How I've Survived COVID-19

The coronavirus has challenged most, devastated some, and been a nuisance to others. No matter how the virus has impacted your life, it has no doubt, raised some concern in your mind. I live in New Mexico and as of today, we have 5,938 confirmed cases with 265 deaths. Also, I am essential health care worker and have been on the front lines since the beginning. Our governor has been extremely proactive and my office is only seeing patient's long distance at this time. Despite working in healthcare, not wearing a mask (until it became mandatory), and washing my hands no more than I usually do, I have not been infected. In fact, I have not been sick at all. What's my secret you ask? Preventative medicine. Today I will provide you with advice, tips, and resources to boost your immune system so that you can decrease your chances of infection. Keep in mind that this method does require a substantial amount of effort on your part, so it is important to ask yourself "how important is your health and what is it worth to you?"

Step One: Clean up your diet. "You are what you eat" is a famous quote by Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a French author who believed that in order to be fit and healthy, one must eat healthy food. I know you are probably sick of hearing about all the new fad diets out there but it is important to realize that you do not have to diet to eat healthy. In fact, the most important thing above eating healthy, is knowing how to cook. You will never commit to a healthy diet if your food tastes awful. When switching from a diet dominant in meat to one high in vegetables, if you don't know how to use herbs or spices, or are unfamiliar with cooking techniques, then I recommend you find a local cooking class or teach yourself at home. Cooking can be extremely fun and artistic if you are willing to try new things, and if you want to build lasting resilience in your body, changing your diet is mandatory!

Along this topic, making sure you are properly hydrated with good, clean water is essential. I recommend reverse osmosis because it has been stripped of all the toxic stuff normally found in ground water. However, since this process also removes minerals, you may have to add extra minerals to the water to prevent an electrolyte imbalance. Drinking high quality water will maximize your defense system while providing other benefits as well. The recommended amount is 32 oz for every 50 lbs of body weight.

Step Two: Once you figure out the diet that works best for you, it is now the time to make the transition into organic. Remember the quote "you are what you eat?" Well, if your food is covered in pesticides, insecticides, heavy metals, and who knows what else...your body will have a difficult time processing food as it normally does. When it comes time to process toxins...the body is suddenly faced with additional challenges that adds unneeded stress to the immune system. Chemicals block the methylation process in the body. Methylation is the basic fundamental process your body uses to do just about anything including balancing hormones, increasing immune cell production, and convert food into energy. If any of your methylation pathways become blocked, the body cannot do its job so it tries to compensate. This is when problems start to arise. The most common deficiency on the planet today is folic acid. Why? Because the pathway that converts folic acid into folate is easily blocked by chemicals. Most people need to take a methylated form of folic acid, known as methyl folate, in order for your cells to absorb it. Naturally, genetics can also play a role in blocked methylation pathways, but most gene expressions can be avoided by limiting the toxic burden and eating whole, nutritious food.

Step Three: Supplements!! Never underestimate the power of supplements. With the rise of the industrial age, toxins have greatly depleted our soil and the food we eat isn't nearly as nutritious as it used to be 100 years ago. This goes for organic food too. Unless you are growing your own food where you have complete control over the soil and nutrients you feed, any food you buy from the store is going to have a lower nutrient value. This is where supplements come into play. Supplements replace the nutrition that you are unable to get in your diet, but they should Never take the place of eating healthy food. The best supplements for boosting immune system and fighting off viruses are zinc, echinacea, elderberry, probiotics, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin B complex. There are countless other supplements that have a combination of things to help boost immune function but these are the basics everyone needs in their diet. I do not recommend ordering supplements off Amazon because the quality is not guaranteed and many supplements sold through them have been tested and verified as being tainted. The best place to order them is through Wellevate, your local Co-Op, or a holistic practitioners office.

Step Four: Exercise. It is important to get at least 15-30 minutes of exercise a day and a minimum of 4 hours of high activity every week. The type of exercise will depend on your body type, but staying active will help keep your immune system strong. If possible, exercise outdoors whenever you can. It has been proven that spending time in nature is beneficial for our mental health, as well as, our physical health. There are millions of beneficial organisms that live in dirt so don't be afraid to run your hands through soil and breath in deeply to inhale any airborne organisms. It was recently discovered that our lungs have their own flora, much like the gut. Therefore, breathing deeply outdoors can invite beneficial bacteria into your lungs to help protect your immune system. If you can find soil based probiotics, you may find that your body responds to them more effectively than other brands. However, they can get expensive so if money is tight, any probiotic is better than none.

While I do recommend you continue to wash your hands and wear your mask in public, if you follow these four simple steps, I guarantee you will create a much more resilient environment within your body that will not only protect you against COVID-19, but it will also protect your body against stress, toxins, and other infectious organisms that seek to eliminate and destroy healthy cells. Our bodies are at war with the environment and the only way to win, is to provide a strong defense. If you are interested to learn more, I've provided some reliable resources for you below.

1. Miller, Alan. (2018). What is Methylation and Why Should You Care About it? Retrieved from: https://www.thorne.com/take-5-daily/article/what-is-methylation-and-why-should-you-care-about-it

2. Babauta, Leo. (2020). A 12-Step Program to Eating Healthier. Retrieved from: https://zenhabits.net/a-12-step-program-to-eating-healthier-than-ever-before/

3. Oregon State University. (2020). Vitamin C and COVID-19. Retrieved from: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/COVID19/vitamin-c-and-covid-19