How prepared are you to face the current COVID-19 threat?

How resilient are you?

Does your immune system have the resources to mount a good fight?

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With the COVID-19 crisis keeping us all at home, you cannot get out, so I thought I’d come to you.

Check out my video on 5 things you can do right now to boost your immunity to help get you through this crisis.

I get asked these questions all the time.

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Now let’s look at the facts in more detail

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Tip 1: In my video I mentioned food quality

Let’s unpack what I mean by food quality further.

If possible, preferably source organic meats, fruits and vegetables for better nutrient value and no pesticide residue but I know that may be difficult in these times.

The nutrient content of your food provides the fuel for every cell in your body. Eating should not be just about filling up your stomach to get full.

My favourite quote from my book, ‘How to Live a Life Without Pain’ is,

“If you don’t put it in your mouth it ain’t there.” Your food choices, therefore, determine your nutritional status.

The quote, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” by Hippocrates has stood the testament of time.

So, what do we need for a healthy immune system?

Make sure you get adequate protein. That’s at least 70 gm for a woman and 90 gm for a male. To give you some idea, one egg has about 6 gm protein, a palm sized piece of chicken is approximately 30 gm of protein. A small tin of tuna is 10 gm.

Don’t forget to eat 5 servings of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit every day and ½ cup of nuts and seeds to provide a good range of vitamins and minerals.

Warning!

It is especially important to minimise sugars, for example pasta, rice, soft drinks, fruit juice and sweets.

A diet high in carbs inhibits stomach acid and primary digestion of essential nutrients, increases whole body inflammation, and suppresses your cellular immunity for hours after eating.

Remember, alcohol is a carbohydrate and adds to your sugar load. It also depletes essential nutrients such as zinc and magnesium.

So, when you next go to the supermarket be mindful of your choices.

The other thing that is a no brainer is to avoid processed foods that are nutrient poor and full of preservatives.

The next thing is Key Nutrient Support:

Tip 2: How much Vitamin C do we need?

You’ve probably heard a lot about vitamin C in the media but here are some facts you may not know.

Clinical trials have shown vitamin C reduces the onset and severity of upper respiratory tract infections. It has more recently to reduce the cytokine storm that overwhelms COVID-19 sufferers and is a cause of death.

For you at home, I suggest a minimum of 1.6 grams per day but you can take up to 3 gm per day or increase to bowel tolerance preferably split morning and night because vitamin C does not last long on the body.

If you have a powder or liquid, you can put some in your drink bottle to sip through the day for better all-day absorption.

Clinical trials of intravenous vitamin C are currently under way for severe cases of the virus.

Tip 3: The value of Vitamin D

Most of us know Vitamin D is essential for immune health. But not many understand that we need 30 minutes in the sun each day with bare skin to make enough. If you are not out in the sun each day, I suggest supplementing with between 2-4000 IU per day.

Experts have reported that good levels of vitamin D stops the Corona virus from attaching to receptors on our cells. If your vitamin D is low, you have an increased risk of lung and upper respiratory tract infection.

Low vitamin D is also associated with weight gain. And we know obesity is a risk factor for a poor outcome with COVID-19.

Tip 4: Zinc an essential nutrient for immune health

Zinc is an essential co-factor in 100’s of biochemical pathways in the body. Notably we need protein, zinc and vitamin B6 to make immune cells.  So, when you are deficient in zinc, your immune response to infection is compromised.

Zinc is said to be like the moat around a castle as the first line of defence.

Because our soils are deficient most people are low in zinc. As a preventative, take 25 mg of zinc x 2 per day.

If you are not sure whether you need to take zinc, a simple taste test can determine your zinc status. Contact me for further information.

Tip 5: Selenium plays a critical role in your metabolism

Selenium, a lesser known nutrient, is important for thyroid function and is a co-factor for the most powerful antioxidant in our body, glutathione.

Glutathione is a major player in the maintenance of our health. It is our most powerful antioxidant and protector of our brain, liver and every cell. It is also involved in detoxifying alcohol, toxic metals, drugs including Panadol and penicillin, and environmental toxins, to name a few. Low levels have been associated with an increased risk of cancer and chronic disease.

