A practical guide to quickly boosting your immune system to help you withstand the Corona Virus pandemic.
At this point it is clear that the Corona Virus Pandemic is here to keep us company for the foreseeable future. Like me, you may be getting frustrated at hearing the same scary message everywhere: Run, hide, avoid people, wash your hands until they bleed and wait for ‘big daddy’ government to saves us all…
We cannot ignore reality, and we should certainly follow the general advice, but is this ALL we can do?
As I follow the news, the thing that I keep hearing is that the people most at risk have weak or compromised immune systems, and yet I haven’t heard any experts giving insights on how to change this. Strengthening your body’s immune response will give you a far better chance against this virus, even if you fall into one of the ‘at risk’ categories. Given that we are all making an effort to stay safe and keep distant from each other to slow the virus’s spread, I feel the responsibility to share some easy and practical things you can do to boost your immune system, and start building your own ‘firewall’ against the pandemic:
** REALITY CHECK – My suggestions will not stop you becoming infected by Covid-19. My suggestions WILL arm your own bodily defences so that if you DO catch it, you will be able to deal with it more efficiently, and hopefully suffer fewer symptoms. **
1. STOP suppressing your immune system with sugar and other junk food. The reality is that most of us have some sort of sugar addiction, but in these particular circumstances it is critical to limit consumption. You may be surprised to find out that just one teaspoon of refined sugar will depress your immune system response by 50% for up to 6 hours. I now dare you to google how much sugar is in a single can of coke! Hint – Processed food is packed full of sugar and refined grains (which knock you down even better than sugar does), so pay attention to what you are eating!
2. Top up on real food. Green leafy vegetables like cabbage, kale, chard and broccoli don’t bite, and are full of actual nutrition. Add colour to your salads for an extra antioxidant boost, and to give your body what it needs to maintain optimal function during this stressful period. Put some extra focus on eating fruit and vegetables that are high in vitamin C.
Due to the fact that the media been largely ignoring it, you are probably not aware that patients in China are being successfully treated for the corona virus with high doses of vitamin C. The vitamin is administered intravenously, and has been used previously to control other corona epidemics (MERS, SARS, etc.). It also has a 70% success rate when used to treat people with sepsis (fatal blood poisoning), even when all other options have failed. Taking it orally is not as effective but it is still helpful so top up on your vitamins C. Click HERE for more info.
3. Remember that all traditional strategies against seasonal flu will further support your immune response. The flu or ‘influenza’ is just another type of virus. As such, anything used to ward off flu will help protect you from the corona virus, hopefully leading to fewer symptoms and a faster recovery if you do contract it. Anti-viral/bacterial foods include Garlic, ginger, raw honey, oregano oil, and chicken broth. Specific nutrients for optimal immune system function include vitamin D, vitamin C, selenium, zinc, and magnesium. Even if they don’t kill the virus itself, they will help your body deal with other disease causing agents, leaving it with more energy and resources to fight the big one.
4. Add a daily serving of probiotic foods. Naturally fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi, or drinks like kombucha, give a big boost to the gut bacteria that form the foundation of your immune system. A high quality probiotic supplement will be a good substitute for or addition to fermented foods.
5. Consider practising some of the relaxing, energy boosting breathing techniques used in Qi Gong and Yoga. A more relaxed body can spare energy and resources, and will fight invaders more easily. The more intense breathing techniques and cold water baths promoted by Wim Hof will also be effective. Those of you who know me a little may have noticed that I am a big fan of cold water, and there is a ton of research showing its effectiveness in optimising our immune response.
6. Training considerations for those of us more performance inclined. If you are already training regularly you can certainly continue but you might want to mark it in your training calendar as ‘maintenance’ rather than ‘improving’. This is not a good time to push yourself and make big gains. Remember that overexerting yourself will strongly depress your immune function, sometimes even for a few days, making you much more vulnerable to infections. This will make it much harder and more painful to recover should the virus catch up with you. High intensity + high volume are not a good combination during a pandemic.
7. Do your best to get out into nature, or at least daylight. Ideally, go out and get some fresh air and 20-30 minutes of sun exposure around midday. Sunlight is essential for optimal immune function, and you will also get some of the already mentioned immune supporting vitamin D. Avoid crowded places but not the great outdoors!
There it is, pick and choose, and hopefully feel empowered! Every little helps, and in extreme cases, it could make the difference between life and lack of it! The pandemic is real and there is no guarantee of not catching the virus. However, if you are willing to make an effort now, there are many effective ways to help your body sway the scales in your favour should you need it.
The situation might seem extreme but it should also remind us how interconnected we are. We depend on one another, and as a society, we are only as strong as our weakest members. Stay safe and keep your distance, but don’t forget to smile to your neighbour and call your relatives. Keep your spirits up and don’t let the virus infect your mind! Personal contact is not advised for now, but we have plenty of technology to stay connected and support one another. We all need to act responsibly, and maintaining a cool head is an important variable to help us get through this challenging period with minimal damage.
This is just a list of short term fixes to help you survive the current pandemic. If you are curious about how to make lasting improvements to your health and wellbeing, THIS article will give you more useful information.
For more personal advice on how to become stronger and build a healthy and resilient body, I am available for Skype/FaceTime consultations.
Email me at przemek.koscielak@me.com or call +41786835966.