How do you stay safe in the face of a sickening world?

There’s been a lot of scary information coming out around this coronavirus. The comedians are making jokes about it. And the news is trying to scare the beJesus out of us. But how do we bust this thing wide open and defeat it before it even begins?  WE boost our Immunity!

I’ve read some really helpful articles and I’d like to summarize them and give you some real information instead of scare tactics.

In China, which is where most of the information currently is coming from the overwhelming majority of cases (82%) were MILD.

Initial symptoms include fever, cough, muscle aches, fatigue and in some cases headache, sore throat, sputum production and diarrhea. Reports suggest that symptoms can become more severe during the 2nd week of illness, with progression of pneumonia.

The majority of cases were older men with a lifetime history of smoking cigarettes. Why is that important? Very few women in China smoke cigarettes.(87% men to 2% of women) That accounts for the gender disparity. It also speaks volumes to those of you out there who smoke cigarettes. You are at more risk than non-smokers.  It’s time to boost your immunity!

But what this comes down to in the end is how strong is your immunity? How clean is your diet? How are you taking care of yourself? Balancing your stress? Exercising? These are the things your healthcare practitioners, that are really paying attention, have been urging you to do for years. And this is why…

A strong immunity is your key for combating or simply AVOIDING any of these crazy viruses that will probably continue to come at us.

How do you get a strong immunity?

Besides doing the things I just listed above: eating well, exercising, managing your stress, not smoking or vaping anything; there are some foods you can eat and supplements you can take to help boost your immunity.

This list is in no particular order and I am certainly not encouraging you to take any of these things. It’s just for informational purposes. This is just for your information and if it feels right you can try it. As with all things, it’s recommended that you talk to a healthcare provider before you start taking anything. (A healthcare provider is not google btw.)

• Elderberry syrup (I take a dose of this everyday)(And have supplies in Office)
• Vitamin C  (In Office)
• Vitamin A (In Office)
• Vitamin D (Especially those of us who live without a lot of sun in our lives)(In office)
• Zinc (In Office)
• Red Marine Algae (interesting article here).  (In Office)
• Fish oil
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Host Defense Mushroom Formula by Paul Stamets
• Organic Vegetables
• Limit or even better—remove fried food, processed food, sugar, and troublesome carbohydrates
• There are a few Chinese herbal formulas to help keep your immunity strong which I have in the office should that be of interest to you. I’m fully stocked and stoked to tackle many different health concerns.

If exercise is not something in your current regimen I would recommend amping up to 3 to 4 times a week. Make sure you have your heart rate up for at least 25 minutes a day. This does not mean you have to have your heart beating out of your chest but, it does mean at the end you’re breathing a little heavy and you’ve heated up your body. This could be sweating. Or it could just be a sensation of warmth in your core.

If stress is a problem for you I recommend downloading a meditation app and learning to meditate. Simply focusing on your breathing for 5 to 15 minutes a day will do wonders for your brain. (Insight timer, Calm and Headspace are good for all levels of meditative experience.)

Do a little research on your Vegas nerve. Find out how you can calm it down. Again, meditation is a great way to do this. In this case breath work also known as pranayama fits the bill.

And I probably should’ve put this at the front of the list but wash your hands. It seems so simple, but just pay extra special attention and before you touch your face or put anything in your mouth make sure you wash your hands first.

My extra super favorite trick is to stay hydrated. I just drink a ton of water and make sure my urine is almost clear every day. A hydrated body is often a healthy body. I put a twist of gray sea salt in my water and it’s delicious!  The salt acts as a tonic for your kidney’s. So it’s not just beautiful, it’s smart too 🙂

And I think last but not least is don’t freak out. This is just a virus. It’s a mess of a virus but, it’s just a virus. It is your immunity you would be better focusing on for the moment. You’ve gotten over hundreds of viruses in your life. You will most likely get over this one. In fact, you will most likely not even catch it. Follow these tips. Boost your immunity. Wash your hands. Stay hydrated. And for gods sake stop being so stressed out!

This is excellent information for all year but, especially for cold and flu season…. So, stick this in your hat, hold onto it, and use it. This is an oldie but goodie…it still holds. Please go into the video 2:30 and hear the advice.

If the actual virus makes it’s way to you of course make sure you head to quarantine.

Salud!

 

 

*As a side note…I was not paid by any of the makers of the suggestions above…these are my thoughts and products that I use to keep my and my patients immunity up and stress down!