Covid 19 - Strengthening Our Immune System
STRENGTHENING OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS Judy Barber
* FOOD * DRINK * HERBS AND SPICES * FRESH AIR AND EXERCISE * *SUPPLEMENTS * MINIMISING ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION * SLEEP * *SPIRITUAL PRACTICE * REDUCING STRESS * GOOD COMPANY *
COVID19 time it is. I’m not a doctor or scientist and I don’t offer alternatives to conventional treatment. I have followed the science over many years, and these suggestions are science-based. We can strengthen our systems so we can best resist bacteria and viruses, making sure our cells and our microbial gut communities are healthy. This approach, strengthening our systems so we are not good hosts for unhelpful microorganisms, sits in the ‘new biology’ in which the types and balance of microorganisms in the ‘human biome’ are seen as determining health. After all, inside us we have more microorganisms than connected tissue cells. Our complexity is more infinitely amazing than galaxies. Who are we? We are part of the ape family and hence we have the teeth and digestive systems of plant eaters. It stands to reason that munching on fruit, leaves, nuts and seeds suits us! Of course, we don’t have our original evolutionary primeval diet anymore and our bodies have gone through changes. It’s hard work getting into and staying in good health these days. There is less oxygen in the air now. It’s harder to get naturally grown food and to have an active life in nature. These suggestions are about supporting our natural systems.
Food As far as possible choose food kind to your system and easy to digest. Go for as much organic and foraged food as you can afford/find, so your body has less agricultural chemicals to clear out while ‘fighting off’ covid19. If you create optimum human health conditions the virus won’t be able to set up shop and there won’t be as much to ‘fight off’. The ‘New Biology’ of understanding the importance of bacteria and viruses as a part of our physiology isn’t an ‘us and them’ picture of us versus microbes. We orchestrate who wants to live in us through our food choices! REDUCE or ELIMINATE foods that tend to make the body too acidic – primarily sugar, dairy, wheat and meat.
Choose rice, sourdough rye bread & potatoes over wheat bread & pasta.
Load up with all veggies including plenty of big green salads. Steam rather than fry for better nutrition. Slosh good olive oil over food on your plate.
Soak nuts & seeds. Grow sprouts - mung beans, alfalfa etc for vibrancy. Buy fresh Chinese bean sprouts, boxes of cress and other micro greens.
Eat rainbows of veggies, with plenty of green. Leeks are particularly good virus-fighters, as are stinging nettles Pick smaller leaves on shoots that haven’t flowered yet, say the top 15 cm. Good for soups and in juice. Onions, garlic, and the cabbage & broccoli family are good.
Use peas, lentils and beans in soups, curries and stews.
Cook from scratch when you can so you know what you are eating!
If you eat meat, lamb is better because pretty much free range. Otherwise go for free range/organic, as with eggs and dairy. And consume less!!
Unpasteurised fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi are particularly helpful for keeping your gut biome happy.
In modest amounts to avoid overloading with sugar, fruit is good too. Think apple or banana or bowl of berries rather than huge smoothie.
Drink
Alcohol really isn’t helpful so reduce or eliminate. It makes the system more acidic, hence not functioning so well and encouraging unhelpful bacteria and viruses. Water is the best thirst-quencher. Add lemon juice, either freshly squeezed or juiced with the pith and skin for an immune-boosting treat. Fresh green veggie juices give you almost instant flushes of energy and help bring the system back into balance. They are great when you aren’t feeling well and don’t feel hungry. Smoothies contain fibre so count as meals. We need drinks between meals. Avoid caffeine as much as you can. Drink herbal teas such as red bush tea.
Supplements
I am more interested in food, herbs and spices than in supplements for top-form immunity fitness and so I recommend as far as possible getting supplements made from whole foods that your body can recognise. For the immune system my top choices are vitamin D3, vitamin C & Zinc. In China they are working with intravenous vitamin C for coronavirus. Some say this could be used instead of vaccines. For oral use vitamin c is best from food sources such as whole lemons, but high doses have been shown to hinder the progress of viruses. When unwell or at risk of infection you can take several grams of vitamin C over a day. That quantity is expensive in natural form so at least keep plenty of cheap powder. You’ll know if you take too much because you’ll get ‘urgent poops’.
Herbs and Spices All around the world people have used particular plants as ‘medicine’. The ones listed here are used in cooking and so we can trust they are safe in ordinary quantities. Their strong tastes indicate you don’t need big quantities. They are rich in essential oils. Fresh and organic is best but dried is helpful too. Good ones for immune support include:
Wild garlic is a very good herb for keeping viruses at bay. As I write it is in season and prolific. Forage for bagfuls. Make pesto. Ferment the stalks or leaves. Freeze leaves blended with oil in ice cube trays, It’s free, potent and foraging gets you out in nature. Use plenty in savoury dishes.
Rosemary I use a small spring every day in juice and blended dressings.
Middle Eastern Za-atar herbal blend that contains a lot of thyme. Mix it with oil and use as a spread or drizzle over grains or pasta
Oregano, Sage, Coriander, Thyme, Parsley, Basil. Keep using plenty of the kitchen herbs. For example, you can make a sauce by blending Coriander or Parsley with olive oil and salt and spoon it on dinner.
