COVID Archives - Rise to Human

Attack On Covid-19. The Final Frontier.

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Vince Lombardi

As the sun rises, I wake up. — Here we are at the horizon. The final frontier.

Impatient? Want to get the good stuff right away? Here it is, thank you for showing up. After all, showing up is half the battle. This is the quick overview of what to do, including the most recommended supplements to take. For more detailed information, check out the other posts. After all knowing is half the battle.

If showing up is half the battle and knowing is half the battle, then if you show up knowing do you win?
A philosophical guy.(not me)

Top practices

Go outside and get sunlight. 20 -30 minutes of unprotected sunlight on your skin. The more skin exposed the better.

Go for a walk every day. Save time and walk while basking in sunlight. Walk for 30 mins when possible. Even 20 minutes is fine.
Exercise with resistance. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, pull-ups, and any other strength-based movement is a fantastic idea. If you have weights or straps, feel free to use that too. Do not feel the burn. Do not reach failure.

Rest. Set aside 30 mins to an hour of doing nothing. Better yet, meditate during that time in what ever way you want. Seated, Tai Chi, Qigong, or light yoga will all serve to relax you. Get some rest. No devices.

Breath deeply. Add breathwork to your meditation to save time. Tai Chi and Qigong do this innately. Breath into the lower belly. Use your nose. Breath in for 6 seconds and breath out for 6 seconds.

Get proper sleep. Go to bed at a decent time. No devices 2 hours before bed equals better sleep. A dark room is wonderful for sleep.

Calm yourself. Emotions will add to the chaos and turmoil in life as we know it. Keep yourself centered. If you burst with anger or melt with worry, focus on your breathing and come back.

Drink clean pure water every day. Avoid plastic when possible.

Eat good whole food. The closer to how it is found in nature, the better. Avoid fried and breaded items. Reject prepackaged items. Do not eat pastries and sweets. No bagels.

Do not over sterilize. Be smart and wash your hands when necessary. Do not stress out about cleanliness 24/7.

Stop smoking.

Not a cure, not a treatment, but an option for better health. — Supplements for prevention, and for use while ill.

Recommended supplements.

If you are eating well, take a good Multivitamin and mineral supplement. This supplement will help round out deficiencies. If you are not eating well, it does nothing.

Take a good CoQ10.

Use a quality whey protein powder (If you have no dairy intolerance) and a good collagen powder.

L-Arginine/L-Ornithine preferably taken before bed is another consideration.

If you have indigestion after meals, take enzymes.

Some milk thistle should be taken. Eat some fiber. Squat to poop. Go upside down daily if you can.

Take some ginseng. If it’s too costly, take astragalus. Pick one.

Beta 1,3 Glucan or Reishi are good mushroom supplements for immunity. Pick one.

Lastly should you become ill, choose from the following:

Elderberry or Echinacea.

Oscillococcinum

These are best taking at first sign of illness.

Monolaurin can be added during illness. If you can only afford one supplement, this is the best one to fight off lipid coated viruses like coronavirus. More detail is provided below.

Most Recommended Chinese Herbs And Formulas For Use During Illness. Pick Only One.

Baicalin

Isatis.

Either one of this will help fend off the virus when you are ill.

Pharmaceuticals?

It may sound silly, but truth is stranger than fiction. The recommendation that follows does have several scientific evidence backing it up. It works best when you are ill, not as a preventative measure. Bear with it and read it entirely. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. Yes, it sounds a bit absurd, but here is the science.[10] Read it for yourself.

Do yourself a favor and get the real pharmaceutical not something you find at the pet store.

In several of those studies, people improved quickly. Better outcomes were had vs those who did not take this medication while infected. The latest study in May out of China shows the same results.[8] This list has several studies providing sound evidence in using chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. Notice the study from 2005 that shows this pharmaceutical being effective against the original SARS virus.[9]

Good Alternative?

If chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine isn’t available. Take monolaurin. There is some science backing it’s potential. Follow along for a second. Lauric acid is an effective antimicrobial agent.[11] It fights off viruses, bacteria and fungi.[13] Lauric acid is produced in the skin forming a barrier against infectious life forms.[12] It is also present in breast milk. Being present in breast milk means it helps play a role in safeguarding against infection. After all who has a weaker immune system than newborns? Lauric acid gets converted into monolaurin in the body.[14] Hence as another choice, eat 15-60grams of coconut oil instead of taking monolaurin.

COULD TAKING MORE LAURIC ACID OR MONOLAURIN ACTUALLY WORK?

Take this study [14] (full text PDF is below) where women ate coconut oil and the lauric acid content in their breast milk increased. Through an enzymatic process, lauric acid becomes monolaurin in breast milk. Without getting deep into the science, Milk is filtered blood nutrients. Yes, that means milk is concentrated blood factors. Watch this brief video for a better understanding.

Milk. Comes from the blood, and from what is eaten.

Milk comes from blood nutrients. If lauric acid content increases in breast milk after eating more lauric acid, then it is in the blood. Otherwise how could it form on the skin? How could it form in breast milk? Remember that blood flows everywhere, even in the lungs. Eat more lauric acid, or the more potent version monolaurin,[15][16][17][18] and you have an effective safeguard against a lipid coated virus when you are ill.[19] Imagine that, you can dissolve it from within.

WHAT ABOUT MY CHOLESTEROL?

What about it? To quickly squash those concerns, coconut oil has no cholesterol. LDL, the bad cholesterol, is not as bad as it seems. LDL plays a role in immunity. This means that LDL actually helps fight infection.[1][3] How does this happen? LDL absorbs toxins from certain bacteria.[2] Total cholesterol has been shown to be protective from infection, pneumonia, flu and possibly even reduced AIDS deaths.[3][5][6][7] Older people averaged much lower death rates with higher cholesterol.[4] This is food for thought.

That concludes this series. Start at square one here. See you for the next discussion. More information, more entertainment, and more human. No need to rise early, but do show up.

Dietary fatty acid breast milk study PDF[14]

Covid-19 Wars part 8 Attack on Covid.

In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins.
Ulysses S. Grant

Muscles and brawn. Bodybuilders. Iron clacking. Blood, sweat and tears. Swear words and grunting. Conquer and defeat. Steroids. This is a bodybuilding battle plan against weakness. Likewise we are implementing a battle plan against illness and infection. Against coronavirus. Against defeat. Expected the unexpected. No steroids needed, we have better tools.

Strategies and game plans win battles. If it rattles their bones, then it batters their souls. This post will cover anything meant to target a virus. Call them virus killers. Use these only when infected. These weapons do not prevent infection, only resolve it. Remember that virus targeting missiles do not prevent wars. Phytochemicals are up first.

Knock him out the bod dude. — Virus targeting missiles can win the war.

Phytochemicals

Plants have compounds that fight off diseases and herbivores. They are not fortunate like animals. Animals can run away. Plants are stuck in the ground, going no where but up for years and years. As such, plants have defenses to protect them. You would too if you were buried with only your head sticking out. Luckily for us, we can take advantage of these defenses.

Grapefruit. Popular in weight loss or breakfast rings. How does it kill viruses? A compound contained in the pith called naringenin. This compound displays antiviral properties.[2] Grapefruit to the rescue!

Grapefruit is not alone. Other citrus fruits contain a phytochemical that may fight off viruses as well. This is called limonin. It too is located in the pith. Citrus having vitamin C and viral fighting component sounds too good to be true.[1]

There is one problem. Maybe two. First, the pith is bitter. The 2nd problem is chewing the pith is not effective. Phytochemicals are found exclusively in the fiber. This is true of all phytochemicals. Chewing cannot effectively breakdown the fiber unless you chew for hours. A cow will chew grass and regurgitate it for further chewing. Consider that a cow is specialized for this and even then they must chew more! What solution do we have?

The solution is blending. A more powerful blender is needed to do this. A
Vitamix is fine, but the best is a Blendtec. This gets you the most fiber busting capability bang for your buck. A grapefruit with no peel but half the pith goes in the blender. Blend until smooth. Drink.

Another item to consider is garlic pesto. The sulfur thiols in garlic help fight off microbes[3] while garlic itself increases zinc status. Recipe will be at the bottom. How about a sweeter deal than garlic? Manuka honey.[6][7][8] Not the garden variety you find at any store, I’m talking about those that use MGO score. Most use UMF and that can be misleading. Look for honey with an 83 or higher MGO score. For illness, consider at least 300 MGO score.

