Wise strategies from a naturopathic doctor to help with the latest virus surges

I've seen 3 COVID posts and have put their names on the prayer roll,  oddly when I search the group for "COVID" or even "covid" nothing comes up even though it's right there.... anyway I'm going to share very wise naturopathic doctor advice that has kept many patients healthy-  he shared this at the beginning of COVID and months in, the news was like "ohhhh what do you know we have 'discovered' that those having taken high doses of Vitamin C fare better" as  if it was brand new and they found it-  meanwhile this doc has been explaining the importance of something so "basic" as Vitamin C for years!!!    That we are one of the only mammals who do not make our own, and the RDA isn't for thriving, it was- what is the minimum we can give sailors to prevent scurvy.   

This is re-shared from one of the best doctors I know!

Virus notes.

Spring virus strategies...

Greetings all and the first thing I’d say is:  be aware but not a-scared!  

The mind is the first layer of our defenses! The science of psycho-neuro-immunology demonstrates the presence of stress hormone receptors on our white blood cells that fight infections of all sorts. If we’re super stressed & worried, it literally affects our immune defenses. Listen to beautiful music, walk outside, read a great book. Trust your body’s ability to protect you AND take the precautions outlined below! The rest is not under our control and therefore not useful to worry about!

Most of the things you’ve been reading from the CDC are useful ways to decrease the likelihood that you’ll pick up the corona bug: wash hands, wipe down surfaces, avoid large crowds in close quarters  and  keep yourself well-rested and well-fed.  Now...some naturopathic pointers on these topics and more!: 

Well fed:    Avoid sugar!!! Concentrated sweets, bakery items, candies, desserts... these tend to slow down the immune system response to viruses and therefore temporarily lower immunity.  Keep this especially in mind for the upcoming holidays as even in a non-corona year; I see a significant boost of people getting sick after the holidays with travel stress, eating & drinking different foods and high intake of sweets. Enjoy the holidays and visiting but keep the food as basic and non-sugary as you possibly can. 

Well-rested:   Being sleep deprived certainly lowers our immune system’s ability to be in top notch shape. Try not to deprive yourself of sleep, if you’re a student or working odd hours or just have a lot on your plate, PLEASE factor in a bit more sleep time to get about 7+ hours if you can.

Steam inhalation:   A very good strategy as virtually all viruses establish themselves in a cooler environment (nose, throat, eyes).   There are OTC personal nebulizer gizmos to inhale steam on the web and these are a good idea at the end of a busy day or following periods of potential exposure. Twice a day if you’re having a cough or other early symptoms! Be gentle with the essential oils or inhaled fragrances, these can be super strong,  a little goes a LONG way!

Nutrients: 

Vitamin C!  Like I’ve stated previously- vitamin C is a simple yet very important nutrient to get plenty of, and you can’t really get sufficient amounts from food     (an orange contains about 35 mg.) I’d recommend 2,000-4,000 mg a day taken in divided doses (i.e. 1,000 mg three times a day) and if you’re in a crowd, or suspicious of exposure or at FIRST SIGN OF ANY SYMPTOMS LIKE SCRATCHY THROAT< HEADACHE< TIGHT CHEST, FEELING WARM/FEVERISH, MUSCLE ACHES...take 5,000-7,000 mg a day.  If you take too much C it can cause loose bowels. IF that happens, reduce the dose and then nudge up gradually. Also...do NOT stop taking vitamin C abruptly after you’ve been on a high dose for a few days, lower the dose down to the 2,000 a day gradually.

Vitamin A & D:  about 5,000 IU of A and 1,000 IU of vitamin D3  per day are good to help protect the nose, throat, eyes and other mucous membranes from viral attack. If you might become pregnant, don’t exceed this amount of vitamin A.

Zinc:  25 mg of zinc a day is a good way to protect the throat from viral attack. Zinc tastes pretty bad but getting it in contact with the throat is a good idea., so crush tablets or open up capsules to release the zinc powder. Prepare for the (chalky, bitter, flat) taste, but there are lozenges out there that are decent.  Don’t take 100’s of mgs of zinc continuously as it does build up gradually in the body.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES:   Good to have on hand:  Oscillococcinum, gelsemium, bryonia, eupatorium perfoliatum, influenzinum. These are taken according to the specific indication of the remedy except for the Oscillococinum and influenzinum which are taken at the first sign of flu-like symptoms: muscle aches, fever, headache

Herbs:  Here we have a bit of a challenge. No herbs have been tested in infected humans for effectiveness against this particular virus, even other corona viruses have testing that typically involves test-tube studies rather than testing in real people in real-life situations. Much of our use of herbs for viral immune help involves ramping UP the immune system. With COVID-19 the concern is a dramatic over reaction of immunity (cytokine storm) that ends up creating the severe breathing problems that are a sign the infection is taking a nasty turn. Substances like tnf-alpha, IL-6, IL-4 are body chemicals that, in excess, are associated with an over-zealous immune activity. So... I feel that if the virus is hitting too hard, quieting down these chemicals is a reasonable strategy.

