COVID-19 Practice Changes / Self-Care for Enhancing the Immune System:

Given the gravity of COVID-19, I’ve decided to stop treating patients at my clinics for the next couple of weeks. This was a difficult decision to make, as I love helping people, and supporting the immune system and helping with anxiety and stress can benefit folks in these trying times.

But the public health directive to ‘shelter in place’ makes sense in the bigger picture, and it is the appropriate thing to do to protect our community from the worst of this virus. My hope is that within a couple of weeks we’ll have enough information about the effects of stay in place/social distancing and about the virus itself to determine the appropriate conditions for going back to treating patients.

If you’d like, you’re welcome to do a video or phone consult with me, and I’d be happy to mail out herbs to you. I’ll be in my 961 Dewing Ave office on Mondays and Fridays from 1:30 – 3:30pm.

If you haven’t seen this yet, this short article has excellent graphics that demonstrate the benefits of social distancing/stay in place:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

Self-care for enhancing the immune system:

• Eat multi-colored, nutrient rich, whole foods. This includes colorful fruits and vegetables that are high in nutrients and anti-oxidants. Aim for 2 servings of fruit and 8+ servings of veggies (serving = ½ cup).

• Add lots of spices and herbs to your meals, including onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, oregano, rosemary… (remember we’re socially isolated ☺).

• Cut out sugar and refined starches for optimal immune system performance. Sugar lowers it.

• Get enough protein, which is essential for immune function. We don’t have to kill it, but you need at least 1.5 ozs of protein per 100 lbs of body weight per day.

• Stay hydrated! Water supports the immune system and all of our body’s functions. Warm fluids – teas, soups & broths – are especially helpful. Avoid fruit juices and sweet beverages because of sugar content.

• Eat fermented foods – yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, tempeh, miso, kimchi, kefir – support our microbiome, which supports our immune system.

• Mild to moderate exercise (30-45 minutes/day) boosts our immune systems, but avoid over-exertion.It’s even better if we can do it outside in nature, because we get Vit D benefits and nature therapy.

• Meditation, yoga, talk laugh massage with loved ones, deep breathing – all benefit our immune systems.

• Sleep! Aim for 7-8 hours per night.Turn screens off, relax, slow the brain, and get to bed earlier. Sleep is critical for detoxing our brains and restoring a healthy immune system.