Lastly mastic gum needs to be studied closely. Moronic acid is the predominant phytochemical in mastic gum. It has shown efficacy against herpes and HIV. [4][5]Enough about plants, time for the major list.

One pill is ok. Two is better. A multitude of up to 5? Smells like victory. — *Coronavirus stands no chance when supplements are used in unison.*

Virus Targeted Missiles.

These are all weapons for the struggle against coronavirus. Any virus really, but right now coronavirus has gone viral! (terrible pun). All previous steps and options are the main event. These listed are the icing on the cake.

Natural antivirals. Only during illness

Transfer factor.

Affects specific immunity.[9][10]
Only take during viral infection.

Dose: 3-5 caps of 200 mgs 3 times daily with water away from food.

Boneset

Contains quercetin.
Stimulates white blood cells and phagocytes better than echinacea.
Can treat fever.

Preferred form: Tincture or tea, very bitter.

Dose: 20 -30 drops every few hours until symptoms subside. As a tea 25gs in 1 quart boiled for 10-15 mins and enjoy 1 cup 3-4 times a day.

Duration: Short term during acute illness 5-7 days only.

CAUTION: Tea may cause nausea. Do not use if you have liver disease present.

Echinacea

Less effective as a tea.
Useful for shortening cold, but does not prevent them. [11][12]
Increases phagocytosis.

Take manufacturers recommended dose.

Duration: Short term for infections. 3-5days.

CAUTION: Do not use if you have an auto immune disease.

Elderberry

Best for minor upper resp infections and flu.

DOSE: 3-5 grams per 1 cup. Boil in water 10-15 mins. 3 cups daily. As a tincture .5-1 teaspoon in water 3-4 times daily during illness.

Phyllanthus

Use the Indian variety over the south American one. South American one may cause gallbladder attacks in some people.
Effective as an antiviral.[13]
Liver protective.

Preferred form: powder extract.

Dose: 900mgs-2500mgs daily.

Duration: Short term during illness.

Sangre de Dragon

Potent antimicrobe.
Best for diarrhea.

Preferred form: Tincture or powdered extract.

Dose: 20-30 drops 3 times daily or powder .5 teaspoon in water 1-3 times daily.

St John’s Wort

CAUTION: If you become dizzy, sensitive to sunlight, prone to dry mouth or upset stomach stop taking.

Duration: short term up to a week.

Dose: 300 mgs 3 times daily.

Homeopathic

Supportive for during flu or colds, but not necessary. Not for preventing, but can aid in shortening illness. Use if desired. Information is here for completeness.

Echinacea compositum S

Dose: 1 vial 3 times daily.

Engystol N

Flu specific.

Take away from food.

Dose:1 tab by mouth 3 times daily, more may be taken if needed.

Gripp heel

Take alone or with other meds.

Dose:1 tab every 15 mins

Pascotox

Geared towards flu.

Dose: 4-6 tabs or 40 drops an hour

Oscillococcinum

Shows good potential when it comes to shortening the duration of colds.[14]

Dose:3 pellets orally 3 times daily away from food at first signs of symptoms.

NOTE: Recommended dilutions for all Homeopathic substances are 1X or 6X

Other Options.

Olive leaf extract

Stimulates immune system.
Look for 17-23 percent oleuropein.
Use for acute illness.

Take manufacturers recommended dose.

Monolaurin (lauricidin) [15]

Great for lipid coated viruses like coronavirus.
Lauric acid is found in breast milk and on the skin.
Monolaurin is produced normally in the body from lauric acid.

Dose:1800-3000mgs daily.

ALTERNATIVE: 1-4 tablespoons coconut oil a day. (15-60 grams fat)

Only for use during active infections, not prevention.

Herbs are powerful. They smile as well. — An herb removing an attached coronavirus from a cell.

Chinese herbs

If the previous supplements were icing on the cake, these are the sprinkles and toppings on top of the cake. They are not necessary to make a cake, but can complete it. These are recommended for use during illness only.

Andrographis

Good for throat and resp infections.
Use a formula

Dose: 2 caps or 10-20 drops 3-4 time daily 1-2 weeks

Bupleurum

Increases phagocytosis and safe for use during the flu
Use the formula listed below.

Baicalin

little known immune supporter.
Designed to combat upper respiratory infections. Sounds like coronavirus.

Coptis

Great for inflammation, swelling, and mucus drainage
Standardized 100 mgs works well

Dose: Take what is recommended.

Isatis

Resolves inflammation
Very potent anti-microbial

Consider this alternate formulation.

Licorice

Meant to enhance other herbs.
Glycyrrhizine is the main component.
Powerful antiviral but should be used under supervision especially long term.

CAUTION:Glycyrrhizine can increase swelling and raise blood pressure. Use short term as a tea. 2 weeks is enough.

Herbal formulas

Minor bupleurium decoction

Helps clears out pathogens
Helps clear stagnant phlegm from lungs.

Dose: 3-4 caps a day three times daily away from food

Duration: 5-10 days.

Qing tai tang

Look for a 5:1 concentration.

Following are mostly for treatment. Some have a prevention option. These are a bit harder to find.

Gan Mao tui re chan ji

mix in hot water

Dose: 1 package 3-4 times daily if ill. To prevent only 1-2 packages.

Yin qiao (chiao)san

stronger version of yin qiao
immune stimulating and antiviral.

Dose: 2-3 tabs daily three taimes daily.

Zhong gan ling

Mostly for flu like symptoms.

Dose: 4-6 tabs daily three times.

Some of these formulations are harder to find, but are effective. Rememeber less is more. Pick 2-3 supplements from this overall list to use when ill. Sooner is better than later. Do not buy and take all of these. In the next post there will be a most recommended supplement list. There will also be a condensed quick-start guide. A few more interesting tidbits that serve as food for thought. Will be included.

War On COVID-19 part 7 The Prevention Awakens

Solitude makes us tougher towards ourselves and tenderer towards others. In both ways it improves our character.
Friedrich Nietzsche.

Here we are, ready for more? The last post covered some prevention methods. Usually deficient aspects of our lives. This post carries prevention methods that are one of two things. Empowering or giving TLC to neglected aspects of your life. Let’s start with the not so straight forward and progress to the straight forward stuff. After all progress is moving forward in a straight line.

Before we get to phytochemicals, the neglected part needs to be discussed.

Detox.

This isn’t about juicing nor fasting, there’s a time and a place for that, rather this is more about proper elimination. The source of elimination is not limited only to the ivory throne. Your body exudes on a daily basis. the skin, the lungs, urine, and yes bowel movements. Let’s get our hands dirty. Remember to wash them afterwards.

Toxic Avengers

Toxins affect the immune system greatly. The body is designed to handle toxins, but ultimately the body is responsible for any repair. An example, a surgeon may stitch a wound shut, but the body finishes the job. Your body is willing to detox. Allow it. Detoxification is done through the liver in two stages.

Do not overburden your liver. No matter how bad it has been. — Do not overburden your liver. It will not vomit toxic rainbows either.

Phase 1 and 2 detox

The liver breaks down toxins into a less toxic form. Some are ready to be expelled, others are still toxic and need further processing.

Phase II converts toxins into nontoxic water-soluble forms. These are excreted through urine or bile into the digestive tract and into the toilet, down the drain to never be seen again.

Glutathione, the master antioxidant, is the number one step in phase II. Do not wastefully deplete your supply. Many toxins are willing and able to do that to you. Mercury can exhaust it, but you have tools to safeguard it.

Detox Organs. An Overview

Detox liver
Cleanse colon
Clear blood and improve lymph flow.
Aid the connective tissue.

The Liver.

The liver filters microbes form blood. It also converts toxins into less harmful substances. We can assist the liver with food and with herbs.

Protective/assistant herbs and nutrients:

Milk thistle
Celandine
Dandelion
Methionine
Choline
Betaine (not HCI)
Vitamin B12
Folate

Foods

Liver
Beets
Radishes
Seed sprouts
Dandelion greens
All greens

The Large intestine.

Don't push it. Colon does not do well under stress. — The colon needs some love too.

The 2nd most important organ. Microbes in gut are essential to detoxing foreign material. The large intestine is responsible for expelling toxins into the ivory throne.

