Covid-19 Update: Prevention Remains Essential Plus Summary of Strategies to Reduce Risk
Hello again everyone:
There are several reasons why prevention remains an essential part of our lifestyle during this pandemic. One is that optimizing our immune system and lowering any co-morbidity status is thought to enhance the efficacy of the vaccine and possibly lessen the risk for any adverse reactions. The second reason is related to the nature of the vaccine itself. The clinical trials only looked at whether the vaccines will prevent severe disease, not infection, so a vaccinated person could unknowingly pass the virus to you and others. (1,2) That means the vaccine can lower your risk of getting Covid-19 or spreading it yet it is possible to still get Covid-19.
It is for these reasons that prevention and optimizing your immune system is critical to the long-term success of our country’s fight to end this pandemic. Along with clean eating, adequate rest, stress reduction and exercise, here is a review of steps you can take now to reduce your risk:
Dietary Steps:
Avoid: all processed foods; avoid added sugars and artificial sweeteners; sweetened anything; reduce and severely limit bad fats (high in Omega-6’s) like trans fats, canola oil, corn oil, peanut oil, soy oil, fake olive and avocado oils, etc.; fried things; things that have more than 4 or 5 ingredients on the label; soft drinks and juices of any type; candies, cakes, pastries etc.; alcohol must be as little as possible.
Do Consume: organic whole vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, beans; whole grains (small portions); make sure all animal origin products are organic; use verified real organic olive oil and coconut oil primarily; whole foods that are unprocessed and cooked at home are the best; do invest the time to upgrade your culinary skills and eat out infrequently (a good bet is to take 90% of your meals from home prepared sources, this means eating out twice a week).
Supplements: You cannot overcome poor eating choices with supplements, so make sure you do both a super clean organic whole foods dietary plan along with strategic supplements. Remember, there is no proven cure for this virus, and supplements are considered an adjunctive type of care and not primary care, even while the data is adding up showing how critically important adjunctive care can be. In other words, to lower your risks you must reduce your co-morbidities (overweight/obesity, blood sugar issues, hypertension, etc.) and one way to do that is to get healthier overall by eating optimally and supplementing your diet with appropriate products. Here is a brief review:
- Vitamin C 500 mg. three times a day
- Vitamin D3 with K2: 4000 i.u. per day for adults/2000 i.u. per day for adolescents/1000 i.u. per day and get your blood tested for your current levels now! Lowers risk 50% or more!
- Probiotics: take 1 per day (we like Klaire brand Therbiotic)
- NAC: 600 mg. three times a day
- Selenium: 200 mcg. per day (no more)
- Zinc: 15 to 20 mg. up to three times a day (often zinc lozenges work the best if sore throat)
- Immunopad (contains the herb Andrographis) take 3 per day
- Reishi mushrooms: 1 capsule three times a day
- Quercitin: 250 mg. at 4 per day
- Magnesium glycinate: 100 mg. three times a day (helps Vit. D metabolism significantly)
- Melatonin: up to 20 mg. at bed…lower the dose if you are groggy the next morning.
- Chiropractic care: keep tuned up!!
Exercise: For more on that go to: /covid-19-update-exercise-as-medicine-addendum/ and /covid-19-recovery-prevention/
Face Masks: Still controversial, but enough science says that they are helpful, so keep wearing them when appropriate.
Sleep: Good quality sleep of at least 7.5 hours per night, avoid screens after dark (TV, phones, tablets, computers)
Stress Reduction: Consider making a daily habit of prayer, meditation, mindfulness practices, exercise (yoga is still my favorite), getting outside for a walk, avoiding TV and the chaos of the news and media nonsense, turn off and lower screen time.
If you do get Covid-19: please review these links to know what to ask for if hospitalization is required, and bear in mind that front-line medical care has improved greatly as this pandemic has evolved:
Don’t forget: “With COVID-19, we have not just been fighting a communicable disease alone but also a growing backdrop of non-communicable diseases (NCDs; such as diabetes and obesity) that have needlessly raised the death toll.”
- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(20)30164-9/fulltext
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html#:~:text=Based%20on%20what%20we%20know,get%20COVID%2D19.
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-what-you-need-to-know