I use plenty of fresh Ginger and fresh Turmeric. Blend them in sauces, smoothies and dressings or add them to juices.
Liquorice is a good virus-resisting friend. Try herb teas with liquorice.
The Indian Ayurvedic medicine system brings knowledge of herbs and spices so that meals can be ‘medicinal’. Indian food, especially Southern Indian, is very helpful. It needn’t be hot with chillies unless you wish but Cumin, coriander, ginger, cardamom, fennel, cloves etc do wonders. Modern science studies keep confirming the benefits of herbs and spices
A simple trick for keeping your mouth biome healthy at night is to soften a clove slightly and to tuck it between your gum and lip. It gently releases clove oil during the night.
Fresh Air and Exercise
There is less oxygen in the air than there was and it is vital to get out and breathe fresh air, ideally where there are plenty of leaves providing oxygen. Just the fact of being in nature seems to bring health, hardly surprising since we evolved in synergy with nature. Any exercise gets the heart and breath going. It helps the whole system to shed toxins and stay vital. Jogging, rebounding and trampolining all jog you up and down. This moves the lymph, keeping the essential liquid transport systems between cells functioning optimally.
Grounding and minimising exposure to electromagnetic radiation
We are electrical beings and unsurprisingly our human energy frequencies are roughly the same as that of the earth. Of course, we can handle the earth’s natural variations and some radiation from the sun but now we are bombarded by 2G, 3G, 4G and now 5G we are dealing with something that wasn’t part of our genesis. The acid-alkaline cellular electrical reactions in our bodies spark our life energy and these artificially generated frequencies can upset the balance. Cordless phones, smart meters, wifi and mobile phones generate a lot of electromagnetic radiation and evidence of harm is mounting up. Things to do include:
Walking outside in bare feet, even for a just a few minutes a day as a kind of recalibration. It certainly makes me feel better even when it’s cold!
Turn off your router at night, ditto your phone.
Use ethernet rather than wifi internet connection.
Use headphones & microphone instead of holding your phone to your ear.
Have digital detox times and days.
Don’t use cordless phones.
These are difficult choices that go against the grain in our time but you are reading this because you don’t want to get sick, potentially seriously sick.
‘Spiritual’ practice
Plenty of studies show people with some sort of spirituality tend to be more healthy and to have at least a 30% better average rate of recovery from illness. This might include a soulful connection to the wonder of life, meditation or other spiritual practice, a sense of belonging in a faith or faith community, dancing, chanting, or similar. ‘Spiritual Companioning’ conversations for finding and developing one’s own spiritual ways are a part of my work. With self-isolation and social distancing it might be important to find what regular activities and practices make you feel more alive and well. It’s not about ‘should’. If the word ‘spiritual’ is off-putting, read the next paragraph.
Reducing Stress
This overlaps a lot with what I mean by ‘Spiritual’. See reducing stress as essential while there is so much understandable fear and panic all around. Bring any methods you already have into daily use. If in isolation, use the opportunity to chill out. My methods currently include reading Regency novels and mending clothes! Limit the time you spend following coronavirus media. Dance, sing, do chi kung, play an instrument… Do whatever it takes to loosen your breathing, smooth out tight muscles and get your body out of continual ‘reaction drama’.
Sleep
Sleep is our amazing regeneration and detox time. Cut it short and we are asking for trouble. The cheapest way to stay healthy may be to go to bed earlier, seriously. Most people need around eight hours. Herbal medicine and aromatherapy offer good natural nudges towards sleep, as do turning digital things off well before bedtime and getting a breath of fresh air before bed.
Good Company
We are a social species and the current thing is isolation! At least we have our phones and the internet to keep in touch. Up to a point, time alone may be healthy, especially if unwell, but let’s look after our social selves, putting energy into being on good terms, helping each other and sorting out upsets. In my community and in communities all round the world people are working out how to help each other. We may lose loved ones and need not only to be in touch but to make sure relationships are healthy while they are still around. Let’s hear some of their stories before they go. I see us treasuring each other and the earth more.
REFERENCES
For research, studies and professional knowledge:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?&otool=mcplib www.greenmedinfo.com
www.therealtruthabouthealth.com www.hippocratesinst.org
Also investigate Anthroposophical medicine from Weleda, Essential Oils on line from Oshadhi (good products and & information), and Homeopathy.
Food: if possible support independent health food shops, organic vegetable stalls and plastic-free dry food shops (beans, rice, nuts, oil etc). In my town we have Sunshine, Global Organics, Farmers’ market stalls and Loose.
My recipes: www.goodrawfoodrecipes.com
Me: Hippocrates Health Educator Spiritual Companion Life Coach Occasional free brief chats: 01453756758 between 8.30 & 9.30am most days Longer wellness consultations & coaching sessions judy@judy-barber.com
Foraging: Stick to plants you know or use a good guide with photographs. Only take a very small proportion of what is growing. Pick away from roads and sprayed crop fields.
Image Ella Olsson