Herbs to help the colon:

Any plant. Fiber gets fermented in the digestive system and freely forms butyrate acid. This acid is an energy source for the colon. Eat adequate fiber. Butter is another great source of butyrate acid. In terms of foods, butter is the highest source of it.

Lastly to aid elimination, squat to poop. This reduces pressure in the colon making for an easy smooth drop. Avoid constipation. You want your large bowel eliminations to make you proud. If you eat three times a day, you should poop three times a day.

Blood and lymph

How to clean blood and why should you care? Lymph is responsible for clearing out microbes. Lymph also aids in clearing blood toxins. White blood cells are very active in the lymph system. By improve your lymph flow you improve the removal of foreign invaders like our infamous coronavirus. How do we improve the flow?

Exercise. Yes, moving the body moves the lymph. Specifically aerobic exercise. Any vibrating force aids in moving the slush of dead viruses and junk through the side streets of lymph. Whether the thudding of your feet on the ground, or the rhythmic motion from a massage.

Inversion are great as well as gravity helps drain the lymph. Use inversions with a table or the free version, handstands. For an easier version do a downward dog variation.

Herbs for the lymph.

red clover
yellow dock
echinacea

Connective tissue

A great defense system. Connective tissue, think tendons and ligaments, help to cushion the body and are affected by stress. It can be easily damaged by toxins and diseases like inflammation.

If an infection is present, the lymph and blood have it. Tendons, ligaments and fascia exchange fluid with the lymphatic system. This causes the connective tissue to store some toxins. Exercise helps clear the connective tissue. It improves blood flow to the connective tissue. Acupuncture and massage help move fluids out of these tissues. Because of self-isolation, foam roll it out.

These were the primary elimination organs. Secondary organs are as follows:

Secondary organs

Kidneys maintain fluids and filter the blood.

Promote kidney function

Drink enough water. Take mild diuretics to aid elimination.

Use natural diuretics such as:

Carrots
Parsley
Peaches
Corn silk tea

supportive herbs

Uva ursi (tea)
Nettle (tea)

Lungs, the respiration system. Mucous membranes trap microbes and other particles. You can rinse sinus passages to help clear it. Qigong and pranayama help cleanse the lungs by removing stale air.

Breath. Consider attending a sauna a few times a week if possible.

Skin excretes waste via sweat and oils. Consider dry brushing [7] before showering to remove excess dead skin cells or a have detox bath. Remember the skin also absorbs what’s in contact with it. Avoid exposure to any toxins to prevent immunity reduction.

A Final Word.

Restoring the innate immune function.

Most of us have a hindered and weak immune system. The first step towards improvement is becoming aware of your body. What you feel, and how you feel.

Notice fever when it is present.

Fever feels like an all over body warmth with a flushed face. A fever under 101 degrees, manage at home. Resting and increasing fluids is enough. Use cool cloths to relax the fever a bit. Once it is unmanageable, go to the hospital. This means you have tried everything for at least a day or two and no change. Conversely, if it is over 101, that needs more assistance.. Fever plays a vital role. [1] Do your best not to ignore or cover those symptoms. Doing so may prolong the infection and is associated with higher mortality.[2][8]

Rest at the first sign of illness. This is your body telling you to self-isolate.

Remember how to rest.

Draw the shades, avoid light, do nothing.
Play only soothing music or meditate.
Sleep when sleepy.

On inflammation

Rest. Improve your omega 3 status and lower your omega 6 intake. Use DHA, EPA or GLA omega fatty acids, not ALA. Animal sources of omega 3s are better absorbed and used than plant sources.

For chronic inflammation, exercise and reduce stress to regulate cortisol better. At home remedies exist to lower inflammation, but the culprit is usually the omega 3 status.

Good sources of Omega 3s:

Wild ocean fish and some freshwater fish. Avoid farmed fish.
Pastured eggs
Grass-fed animal meat and dairy.
Algae oil (only if you are vegan.)

Onto the main event. A preventative list consisting of herbs and immune modulators. Feel free to pick one from each category to use for prevention. These herbs either reduce inflammation or boost the body’s fighting ability. An adept boxer does not wear boxing gloves to knock out an opponent. The gloves are to prevent injury to the striking hand.

Prevention herbs

Astragalus

not antiviral, good for prevention.[9]

Dose: 9-30 grams in water simmered for a tea or 500mgs caps 2-3 times daily.

Cordyceps

Immune modulating and anti-inflammatory.[5]
Boosts natural killer cell and helper T-cell counts.[6]

Dose: 6-15 grams dried herb made into a tea or 500mg-1000mg 3 times daily 10-20 mins before food.

CAUTION: contraindicated in fevers, active colds and flus.

Ginseng

Prevents cold and flu.[10][11]
Lowers stress.
Increases liver function.

Dose:100-300mgs daily or boil 3-10 g Korean ginseng for 1 hour. Otherwise follow manufacture’s instructions.

CAUTION: Do not take when ill. Avoid taking if you have high blood pressure, take mao inhibitors, or anti Parkinson’s drugs.

He shou wu

For prevention.

Dose: 9-15 grams of root as a tea in one-quart water boil 30-45 mins. Take 1 cup daily away from food. If taking pills, follow manufacturer’s recommended dose.

Coronavirus stands no chance. White blood cells don't do or die, they die but do. — Despite burning pain and fiery inflamation, white blood cells will stab coronavirus.

Immune enhancers

These regulate and boost the immune system. During these days, we can all use a boost; however these are not 100 percent necessary. All the previous steps are enough in preventing illness. These are more like icing on the cake. Should you choose to trend down this path, select 1-2 carefully. It can be dangerous to go alone, take these.

CAUTION: Avoid these if you have an autoimmune disorder or are taking any immunosuppressing drugs.

Acemannan

This is an aloe vera leaf extract .

increases T-cells and cytotoxic cells.[12]
best to not eat lots of aloe as this can cause diarrhea.

Take manufacturers recommended dose.

Arabinogalactan

polysaccharide in carrots radishes pears.
may cause gas or bloating
raises NK cells and macrophage activity and may sync with vitamin C[3][4]

Dose: 1-3 tbs a day in water possibly with vitamin C

Beta 1,3 D glucan

found in mushrooms.
cordyceps is one of the best out there for antiviral components.
stimulates macrophages. 72 hours after ingestion[13]

Dose: 100mgs(mouth) or other recommended dosage.

Mushroom immuniceuticals.

Several pertain to this category specifically: AHCC and MGM.

MGM=hemicellulose B

increases NK cell activity

Dose: 3-4 grams daily times 3 for 14 days to load then 1-2 grams daily times 2

AHCC=hemicellulase alpha 1, 4 glucan

Activates the immune response and may reduce viral shedding.[19][20]

Dose: 6 grams throughout the day.

Reishi

Antiviral effects and immune modulator.[15]

Take manufacturers recommended dose.

Dairy and others.

Colostrum

Potent immune factors [17]

Dose: 1-4 grams daily on an empty stomach.

Lactoferrin

concentrate from colostrum.
binds to iron making it harder to get for microbes.
boosts T cells and macrophages.[18]

Start slow with these in case of dairy intolerances.

Folate

Take folate and avoid folic acid or other synthetic forms.[16]

Preventative dose: 800mgs daily. During viral infection take 1-5 grams.

Germanium

Trace mineral found in mushrooms like shitake
Better to eat the mushrooms for this one

If you can afford the supplement 275mgs 3 times daily.

For Chronic Or Acute Inflammation.

Cat’s claw

Anti inflammatory antioxidant [14]
Take standardized.
Look for 8 percent carboxyl alkylesters

Take manufacture’s recommended dose.

Curamed

Outstanding anti-inflammatory effects.

Follow recommended dosing.

CBD oil.

This one is harder to recommend due to legal issues and quality issues. I’ll list one here. It may be listed as hemp oil to bypass any legal issues. Note that you need to be aware of your local laws and abide by them.

Reduces inflammation
Lowers stress/anxiety

Take the recommended dose.

COVID-19 Wars part 6. Return Of The New Hope.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Benjamin Franklin.

Strong body, strong immune system. Supplements aid when needed. — To fight off COVID, you need some guns.

