There are many ways to keep yourself and family healthy. The following is a way to keep your immune system balanced through all of the viruses in and around us. If you suspect that you have Covid-19 then please call your nearest public health and follow their instructions.
This is meant for the generally healthy individuals (without additional chronic health concerns such as diabetes, asthma, kidney disease, etc.) who want to keep a healthy response (not overreact or underreact) to the viruses circulating amidst us.
As always, diet is extremely important. Keeping with the seasonal healthy eating habits it is best to eat food that is nourishing and supportive with nutrients and minerals that readily absorb and warm the body. These include soups that are made with bone and red meat that creates warmth in the body to throw off the dampness that comes with spring. I don’t mean to be eating only meat of course. By adding root vegetables to your stews and beans like mung and adzuki you are supporting your kidneys to keep you warm on a very deep level. Adding ginger slices (I usually add a thumb size to a pot of soup) and cinnamon sticks (1 stick – at least 4 inches) adds a particular warming effect that is beneficial for the winter and spring months. Until the weather is warm and balmy we can expect damp-like symptoms in the body if we are not mindful of our diet. Too many raw foods (salads) without the warming foods such as the meat stews and bone broths will keep the dampness in our body and then diseases like irritable bowel, yeast infections, fungal infections, diarrhea, skin rashes, arthritis can pursue in the body.
WHAT TO ELIMINATE
Any food that you typically don’t feel good after ingesting is to be eliminated — it’s a sign that you are not digesting this well and we want good fuel for the body to feel like it can maintain health. Foods that are highly processed also are important to eliminate for obvious reasons — I think we all know.
Dairy in particular (cow, goat, sheep milk products, cheese, yogurt, butter etc.) are foods that make more dampness in the body. Eliminating these foods at this time can help to remove the cold dampness and the mucous film that develops on all the mucous membranes including the respiratory tract where the Covid-19 virus likes to create problems. Replace with the oat, rice, cashew, almond, coconut milks that are available.
VITAMIN C and ZINC
Some of the supplements that are spoken about are Vitamin C and Zinc. Both are a good idea however too much Vitamin C can lead to diarrhea and cause you to have more immune problems. And Zinc on an empty stomach will often cause nausea or upset stomach (it has to be taken in the middle of eating a meal). The lemon juice in water first thing in the morning if you have no intolerance to lemons is a good way to intake Vitamin C. Adding nuts and seeds on your oatmeal in the morning is a good idea for natural sources of Zinc.
VITAMIN D
Vitamin D levels are often very low at this time in the season because of the low angle of the sun in the sky. If the shadow your body casts is longer than your height than you are not converting the D in your skin. It isn’t until the end of May that we get the high sun and shorter shadow. Even then the experts say to take your 2-3000 IU of Vitamin D a day (that’s healthy people of course, and not individuals with kidney disease).
NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS
There are herbs to look to for protection, such as elderberry (you can just buy at market, freeze for the following year when we battle the influenza again) or mushrooms with beta glucans content. Usually we don’t need very much, many supplement companies have some version of C, Zinc, Astragalus, codonopsis and mushrooms that could be supplemented at this time of year.
Specifically NAC or N Acetyl Cysteine is mucolytic which helps to break up the mucous in the lungs. This is also important to recharge the glutathione levels in the body to help the body fight viruses (see your naturopathic Doctor for dosages).
So you see, a combination of diet and lifestyle, including restful sleep each and every night, is vital first and foremost and then use the herbs and some vitamin D, C and Zinc if needed. Stress also can pull the rug out from your immune system. It is important to maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle that centres us and allows us to enjoy the simple things and friends and family around us.