Two herbs to consider therefore are Licorice and nettle leaf.  Licorice is a good anti-viral as well! Both of these are available as a tea or as a powder and thus easy to use as a tea.  One caveat...too much licorice can cause high blood pressure, so if you have tendency to high BP or on medication for it, keep this in mind. Generally, a cup or two of licorice tea for a few days isn’t sufficient to cause the BP to rise, but do watch it!  While echinacea, elderberry and other immune boosters are generally helpful to resist infection, large amounts of these at the beginning of a nasty corona virus infection may not be the best, we simply don’t’ know for sure. I do point out that it has been documented that echinacea can raise levels of CRP in people. The CRP is a general gauge of inflammation in the body so in this example echinacea would not be a great idea. A certain amount of inflammation is good for immune protection, but too much is what appears to cause the worst reactions to the mostly benign corona virus. 

Be vigilant, but not paranoid, if your nose itches, use your elbow!

Things are Not always as they seem

I had seen this picture along time ago and was seriously searching for it again recently as something has come up I believe in regard to dance about how things are so often not as they seem. I think there is more awareness these days that being thin does not mean being fit and or healthy. And someone being thicker up to an extent can actually be much healthier in multiple ways than the person who may look more like they have the body of an emaciated model. Which of course has been revered in our society for some time.

So take a look: what you would see is three people socializing and being happy together, from the outside the effects of their choices may not yet be strongly apparent. But on the inside the smoker has black lungs already, the drinker has issues with her liver, they've got less vitality on the inside. And then the woman eating the vegetables has more color and greater activity in her body. But yet you can't really see the differences on the outside until it's too late. It's gravely important to be making the best choices for your health well you can still do something about it to allow yourself to have a long and physically happy life. 

I think we still have more room to grow in the arena of realizing that just because someone remains thin does not mean their insides are healthy at all. I have so many times witnessed people who just happen to have a fast metabolism eating piles on their plates which have minimally more nutrition than cardboard and cotton candy. It certainly will catch up with them someday but in the meantime they just figure, well if I'm not putting on weight it must be fine. But there is no nourishment, they're not getting the vitamins their body needs, all they are really doing is filling their stomach.

 No I entirely realize that with the way that we have been treating our bodies we often feel the need to have that full feeling because we have the hangry hunger without it.  

I've also come to learn that type of hunger is more likely a sign of blood sugar and balance and is not at all the body signaling that you should be eating more. If anything it is signaling that you should be eating more nutritiously, not that you need more quantity. But those messages get crossed when people don't know what their body is telling them.

If you consume them properly for the purpose of health, the appetite is not something that is constantly nagging at you and can be put back into balance. If you are nourishing your body, the body does not scream at you saying fill me up just so I can be comfortable and or sleepy so that I will take a nap. It can have so much more energy than people realize.

I remember the highschooler that was thin and looked fairly average but she was tired all the time and would have a pop tart perhaps for breakfast and maybe as a snack in the afternoon and either not eat during the day or have very unhealthy choices. And then not have energy to get through sports practice, and then was unable to be on the team after she decided to just not do her homework.  

Kids at the age just do not realize that their bodies are such a gift. If they happen to have aesthetic beauty, it is Lucky but eating whatever one feels like is not a formula for success at keeping that beauty and maintaining health. It will catch up with anyone who decides to eat a common American diet. It may catch up with different people at different times but it will catch up and it can lead to early death, lack of energy, decline in the quality of life and so many possible outcomes.  

It may not seem appealing or easy in the beginning but I can assure you if you set your goals on health and educate yourself on what that means, Your life will be so much more rich and fulfilled. 

I hope to tell you all about diverticulitis sometime as there are so many people who've never heard of it unless they've experienced it… But it is not something you want to experience so it would be wise to do everything possible to prevent it now rather than when it's too late…