Last time we briefly covered antioxidants and supplements. This is the main supplemental prevention list. To get the most out of this list, best foods and a supplement form with dosages are listed. If none are listed, follow the manufacturer’s recommended dosage. Cautionary notes are listed as well please heed them. All links posted are non-affiliate links. I get zero commission from them, only your unbridled joy and happiness. A few more important notes.

The Following Are For Prevention Only! Do Not Use Any While Sick Unless It Is Specifically Stated!

On with the list These common vitamins and minerals act like antioxidants in the body. Some people require more of some nutrients compared to others. Food is usually adequate, but every percentage point counts. Pick a few, use your discretion, to take on a daily basis. Do not buy the whole list and take it everyday. Less is more even during the coronavirus stay at home bore.

Vitamin C

Everyone knows this one. It helps protect from infection and is water soluble. It enhances immunity by supporting the thymus, a major center of immune function.Vitamin C also prevents glutathione, the master antioxidant from being used up.[1]

For preventative purposes, you can get adequate sources from food. If you are concerned, you may supplement, but respect and follow the rules to glean its power. During an infection use a higher dose. Harder to accomplish this with only food.

Food sources:

Camu Camu berry(highest source)
Broccoli
Cabbage
Sweet red bell peppers
Rose hip tea
Citrus
Strawberries.

Preferred supplemental form: Lipospheric/liposomal ascorbic acid or buffered ascorbic acid.

Preventative dose: 200-500mgs a day. Can go up to 2000mgs a day if needed.
1000 mgs is a good solid number for most people daily.
During infection a larger dose is recommended. Start at 2000mgs and spread it throughout the day. Can increase to bowel tolerance.

CAUTION: Vitamin C in high doses can cause diarrhea.

Avoid vitamin C supplementation if you have

Chronic kidney disease
Hemochromatosis
Gout
History of kidney stone formation.
Avoid if you take coumadin.

Birth control pill users, corticosteroid takers, and aspirin swallowers may need more than the average person.

Vitamin E

Works hand in hand with vitamin C.[2] Vitamin E reduces oxidation damage and protects thymus like vitamin C.

High food sources include

Almonds(raw) and other nuts
Olive oil (cold pressed)
Avocado
Coconut oil (cold pressed)

If supplementing, Alpha-tocopherol is the most bioactive form. D-alpha tocopherol taken with food is ideal.

Preventative dose: 200-500 IU

CAUTION: Avoid more than 1000IU a day as headaches can occur and blood clotting may be affected,

Vitamin A and Carotenoids.

Highly essential for immune function.[3] It manages mucous membranes and the skin layer. This aids in expelling or destroying the virus. Water soluble form or micellized form may be best. Preferred form is retinol as it is more bioavailable.

Best food sources:

Organ meats (liver, kidney)
Red meats
Eggs
Fish
Butter

Preferred supplemental form: Retinol

Preventative dose: 5000-25000 IU or 1500-7500 mcg best taken alongside fats

During illness: can take 150000IU/15000mcg short term.

CAUTION: Avoid high doses for an extended period of time (several months at 50000 IUs or greater). May cause liver issues among other things.

Carotenoids do not convert very well into retinol, but may still reduce oxidative stress in body.

Best Food sources

Green algae (spirulina, chlorella)
Carrots
Sweet potatoes

Preferred supplemental form: Broken cell wall Chlorella tablets

Preventative dose: 25000-300000IU daily.

CAUTION: You may turn orange from consuming high amounts. Stop consumption and it will reduce.

Vitamin B2

Helps to metabolize and breakdown other foods. It activates other B vitamins as well as vitamin E. Usually low levels of this vitamin is associated with low antibodies (B-cells remember?)

Best foods:

Organ meats (liver, heart, kidney)
Eggs
Red meat
Dairy.

This one is easy to deplete.

Vitamin B6

As with the previous one, lower levels are associated with lower antibodies. This vitamin is more like an antioxidant than the others.

Best foods:

Organ meats
Red meat
Milk
Eggs
Seafood
Grains
Bananas
Avocados
Nuts
Seeds

Preferred form: pyridoxal 5 phosphate

Preventative dose: 50-100 mgs

Take alone on an empty stomach for best results.

CAUTION: Long term supplement use can cause nerve damage.

Vitamin B12

A necessary vitamin for food processing. Low levels are associated with impaired immunity.[4]

Best foods:

Meat
Fish
Eggs
Milk
Milk products like cheese

Preferred form: methycobalamin

Preventative dose: 1000-2000mcgs daily

Selenium

A mineral necessary to produce glutathione (master antioxidant).[5] It converts oxidized fats into less harmful fats (preserves antioxidant status). It helps the thyroid and removes mercury from the body reducing the burden on the body. Selenium will stimulate phagocytes, cell eaters, and T-cells to action.[6][7] A dose of 200 mcgs will increase natural killer cells.

Best foods:

Kidney
Fish
Brazil nuts

Supplement Preferred form: selenomethionine or selenium picolinate.

Preventative dose:200mcgs

CAUTION: Do not take long term without health professional overviewing. Blood work may need to be done to assess adequate levels.

Zinc

VIP mineral. Zinc is necessary for superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant produced in the body. It maintains T-cells and assists the thymus (immune center).[8][9]

Best foods:

Oysters
Fish
Seafood
Meat
Pumpkin seeds

Supplement

Preferred form: Zinc gluconate or Zinc picolinate

Preventative dose:25 mg a day

CAUTION: Do not to exceed 150 mgs a day. Can cause copper depletion and depress immune function especially above 300 mgs.

Secondary nutrients

These are heavy hitters that help and assist. The second line of defense from the antioxidant group. Some are phytochemicals, others are amino acids. All are found in food at adequate levels. These aid in prevention. Pick 1-2 to take daily. No need for all of them.

COQ10 (Coenzyme Q10)

Found in mitochondria. A strong antioxidant that may energize you. It enhances immunity by stimulating Phagocytic activity.[10]

Best foods:

Organs (specifically heart)
Red meat
Fish (sardines)
Nuts
Cereal bran (grain husks, not the box stuff)

Supplemental preventative dose: 30-90mgs taken alongside fats for absorption.

CAUTION: Those who take blood pressure meds may need more.

Lipoic acid

Lipoic acid “recycles” other antioxidants like Vitamin C and E.[11] Unlike other antioxidants, it is water or fat soluble, take alongside either. It can also help remove heavy metals.[12]

Best foods

Red meat
Organs (liver kidney)
Spinach
Broccoli

Supplemental preventative dose: 25mg-100 mg with meals

Quercetin

A VIP antioxidant. It increases natural killer cell activity and is antimicrobial to some extent.[13]

Best foods:

Apples(with skin)
Onions(outer most layers)
Black tea
Fruits
Veggies
Herbs

Supplemental preventative dose: 400mg 2-3 times daily

Proanthocyanins(pycnogenol)

First found in pine tree bark, then later in grape seeds and skins. Also found in bilberry and elderberry. This has a much stronger antioxidant activity than vitamin C and E.[14]

Best foods:

Grapes
Blueberries
Cranberries
Black currants
Apples
Pomegranates

Preferred supplemental form: Pycnogenol

Preventative dose: 50-100 mgs

Antioxidant amino acids

The Immune system is mostly protein. Using proteins gives more building blocks to the immune army so they can flex their muscles.

Whey

Whey will boost glutathione levels.[15] It isn’t just for bodybuilders. A few caveats are present with this one.

Preferred form: Low temperature, non-acid processed (raw) Whey protein concentrate. Cow or goat is fine.

Preventative dose:30gs a day or more as needed.

CAUTION: Avoid if you have auto immune disorders. Avoid whey protein isolate or heat/acid processed whey as the immune boosting benefits are absent in isolate and destroyed by heat or acid. Start slow if you have issues with dairy. Immediately stop taking if issues occur.

Arginine

Boosts nitric oxide production and opens blood vessels. Arginine works on immune system by Increasing natural killer cell activity and stimulates the thymus gland.[16]

Best foods:

Meat
Fish
Nuts
Chocolate

Supplemental preventative dose: 500-1000g daily, works best with ornithine at half the amount of arginine.

Lysine

This amino acid reduces calcium excretion.

Best foods:

Dairy
Fish
Meat
Legumes

Supplemental preventative dose:1-2 grams daily.

