut bugs while your body fights an illness. I’m pretty sure the flu virus does a super villain evil laugh every time someone takes an antibiotic for the flu. He’s all about getting in your face! No Joke! This is how he makes his way in – mouth, nose, eyes. So, if you’re someone who constantly touches your face then you might want to break that habit for flu season. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. He’s all up in your space before you even know it! Yeah, people pass the flu before they even know they are sick. Adults are typically “sharing” one day before they have symptoms and for about a week after. Kids can transmit the virus even longer. So with that in mind…let’s prevent this virus from getting the better of us! You know what handles a virus better than an antibiotic? Your own immune system! Yes, have some faith that your immune system has your back! (If you’re immune compromised then yes, you do need a chat with your doc about what is best for you.) |
| How can you show your immune system some love and make it stronger? |
| Sleep! Sleep is when you get a healthy overhaul of your system. If you feel like you’re getting sick, go take a nap and let your immune system do its thing! Vitamin D. Your immune system needs this vitamin to do it’s job. We can get it from the sun…wait…where’s the sun? Yeah, it’s winter, which means most of us see our Vitamin D levels dip during flu season. Vitamin D is an amazing nutrient that helps balance your immune system and help it put up an good fight when put up against viruses! Most people do well to supplement at least 2,000 IU daily, but the best way to know is to test. You can grab a quality vitamin D here. Wash Your Hands. This is super effective! Remember the virus loves to get into your mouth, nose and eyes. The fastest route? Well, rather than a direct sneeze or getting up close with someone already infected, your hands can actually help this virus fast track you to infection. Wash your hands before meals, after being in public, after using the restroom, and anytime you want to touch your face. |
| Now, what to do when you get sick? |
| Rest, rest and rest some more. You know those people who are always sick or can never kick something? They are often those who do not let themselves have a time out. Eat Your Vitamin A! Vitamin A is necessary for immune function and is used to treat many viruses…the flu being no exception. Food Sources of Vitamin A: Eggs Yolk, Cod Liver Oil, Grass fed butter, Sweet Potato, Cantaloupe, Spinach, Butternut squash, Pumpkin, Carrots Supplement with Vitamin A-retinol: a bolus of 200,000 IU’s (this is not a typo-yes 200,000 IU’s)-which is a lot but viruses deplete our bodies of Vit A and the WHO has studied the effectiveness of giving a bolus to prevent secondary lung complications and pneumonia. I like Biotics Research brand-you can order this through my online dispensary. |
| What else can we do: |
| The physicians of the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service and the International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine urge a nutrient-based method to prevent or minimize symptoms of viral infection. The following inexpensive supplemental levels are recommended for adults; for children reduce these in proportion to body weight: Vitamin C: 3,000 milligrams (or more) daily, in divided doses. Zinc: 30 mg daily Selenium: 100 mcg (micrograms) daily I like to add a few additional herbs when I feel something coming on: oregano 100 mg twice daily and olive leaf 500 mg twice/day. You can purchase high quality sources of these herbs and supplements at a 10% discount from my online dispensary on Fullscript. If you’d like to do your own research, dive into this newly published blog by Andrew Saul PhD, Vitamin C Protects Against Coronavirus. It offers some sage foundational advice that resonated with me. I hope this helps you understand a little bit more about the Coronavirus and viruses in general, and how we can equip ourselves to combat these pesky bugs and not feel so anxious and helpless. Stay Well! Cindy D |