What you can do to resist infections such as Covid-19
Updated: May 28, 2020
Good health, including a robust immune system that protects us from infections and other diseases, does not just fall out of the sky. Good health comes from the constant and detailed attention to lifestyle, nutrition and hygiene. It is a lifelong pursuit. What you invest in your health today will reap great benefits tomorrow and 20 or 30 years from now - the best strategy for a long and healthy life is to anticipate and to keep well ahead of disease and ill-health.
Before anything else, an important message
While some vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other nutrients help to maintain a robust immune system, these do not replace social distancing, washing one's hands, self-isolation when necessary, or any other recommendations made by our health officials. Please remember that even if your immune system is strong, you may still carry and transmit the virus even while symptoms may be mild. While this pandemic is unfolding quickly, the prevalence of carriers in communities is currently not known and probably never will be.
Read the research and listen to the experts
What I'm doing in this article is supporting recommendations with the appropriate search strings so that you can read to your heart's content, the research and discussion for and against the measures that I'm recommending. Then you can make up your mind for yourself about what is best for you and your family. Write to me if you remain unsure about what to do.
The official advice about how to prepare for the Corona Virus Pandemic is generally along these lines:
Wash your hands.
Don't shake hands.
Avoid close contact with anyone who appears ill.
Keep away from crowds, including public transport.
Wear a face mask when out in public.
Stock up on essential groceries but be reasonable about it.
This is good advice but, for some people, the response has bordered on hysteria which is unhelpful and bear in mind that stress can weaken your immune system, thus making you more vulnerable to infections and less able to fight them.
The first defence against viruses such as Covid-19 has to be the minimising of risk of contact with the virus by way of secure borders, avoiding infected people if it gets hold here and practising good personal hygiene. Of that, I agree whole-heartedly. Of all the advice, much of it good, there is one glaring oversight, be this intentional or not. The oversight is the critical importance of our very own internal immune system for protecting us from the worst consequences of these pathogens.
We are under constant assault by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, yeast, fungi and parasites - countless billions of bugs. We happily coexist with these bugs most of the time for the duration of our lives because our defences (immune system) protects us. While our immune system is incredibly complex, each year we understand better than ever how it works and we know more and more about what we can do to ensure that these defences are strong and resilient.
The immune-compromised, those on medications such as ACE Inhibitors and the elderly make up most of the deaths from Covid-19. This is a clear signal to us of that getting into the best of health will reduce the consequences of infection by this virus or any other kind of bug for that matter.
A healthy immune system may not mean that you do not get ill, but it can mean the difference between infection being a mere inconvenience or a life-threatening one.
When it comes to resisting the Covid-19, or any other bug, for that matter, my advice which is additional to the very good official advice, is to take measures to ensure your immune system is primed and ready to respond effectively. You need to start these measures right away because good health, including a robust immune system, comes about slowly. Get onto this well before the threat lands in force on our shores.
Please read this Daily Mail article about the use of vitamins in the treatment of Covid-19
Small, daily doses of the nutrients mentioned in the expert guidelines and in the Daily Mail article do support a healthy immune system. I still have all of this in-store, including activated B6 for delivery if you are interested.
What you can do right now to improve your immune health and health and resilience in general
While each of our needs is a little different there are some general guidelines that everyone would benefit from following. Caring for your immune system when there are viral infections around is important. The following are immune-supporting measures, some for free, easy to put in place - like going to bed at the same time every night:
Reduce stress where you can and get plenty of rest, including having naps during the day. Who isn't stressed and over-worked these days and we were never designed to be on the go for 12-18 hours a day without having a nap or midday siesta. Meditate, even if it is just for a few minutes at a time.