Cysteine

Assists in detoxification by increasing glutathione production.[17][18]

Best food:

Meat
Fish
Chicken
Lentils
Oats

Supplemental preferred form: N-acetyl cysteine

Preventative dose: 200-500mg a day

During illness 500-1500 mg a day.

CAUTION: Add additional copper and zinc while taking. Take alongside Vitamin C to avoid kidney stones formation.

Glutamine

Helps repair the intestinal lining and raises white blood cell count. Works in conjunction with N-acetyl cysteine to make glutathione.

Best foods: cook gently or steam to preserve glutamine content.

Meat
Fish
Eggs
Cabbage
Brussel sprouts

Supplemental preferred form: powder extract or tablet

Preventative dose: 500-2000mg a day. 4000-8000 if exercising heavily or heavily stressed.

CAUTION: Avoid if kidney failure or liver failure/cirrhosis is present.

Glutathione

The master antioxidant. It protects cells from damage and assists in detoxification of harmful substances. Higher levels are indicative of better health. Eating methionine raises levels. This is because part of the formation of glutathione requires adequate B vitamins and glycine (derived from collagen sources) only after the body has met it’s need for methionine. The excess converts into glutathione. Vitamin C preserves glutathione for when it is really needed.

Best food:

Liver
Whey protein
Asparagus
Avocado
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Bok choy

Avoid depleting substances where possible

Alcohol
Drugs (prescription, legal and illegal)
Toxins

Supplemental preferred form: liposomal

Preventative dose :500mgs a day. May take more when ill.

Enzymes

Not an antioxidant, but enzymes help in immunity. Enzymes breakdown harmful toxins. They assist in tissue repair and inhibit viral replication. Enzymes are present in fermented foods, raw plant food and raw animal products (raw milk/cheese, raw egg yolks).

Cooking lowers enzyme count in foods. Lightly cooked food is better as some enzymes are intact. A raw food diet is not ideal. Excessive raw food increases mold and bacterial counts in the digestive tract. Another excellent choice for enzymes is juicing.

If juicing, drink immediately. Oxidation will lower the value you get from the juice. Choose veggie juices over fruit juices to lower the impact on blood sugar. A large enough blood sugar drop stresses the body and suppresses the immune system. Juicing is a great source for enzymes, but a poor one for phytochemicals.

Phytochemicals are secondary nutrients present in plants. Quercetin, mentioned above, is one and lycopene is another. Blending is preferred for phytochemicals since they are located in plant fiber. Lightly steam veggies then place into a blender (high speed preferred) and blend. Consume like a soup. Use ferments like a condiment, such as salsa, for antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Still need supplements for enzymes? Enzymes come in capsule form. Select phytochemicals are found in supplement form, but most are obtained from food. More on that in the next post.

Enzymatic supplement recommended: Proteolytic (Wobenzym) is best for improving immune function.

Dose: 4 tabs three times daily 1-1.5 hours before food.

The next post will cover more preventative methods you can implement to give you a wide net of protection from anything thrown (or sneezed) at you.

Don't throw things at people. Especially not coronavirus. — Headgear, check. Sneeze into elbow, check.

COVID-19 War part 5. Strike Back.

The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.
Thomas A. Edison

Obliterate. Eradicate. Decimate. Contemplate. Coronavirus. The shoot first ask questions later methodology. Useful in Cinema, useless in life. This post covers prevention strategies. This means you have an idea or read the previous posts. Didn’t you? Do not shoot first. Do not pass go and do not collect $200.

Briefly, we will touch upon the topic of sterilization. The issue present is “Sterilization is the only way to get well and be safe.” Why is it an issue? There is a lack of understanding regarding the complexities of humans and the environment around us. Humans are complex messy things. Nature is far more messy and complex. So messy is nature that we cleanse her existence from our lives.

Microbes play an important role in our lives. Bacteria live in the gut and on the skin. Like the Amazon rainforest, these species compete with each other and live in harmony with their environment (us). Having them in balance keeps us in balance. Imagine, for a moment, dropping atomic bombs on the Amazon rainforest.

I don't see ants here. — Amazon Rainforest looking good.

Why would we do this?

Because we hate ants and want to get rid of them. We dropped atomic bombs to get rid of them. As a consequence, we lose the forest and other animals living in the forest. Tribal people would perish also.

This is sterilization. Whether by antibiotics (eaten or placed on your skin) or a cleaning agent, the result is the same. Complete removal of life. Yes, situations exist where the use of extreme clean measures are warranted. Not every situation is fixed with an atomic bomb. To go into deep detail of the benefits of the microbes is beyond the scope of this post. I’ll leave you with this to contemplate.

Pure water has no fish.
Some smart dude (not me).

To kill everything around you is to harm yourself. Don’t be maniacal about it, be cautious but not obsessed.[1] To be germ-free is not carefree. You carry the extra burden. Germ-free mice in germ-free environments need more nutrients than normal mice.[2] Be smart about your sanitation. At home, you are fine. There is no need to be germ-free. In a public bathroom, wash your hands.

Please Note.

I am not a medical doctor, nor should any recommendation post here or on this site replace any medical advice. Nothing here treats, cures, or prevents any disease. Always check with your primary physician before attempting anything or taking anything. The information presented is for educational and entertainment purposes.

Aside from the CDC recommendations, wearing masks and washing hands, is there anything else that prevents infection? If only our bodies had something unique that can ward off this disease, even if exposed. Why are we cursed in such a manner? That something does exist.

It is called the glycocalyx.

hair within, hair without. Glycocalyx, the hairy filter. — Who knew we were hairy inside too.

Another Swear Word?

Humor this for a bit. The glycocalyx is a thin substance that is jelly like. It is present on several tissue surfaces including: the lungs, small intestines, and blood vessels. [3]. This is a filter that allows certain particles to cross barriers.[4]

The glycocalyx is like the border patrol of the body.

How does this layer work in the lungs?

Imagine this as jelly or peanut butter on a piece of toast. The toast falls onto the ground jelly side down. Any contaminants are on the layer of jelly/peanut butter. The bread itself remains untouched from the grime, dirt and dust. Remove that layer before it falls, and the exposed bread is toast (bad pun). Specific proteins (albumin) can cross this barrier with ease, but fluid is prevented from crossing.

How does it play into coronavirus infection prevention?

The glycocalyx “coats” the cells in the body. ACE2 receptors (remember those?) are located on the cell surface closest to outside contact. Like the airway to the lungs. An intact coating means less receptors are available for our coronal enemy to snatch in its attempt at domination. Good for us, bad for coronavirus. Shedding of this layer causes acute lung injury [5].

The lost layer leads to leaky lungs and becomes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In ARDS, a protein rich fluid fills the alveoli [3](the balloons in the lungs). Alveoli have a high density of ACE2. The destruction of ACE2 receptors by coronavirus could possibly be due to lack of a glycocalyx.[6][7].

Ards, fluid filled alveoli — Remember ARDS?

The glycocalyx protects the lungs. It prevents cancer cells from entering the lungs via bloodstream. The shedding of this filter [4] causes filling of the alveoli with fluid. Fluid should not replace air in the lungs. The loss of the glycocalyx may worsen the infection by weakening the blood brain barrier. [8][9][10]

Can we preserve the filter?

Avoid shedding it to preserve it. What causes shedding?

Certain Viral diseases [11]. Malaria may as well cause shedding. Compounds or toxins from a virus cause shedding of the glycocalyx.[15] The shedding of this layer may be a defense mechanism against viruses who bind to this layer. This may make us more susceptible to coronavirus. Sepsis, infection in the bloodstream, also causes shedding [12].

Will anything else demolish this layer?

Other factors that cause shedding:

Inflammation
Shock
Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
Elevated C-reactive protein (stress may play a role) [4][13][14].
Reactive oxygen species (too much lactic acid or heavy exercise)
Low oxygen (same as previous, COVID-19 causes this)
Cytokines and chemokines (these cause inflammation).

Smoking and pollution, sulfur oxides from fossil fuels, cause lung inflammation and reduces immunity. Secondhand smoke is a contributor. Imagine smoking on its own.[16][17][18][19]

Smoking causes inflammation in the lungs. Inflammation sheds the glycocalyx protective layer. Areas with pollution cause inflammation in the lungs by reducing oxygen in the air. That causing hypoxia or low oxygen. Pollution also introduces toxins into the lungs. Sounds a little bit like Wuhan, doesn’t it?