Glutathione is anti-inflammatory and reduces the cytokine storm associated with severe cases of COVID-19.

What is the cytokine storm? That’s when your immune system goes awry and overreacts with an inappropriate surge of inflammatory cells called cytokines. The body becomes overwhelmed and this can lead to death.

To boost your glutathione take 4000 mg of NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) each day and selenium. You can get selenium from eating brazil nuts, but make sure to soak them for 4 hours to activate them first.

NAC has another benefit. It has been used to thin mucous in the lung in cystic fibrosis sufferers and may prevent the complication of pneumonia in COVID-19.

As a side note, the coding of the genes to produce glutathione are altered in approximately 38% of the population. If you are one of the 38% it is likely your ability to make glutathione is reduced.

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As a practitioner trained in the analysis of our base line genetics, I can assess your individual genetic profile for any blockages that may be affecting your current and future health and show you how get the best from your genes. Send me a contact message if you would like to chat about how to test your glutathione level and/or your individual genetic profile in relation to your health

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Tip 6: Make sure you take a multivitamin

Take a multivitamin for trace elements and a full range of B vitamins for cellular energy. Remember we need to absorb and metabolise enough protein to make immune cells and to do that we need the co-factors zinc and vitamin B6

Tip 7: Stay Hydrated

Drink 1 ½ to 2 litres of water each day. Not tea, coffee, or soft drinks. These make the body more acid and add to the dehydration effect.

Our body is made up of approximately 75% water. Nutrients can’t flow to the cells or toxins escape without adequate hydration.

Tip 8: Sleep is essential for cellular repair and recovery

We need quality sleep for resilience and repair. The body does not repair unless we are in a deep sleep between 1 to 3 am. This is liver time on our 24-hour clock. So, if you are a night owl or wake through the night, your immune health will be compromised.

The good news is, there is a lot we can do to improve your sleep time and quality with out needing to leave the safety of your home. If you are concerned about your sleep, feel free to send a contact message on this website and we can chat.

Tip 9: Excercise for mental and physical health

45 mins per day is recommended. Exercise can be broken up into 10-minute intervals and does not need to be strenuous. Walk around your house and garden or dance to your favourite music if you can’t get out to a park.

Getting up from your chair every 30 minutes to do a few stretches, roll your shoulders, jog on the spot, swing your arms, anything to keep moving helps to promote good circulation, kicks your metabolism into gear and builds your resilience and fitness to fight infection.

Tip 10: Immunity begins in the gut

Let’s not forget looking after your immune system in the gut with a quality probiotic. 75% of your immune system is only one cell deep in your gut lining and is therefore affected by what we eat and maintenance of a healthy balance of good gut flora.

Finally, don’t forget to breath!

Sitting around on the couch or at the computer we don’t exercise our lungs much. As a physiotherapist I am trained to assess lung health and the efficiency of your breathing pattern for optimal health.

Many of us are upper chest breathers, particularly when stressed, anxious or nervous. That constant level of alert and unrest we are all experiencing right now feeds your flight and fright, sympathetic nervous state. You find it difficult to wind down and relax.

Controlled deep relaxed breathing calms the nervous system and switches you to a parasympathetic state of relax and digest. A slow steady breath with the exhale longer that the inhale will lower your stress hormone, cortisol.

Watch out for my next blog with a video to show you how to assess if you are an upper chest breather and do breathing exercises to regain a quality deep relaxed breathing pattern.

Doing exercises to improve your breathing will increase your lung fitness and capacity but you need to practice at least x 3 per day.

Herbal support to help your immune system

Quercetin is anti-inflammatory, reduces the histamine response and interferes with the Corona virus binding to ACE2 receptors.

Oregano oil is antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral.

PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide) is useful to reduce inflammation.

Other herbs to improve your immune response include astragalus, licorice root (don’t take if you have high blood pressure), rhubarb, mushroom extracts like reishi mushroom and cordyceps sensis, and elderberry. Astragalus inhibited the Avian flu infectious bronchitis.

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If you have any health concerns and would like to avail yourself of my FREE 20 minute chat either by phone or online please send me a message on the contact page and I will get back to you.

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