Take some time to put Healthy Foods and Herbs in your daily path
With another wave of “The Virus” on the in the works folks are asking me “How can we protect ourselves?” The simplest answer is to put some “superfoods” in your daily path. Become active as much as you can to keep the fluid in your Lymph glands moving. Take time for YOU and manage your stress. This sounds simpler but I understand it can be very challenging.
Here is Information on some of our favorite “Superfruits”
Goji Berries
Goji berries are rich in vitamins A and C, which naturally improve immunity and protect the body from illness. Studies have shown that goji berry juice and supplements may increase levels of immune cells, improve immune function response, and promote a general feeling of well-being in older individuals.
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Noni Fruit
Studies indicate that noni juice may improve joint health, increase physical endurance, increase immune activity, inhibit glycation of proteins, aid weight management, help maintain bone health in women, help maintain normal blood pressure, and improve gum health.
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Mangosteen Extract
Mangosteen has been used to treat skin infections and diarrhea. Recent scientific studies suggest that mangosteen possesses strong antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-microbial, and anti-malarial properties.
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Acai Berries
Like other berries, acai berries contain antioxidants and fiber. As a superfood, it helps with various health concerns, including arthritis, weight loss, high cholesterol and erectile dysfunction. Studies have found that consuming acai fruit boosted the production of human gamma delta T cells in cell cultures, which are an important part of the immune system.
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The good news is that the body really can heal itself
Give yourself some time and patience. Some of the important things are to put super healthy foods in your path and avoid foods that cause inflammation. Go down the fresh and frozen fruit and vegetable aisles at your favorite grocery store and buy the things that sound good to you. Nuts are a good energy and nutrient-dense food to snack on or use for small meals.
Supplements are good for you, as well. We have recently put together a liquid supplement of these herbal superfoods you might like to try Anti-Oxi Power. It is packed with Antioxidant fruits and berries. Antioxidants go into the body and clean up your cells and give them the nutrients that your new cells need to improve energy, immunity and strength.
Give yourself time and bring relaxing practices into your life that decrease stress. It can take up to a year for your body to repair from the effects of COVID. Do the hard work of removing sweets and white flour foods along with more movement in your life and the rewards will be well worth it.
There are some recent studies that support intermittent fasting – just long enough to get some autophagy going in your body can be very beneficial. Autophagy is really interesting to me – it sets in when you have fasted between meals long enough that you are feeling hungry. During this hungry phase, your body does not have to worry about working on food, it can go to work on cleaning out old cells so that the healthy foods you do eat will replace the unhealthy cells. In some ways, we really are what we eat. It is not healthy to fast excessively or even every day but doing some fasting windows in your life 2 or 3 times a week can have some major benefits on your cells’ “cleaning house” abilities.
The Benefits & Actions of Vitamin D
Dr. Cole states that there is not actually a cold and flu season there is really only low Vitamin D season.
He goes on to explain that every cell in the body has a receptor for Vitamin D on it. Vitamin D is the master key to your immune system.
Dr. Cole has treated many Covid-19 patients and says that if you have mid-range vitamin D levels you won’t develop the “Cytokine Storm” (phase 2 of Covid-19). Just for reference’s sake, it is important to let you know that Dr. Ryan Cole has worked in diagnostics. He is a Mayo Clinic-Trained, Board-Certified Pathologist as well as an Immunologist & Virologist. He has also studied pathology and performed hundreds of thousands of Covid tests.
Dr. Cole goes on to say that we have an international Vitamin D pandemic. That 70% of the world is immune-suppressed because of a lack of Vitamin D. That 70 to 80% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. He went on to say that 86% of all hospitalized patients are Vitamin D deficient and that 95% of all ICU patience are Vitamin D deficient.
If you are Vitamin D deficient, you are immune-suppressed leaving you vulnerable to the common cold, covid, flu & coronaviruses. The best mask of all is a healthy immune system.
Dr. Cole
How do we get Vitamin D?
One way we get Vitamin D is from the sunshine through our skin
The catch is that anyone above the 37th parallel does not get adequate Vitamin D all winter long and therefore are most likely Vitamin D deficient.
Even if you have winter exposure to the sun you still do not synthesize enough vitamin D to protect your immune system.
Sweden and Norway actually supplement foods on the store shelves with Vitamin D to avoid these public health issues.
80% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient.
Another way we get Vitamin D is through our soil
The problem is that our soils in the USA are Vitamin D and Magnesium deficient. (These 2 nutrients work together to have a functioning immune system).
Diet is an important way to get Vitamin D
Diet, Diet, Diet – what you eat matters!
Dr. Cole
Obesity (30 to 50 pounds over optimal weight) – reduces your ability to get Vitamin D into your circulation. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. The heavier you are the more Vitamin D goes into your fat cells instead of going into your circulation where your immune system can benefit from it.
It is interesting to note that normal Vitamin D levels also decrease colon cancer rates, breast cancer rates, depression & suicide rates. An interesting statistic – 8 out of 10 suicides are in northern states.
Vitamin D is not just a vitamin it is a “pro-hormone” in the body
Most physicians don’t understand how critical Vitamin D is. Dr Cole feels strongly that supplementing with Vitamin D should be a public health message. The take-home message is that you CAN do something for your own health, for your immune health. Normal Vitamin D levels can decrease your risk of covid and hospitalization by 90% !
This last statement is a scientific fact. The studies have concluded.
Conclusion: You have to be outside in spring and summer for 30 to 40 min in the sun, without sunscreen, to get your vitamin D. During the winter months you need to supplement.
Another interesting fact is the darker your skin the harder it is to synthesize Vitamin D.
The fact that there are more dark skin colored people in the hospital has nothing to do with racism, social status, etc… but so much to do with their Vitamin D levels. You actually have a higher risk for covid and all other illnesses if you have dark-colored skin and you don’t supplement with Vitamin D.
The RDA for Vitamin D is way too low in the USA. That number was established after WW2.
We recommend 5,000 IU (125 mcg) to be a healthy daily dose of vitamin D3
You may find it fun to try the Dminder app – tells you when you can synthesize Vitamin D from the sun.
The conclusion is that the public health message should be:
- Get your Vitamin D
- Supplement with Vitamin D
- Cut out the sugar, processed foods, lower your carbohydrate intake and remove inflammatory foods from your diet
Managing your weight is important. Most likely, those who are 40 to 50 lbs over their optimal weight are dealing with quite a bit of inflammation. Often times, when you “get healthy” by removing unhealthy foods from your diet the “trimming down” will naturally follow because your energy will come back and you will feel like moving more. Eating healthy and taking supplements, especially Vitamin D3, can slow the aging process of our cells making us feel better.
I hope this has been helpful in your day, Until Next time – Be Well !
References:
- Dr. Ryan Cole of ColeDiagnostics.com
- Anti-Oxi Power
- Vitamin D3, 5000 IU
- Natural-E 400
- Vitamins A-D & K
- The Three Phases of Covid-19