Smoking allows coronavirus to implant itself in you. — Smoking COVID. 19 cigarettes per pack

Could it be that the smoker’s cough, with its wet mucous, is the shedding of the glycocalyx layer?

Those most at risk, have a higher density of ACE2 receptors, the binding site of coronavirus. More males living in polluted cities that smoke are in the higher risk group. Don’t forget Wuhan or China in general has heavy pollution problems.

The Shorthand version.

Avoid high glycemic load food like: sodas, chips, breads, sweets and other processed foods. Reduce inflammation. Do not smoke. Do not hang around smokers. Avoid pollution (the air is cleaner now, so go outside). DO NOT BE FEARFUL. [20] That is a stress that impacts immunity. Many small steps add up to one huge item. Couple this with CDC recommendations and those to follow in future post. Every percentage counts. Remember , the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Will Supplements Help?

Possibly. Let’s look at antioxidants, a first line of defense. Antioxidants are naturally produced in the body. They neutralize any compound formed in the body, formed from a virus, or an external toxin. The body is prepared to deal with these occasional guest appearances. What is unexpected, however, is overload of this system.

Attacks by viruses like the coronavirus will impact antioxidant use. Add to this living in areas with high pollution, further reducing antioxidants. As your lungs inhale pollution’s toxic waste, pollution also reduces your oxygen intake. Couple this with one last thing. Stress. Antioxidants are gone. Taking antioxidants reduces the burden on your body.

What about stress?

Stress, like fear, forces shallow breathing, reducing oxygen intake. Humans naturally breath into the diaphragm. Look at an infant sleeping. Does its chest or belly rise? Breath into the diaphragm, the way we all should. You will receive oxygen better this way. Here is a quick start guide.

In the nose, out the nose. Raise the belly, keep still the chest. — Ideal learning posture for belly breathing.

Look at the above image. Lie down like that, or sit in a chair if needed.
Place one hand on the chest and another on the belly.
Breath in the nose and make the belly expand prevent the chest from rising.
Your belly hand rises. The chest hand stays in place.
Breath out your nose and feel the belly sink.
Repeat for 5 mins. Practice daily
Work up to belly breathing seated and then standing.

Do the breathing exercises. It’s a free chill pill.

Where To Get Antioxidants?

Get antioxidants from food sources first. It is easy to find antioxidants in all brightly colored vegetables and fruits. Antioxidants are also present in the animal fat of grass-fed ruminants, like cows and goats, and their dairy. You may also supplement them.

The higher your stress the higher your need. Infection is also a source of stress. Diet is usually enough, should you choose to supplement then the next post has a list of potent weapons to arm yourself.

Done reading? Part 6 is over yonder.

COVID-19 Wars Part 4. The New Hope.

He who cures a disease may be the skillfullest, but he that prevents it is the safest physician.
Thomas Fuller

Darth Maul fights coronavirus. — Wear a mask and social distance (use the force instead).

Monetary abundance and poverty. Vegetables and Twinkies. Exercise and binge watching. One prevents problems and the other causes problems. Which do you deserve? Pick your poison because coronavirus isn’t a picky poison. It loves everyone equally. In coronavirus’s lack of eyes, we are all warm and squishy inside. Time to arm yourself and prevent it from lung lounging and cough coasting.

Prevention 101

How does no cost sound? Money is tight. Hard to fit in your pockets if it was free flowing and loose. First prevention strategies are easily accessible to everyone. Reason being these have no cost attached. If you want to pay money, the next post will tell you where to spend it.

Solar Rays

Vampires hate it. Superman adores it. The sun. source of light and life on planet Earth. It emits pleasing colors to the eyes, and harsh penetrating rays of death called UV. An early article by homeland security has said that “sunlight kills the virus quickly”.[20] On a surface, exposed to direct sunlight for three minutes, coronavirus was undetectable. The virus becomes unstable at higher temperatures. Even in droplets, the virus stands no chance basking in the glory of the sun’s face.

UV light eradicates DNA. This is how UV light leads to skin cancer for example. Coronavirus is no exception as evident in the preliminary results of the Department of Homeland Security. Go outside and get some sunlight. Humans can tolerate a little UV light. More than enough to kill viruses. Nonetheless, listen to your local laws and get some sunlight rich in UV.

UV exposure is associated with higher nitric oxide levels.[21][22] Yes, UV light kills viruses, but nitric oxide inhibited replication of the SARS virus [23]. It stands to reason that coronavirus has the same weakness.

Should you go buy a UV light to disinfect yourself and everything around you? No. First off these are prevention methods with no cost attached. Second off the UV used in those concentrated lights is called UV-C. That stands for Uh-oh Very Cancerous. UV-C is one step below X-ray radiation. Do not do this unless you want cancer and loss of eyesight. Enough talk, time for action. Grab a weapon or two. It’s go time.

Basic Weaponry

Exercise. Are you doing enough or any at all? Most of us think we do enough when we don’t do enough. Want to suppress your immune system?[1] How about achieve chronic inflammation from not exercising?[2] Not exercising = over exercising. Pick one and you win immune suppression.

The Chinese have a saying “still water breeds poison” Stagnant water becomes a swamp. A stagnant body will result in disease when lacking motion. Get up and move! Exercise improves blood flow, the roadway used by the immune soldiers. Exercise improve your immunity in many way. For example exercise:[3][5]

Improves natural killer cells.
Restores hormone balance thus regulating immunity.
Improves aerobic capacity (this makes it easier for the lungs).
Improves heart function.
Regulates the nervous system response.

The Sympathetic nervous system is the active/crisis system. It helps the body be on high alert. Whether the high alert comes from a heavy load, a tiger chasing you, or a virus the results are the same. High alert.

Parasympathetic is the consuming system (feeding) and conserving energy. It tells the you to be at ease. Relax, after all you escaped the tiger or dropped that heavy load.

Guess which system activates during exercise? High alert. High alert is necessary to hold the overhead heavy iron weight. Not being on high alert, means the weight of the world will crush you. While running, high alert is important. Running unconsciously with cars around? Then I have bad news for you.

Lift what feels heavy for you. Repeat until strong. — Keep those wheels running. Lift something, even your body counts.

Overdoing Exercise

If your idea of exercise is lying in a puddle of sweat panting and lifting limbs that feel heavy as iron, bad idea. Overdoing exercise=over activating the high alert system. You tell your body there is a crisis. The body listens. What causes this?

Exercise promotes lactic acid, the burn. No pain, no gain? More like “more pain, insane”. Exercise is a stress on the body compounded by lactic acid, another stress. Lactic acid decreases your antioxidants creating more stress. The antioxidant system cannot keep up with the acid bursting forth.

Excess lactic acid increases oxidative damage. Antioxidants cannot keep up and lose the fight. lactic acid gets a free pass and steals from your cells. This causes you damage and accelerates aging. It makes you more susceptible to respiratory infections.[3][4] Covid-19 anyone? It impacts and lowers natural killer cells count. Do not kill your own immune soldiers. Start slow if you don’t regularly exercise.

What To Do

Light aerobic such as walking is perfect. You get fresh clean air, sunlight, and aerobic exercise. Biking and swimming work wonders too. Avoid chronic cardio. Running all the time day in and day out jogging endlessly and burning out. Just walk. That’s a good start. Don’t go from couch hero running at zero to a marathon dasher disaster.

Lift heavy. Hard to do with no iron. Use a kettlebell. Do body weight exercise. Tension is tension. The body knows not the difference. Does your body know the difference between mashed potatoes made at home or from a box? Both cause equal gains around the waist. Resistance training makes you harder to kill.

Stay alactic. That means avoid the burn like it’s the coronavirus. It keeps the antioxidants safe for when you really need it. Could be tomorrow or in a few hours. Never go to failure. Always keep a rep or two away from failure. When your form fails, (you slow down) that’s when you stop.

Rest

This is important. For example, muscles grow during rest, not during exercise. Likewise, the body needs rest. Real rest! What does rest look like? Answer this carefully there is only one answer.

Doing nothing.

When a dog rests, does it check Facebook? No, it curls in the corner and stops moving. Yes, a dog does not have opposable thumbs for clicking the like button but it won’t play with its toys if it wants to rest. If it needs electricity or a battery, it is not for resting. If it is for entertainment purposes, it is not resting. In between exercise sets, after exercise, after working and in the evening rest.

Draw the curtains, play some soothing music and do nothing. This is true rest. Light reading is acceptable, the more boring the better. Can’t sit still long enough? Here is a solution accessible to everyone.

Meditate. This counts as resting and lowers the stress response [6]. Yes, you are “doing something”, but your mind is at ease. The body is still. Sit down, breath into your nose. Focus only on that. Repeat for 20-30 mins or for hours. Meditation provides adequate rest. Hate sitting? There’s a solution for that too.

Moving meditations. Tai chi, Qigong, and others are good meditations as well. The more relaxing it is, the better it is for resting. Avoid anything too stimulating like Ultra Pilates Yoga.

Sleep.

We touched upon this before, now inspect it closer. Sleep has many impacts on the body. Sleep repairs and prepares the body for the next day’s despair. A king once asked a holy medicine man in China, to boil his knowledge down into one distilled answer. His question was what the most important medicine, or remedy was. The answer? Sleep.

The body goes into repair mode. Without it, incidences of colds rise due to lowered immunity.[7][8][9] Get appropriate shut eye. Remember, lights out means lights out.

Mind

A great leader controls the actions of his troops. The brain is central command. It communicates with the endocrine system using. hormones like cortisol. The brain also controls the nervous system like the sympathetic, high alert, system and parasympathetic, relaxing, system.

An overburdened leader is an inefficient leader. That leader cannot command adequately. Stress and mood have the biggest impact, second only to sleep. Sleep is self-regulated, when you are tired, you feel it. Mood and stress are sneakier. They will grab hold tightly and not let go, unless commanded.

Emotions can cause immunity suppression.[10][11][12] Think of stress induced from fear. Something frightening occurs and the body recognizes the threat. Adrenaline pours out and immunity is reduced. People who are chronically depressed also have lower immune function. Meditation helps with the emotional response. [13] Reduce the stress in life, it starts with you. Rein in those emotions. Show them you’re the master. Who is in control? You are. Do not let them control you!

Water

What’s the number one substance the body contains? Water. Without it nothing occurs. No blood flows, no muscles contract, no digestion occurs. Life fails. Drink adequate water. Food water is not enough. Most of us are dehydrated and do not know it.

Drink clean pure water. Avoid common toxins in water.[14] They disrupt the body’s immune system and affect the immune soldiers waging battle. Avoid polystyrene (Styrofoam) as it is an endocrine disruptor.

Air

What will kill you quickest if you lack it? Not food, nor water. Air. You can last maybe minutes without air. Get some good quality air. Go outside. Make sure your face covering allows you to breath some air. After all, no one wants to smell their own breath all day.

Recirculated air can harbor molds and allergens. After all, there is no wind to blow the bad guys away. Get some fresh air, open the windows. Let out the stale air and B.O. The lesson presented earlier “still water breeds poison”, also applies to air. Air that’s stale is deaths exhale.

Remember meditation? You can double down efforts and do Pranayama to enhance this. This will save you time, although we have lots of time currently. Qigong and Tai Chi are versions of pranayama as well.

Breathwork is best done early around 5-7 am when pollution is lowest, and oxygen is highest. Plants exude oxygen. Get some indoor plants or open the windows. Get it in while you can. Clear out those lungs.

avocados and tomatoes are fruit. onions and garlic are roots. — Eat some good stuff.

Food

The most important aspect of the immune system. This provides the building blocks for the immune system. Remember toxins disrupt and preoccupied the immune army. Toxins can enter via the mouth. Mercury in fish[15], BPA[16][17] and organophosphates[18][19] (endocrine disruptors), and refined carbs/fried foods (toxins[20] and rapid blood sugar drop) are all stressors.

What is the best diet? During times when war is raging within; eat a high antioxidant and high in good fats diet with adequate protein intake. Eat a low to no refined carbohydrate intake and an adequate amount of complex whole carbohydrate intake. Avoid a diet “label” and eat foods that agree with you. Closer to nature is best. The fresher the better too.

Food List

List of Vegetables:

All of them. (be aware of starchy veggies and nightshades)

List of good fats:

Grass-fed dairy. (butter, cream, ghee, cheese.)
Grass-fed animal fat.
Wild fish.
Unrefined coconut oil.
REAL olive oil. (hard to find.)
Whole olives. (better choice than olive oil.)
Egg yolks.
Avocado.
Nuts.

List of carbohydrates:

Roots. (potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, kohlrabi, beets, carrots.)
Fruits. (all of them, limit yourself to a few servings a day.)
Grains. (whole, unhusked is preferred but white rice is acceptable in small amounts.)

Despite eating well, getting enough nutrients can be difficult. Eating well is the foundation, supplementation is partial salvation. Eat appropriate foods to help the immune army fight. Supplements cannot replace real food, only enhance. Like how TV caters an event to your eyes, the cheap imitation (TV) cannot compare to feasting your eyes on the in-person event. Nourishment is everything. A multivitamin doesn’t replace a bad diet, it only enhances.

Prevention 101 is over. Next class is 102. Don’t be late or hesitate.

Next up, part 5.

War on COVID-19 part 3. The Phantom Menace.

Viruses are rogue pieces of genetic material.
Dorothy H. Crawford

Want to read the beginning of this series? here is part 1 and part 2.

Facts will point to the right direction. — Look towards the facts.

How High Is Your Risk?

How much will you be affected? 81% of cases will have no symptoms, to mild symptoms. [1 ] Of those, 14% will require hospitalization and 5% need ICU care. People admitted to an ICU had some other underlying disease present. [2] Those most at risk are patients with one of the following: diabetes, heart disease, immunosuppression or lung disease. Anyone over the age of 65 is also at risk. [3]

[4] This study talks about the people most at risk of dying and compares them to those who survived. Those over age of 65 and with underlying health conditions (in this case heart disease, kidney disease, and lung disease) fell into the high mortality group. Coronavirus may enter the blood as these patients had no secondary infection but showed signs of sepsis, a blood infection. These people were also the ones who were the most ill and their outcomes were not great.

How Deadly Is It?

The data from Italy shows, the fatality rate from infection was totaled as 3.3 percent.[6] Not all of this is doom and gloom. Most of us will do fine. The death rate of the disease is being questioned. According to this study,[12] in China the death rate was .32% for anyone under the age of 60. Those older than 60 but younger than 80 had a 6.4% and those over 80 a 13.4% mortality. This is great news for the majority of young people. Our older population needs more safeguarding.

What About Testing?

The nasal swab method of testing is called RT-PCR. It tests for fragments of the RNA of the virus to see if you currently have it. No test is 100% accurate. Nothing is. Even alcohol or antibacterial soap has a .1% of microbes it cannot kill. Bear in mind, the RT-PCR test has a false negative rate of 30%.[7] Therefore, out of 100 people tested for the virus, 30 people will receive a false negative result.

What About Antibody Testing?

Antibody testing is still in a testing phase. Its accuracy is being questioned. Several tests are sold and deemed accurate. The FDA is not regulating these tests. NPR mentioned recently that these tests are prone to error as well. [8] These tests may falsely state that the person has antibodies to coronavirus. This is a false positive.

How does this affect us?

The main testing method has a false negative rate of 30%. That means the number of people who are infected is higher than the current number of confirmed cases. This in turn brings the death rate down lower.

In Los Angeles, the University of Southern California has conducted a study.[9] The study indicates that anywhere from 2.8% to 5.6% of people had exposure to coronavirus. Adjusting for error, the number of people exposed to coronavirus is between 221,000 to 442,000. As of 4/25 the total number of deaths was 913. That means the death rate is between 0.2% and 0.4% for all ages.

In Santa Clara county, the number of those with antibodies was between 2.5% and 4.6%. Representing at least a 50 fold increase over their confirmed cases. [10] This significantly drops the death rate in Santa Clara as well. With summer around the corner, things are looking brighter.

Anthony Fauci authored a paper where he states “the case fatality rate, may be considerably less than 1%”. [11] This puts COVID-19 and it’s coronavirus thugs around the level of deaths from flu. This Lancet study mentions that in China the infection fatality rate was 0.66% across all ages. Anyone over 80 had a rate of 18.4%.[12] Unless you are in the high risk group, odds are on your side.

Odds are on his side. — He just washed his hands.

How can we cure or kill it?

There is no internal cure for Coronavirus. Your army, the immune system, will do it’s best to fight it. We can give it a helping (clean) hand. Know this one thing. Yes, you can prevent coronavirus but the virus can be killed. There are the CDC recommendations [5] that are great for preventing and slowing the spread, but let’s look at handwashing a little more in depth.

Soap kills the virus.[13] Alcohol will dry coronavirus out like how toilet paper hoarders emptied store shelves. Alcohol is not as effective as soap. Remember coronavirus is surrounded by a layer of lipid, a.k.a. a fat or oil. This lipid holds the RNA, the guts, needed for replication in place until it is time to be injected in our cells.

Soap contains amphiphiles. These small fat-like structures can bind to the lipid layer of the virus. Soap binds to water as well as competing with the structures of the viral shell. What you get is a ripping apart of the virus, effectively killing it. Alcohol works similarly, but is less effective especially at concentrations below 60 percent. It sounds like messy work, but it has a great perk. A clean getaway. Who knew a cheap bar of soap could wash your worries away.

The takeaway is when soap is around wash your hands; if there is no soap alcohol will do.

Enough about coronavirus, next we will cover (no mask needed) prevention strategies. With the odds in our favor, it doesn’t hurt to do more. This is most helpful for those at risk as well. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Right now, that cure doesn’t exist.

Ready to read part 4?

War on Covid-19 part 2 Coronaviral assault

A virus is a piece of bad news wrapped in protein.
Peter Medawar

Coronavirus swimming in the lung's fluid buildup. — Exhibit number 19. Coronaviral invader.

Symptoms of COVID-19

What are the signs you may have this Coronavirus? General, nonspecific symptoms are present. Fever, malaise, fatigue, a dry cough, shortness of breath (harder to breath) and a sore throat. Less common symptoms are diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Be aware. These signs mean that you have been invaded. This Coronavirus is sneaky and tends to lie in wait for 5-11 days or longer before symptoms present. [3][4] what adds to this level of stealth is that this virus may not cause symptoms in some people. Maybe even 78% of us are walking around unknowingly aiding the enemy.[5]

How does the enemy infiltrate us?

Viruses have wanderlust. They travel from person to person; like people travel from country to country. A virus will hitch a ride from a person actively shedding coronavirus. Once coronavirus has touch terra firma, a.k.a. your skin, it lies in wait. It either enters the territory of another or it enters your inner sanctum. Coronavirus enters by contact or droplets jettisoned out from a nose or mouth.

Being a respiratory virus, anything to do with breath has potential to form droplets. These escape pods give the virus an opportunity to enter new territory and cross borders. A cough. A sneeze. A contaminated surface caressed unknowingly by a hand. Even talking produces droplets that enter hyperspace at warp speed to reach you. Droplets may land in front of your face and be inhaled or swallowed as it mingles within you. A hand that’s been touching all over the place, does not belong in your face.

How does Coronavirus replicate?

A virus is either RNA or DNA based. The COVID-19 causer, coronavirus, is RNA based. It will enter a cell and release its RNA into the cell. This hijacks the cell into becoming a virus creating factory. The cell will replicate viruses over and over until they overwhelm the cell and burst forth like the extraterrestrials from the movie “Aliens”. These viruses are now freely roaming and each one will infect a new cell. Imagine 1 virus creating 10000. Then each one of those creating 10000. The situation can get ugly quickly.

The infection process.

Our enemy coronavirus latches onto something called an ACE2 receptor. It reaches for this using it’s spiky projections and has a love for these receptors. [6] These receptor are located in lots of tissues in the body. Most notably in the lungs, small intestines, heart, liver and testis. [7] This in part explains why some people develop heart issues [8][9] or digestive issues[10].

Home is where the lungs are.

Coronavirus prefers the lungs over anything else. This is party central for coronavirus, like college students at the beach during spring break. The virus will congregate and replicate swiftly in this area. The virus prefers to enter lungs cells from the apical side. This apical side is in direct contact with outside air. That side of the cell also has a higher density of ACE2 receptors present. Coronavirus will exit through the same entrance it used. This virus loves to go viral. Exiting with a bang while exploding outwards. Now it further infiltrates other cells or deeper into the lungs.

Our viral opponent strongly infects cells that are more specialized. The more specialized, the higher the count of ACE2 receptors. In this case any cell that is ciliated, meaning the cell has small hairs that assist in filtering and removing waste, are at high risk of infection. However, there is another specialized cell at risk the alveoli. Alveoli are like “balloons” inflating and filling with each invigorating breath and deflating on exhalation.

A good look at the lungs and the alveoli “balloons”.

Alveoli? is that a swear word?

These alveoli are responsible for the gas exchange that occurs in the blood. It is where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide exits the blood. Funny enough, the densest concentration of ACE2 receptors in the lungs are the alveoli. [11] Coronavirus desperately prefers to be a lower respiratory infection [1]

The virus, once attached in the respiratory system, causes damage akin to a psychopath with no regard for anything but itself. The damage to the alveoli causes fluid to rush into the lungs. This reduces the oxygen exchange, leads to shortness of breath, and can lead to hospitalization or death.

lungs filling with fluid as a result of the infection winning the battle. — Healthy lung becoming more diseased as the infection overpowers the body. Notice how air cannot reach the blood as well in the bottom of the picture. ARDS is discussed below.

What makes it so deadly?

The affinity for ACE2 receptors. ACE2 regulates something called Angiotensin II from being too high. ACE2 has been found to protect the heart against heart failure [7] lung damage and prevent what is known as Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) [12]. Worst case scenario, coronavirus, with its crushing force will cause ARDS and from there marches towards death.

It is deduced that, due to the horrific onslaught upon the ACE2 receptors, the virus obliterates the lungs with ease. Look at this study. Mice with no ACE2 receptors succumbed to death from fluid buildup in the lungs. In contrast the mice who did have ACE2 receptors has a better survival rate. [13] The mice with no receptors showed a high level of angiotensin II associated with lung edema a.k.a. fluid buildup.

Big deal, so what?

Remember the highest density of ACE2 receptors were in the alveoli. Damaged alveoli were associated with: fluid buildup that is protein rich, inflammation, cytokines (signalers of the immune response
) and reactive oxygenation species. In other word it lead to ARDS. [14] ACE2 receptors protected against ARDS; but if more of your shield is eaten away, the higher your risk of wasting away.

How truly deadly is it? What are the outcomes and odds? What can be done to prevent an invasion into your territory? Can it be cured or killed? We will cover these answers in the next post. No need to hold your breath; you have a mask on, don’t you?

War on COVID-19. Preventing coronavirus victory.

“When you are ignorant of the enemy, but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If you are ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril. If you know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never lose.”
-Sun Tzu The Art of War

This is a multi-part series. Here is part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6,part 7, part 8

Want a quick overview with recommended supplements? If you want to skip to the good stuff, click here for the cream of this series.

Covid-19 in the flesh. A lonely coronavirus lying in wait. — Enemy of the state number 19 coronavirus a.k.a COVID-19

War, a brutal match. Two opposing forces. Blood. Violence. Eradication. This is war. War occurs every day in plain sight or hidden. It wages in you right now. War, a balancing act between two forces keeping each other in check. One rises, the victor, the other overstepped their boundaries, or lowered their guard, the loser. The lore of the body’s war rages in you.

Illness. Plague. Contagions. Miasma. All names for the same thing. A disease that spreads by sneeze. An invisible enemy we don’t see but feel. We can’t hear but fight. A raging war inside you. Coronavirus a.k.a. COVID-19 has no heart and no cure. Two options are present before you. Learn to use your army while learning to fight COVID-19 or let COVID-19 relish as you perish.

How strong is your army? What do they do and what troops do you have? After all are you not the commander? Do you know the enemy COVID-19? Well enough to take matters into your own hands? Have a plan? By your hands you will safeguard yourself. Purell won’t cut it either.

Immune system

The beginning of it all. This is your army. Your own personal protection against COVID-19. An army that learns and adapts against enemies. Tirelessly watching over your territory and keeping those infringers out. Never expecting thanks or payment. They only want the supplies they need to win. Sever the supply line, good bye blood line. The supply line gives life to those on the frontlines. The immune system does not react, it acts, communicates and stands guard. A brief description of the army entails. Learn well. Be well. Give the enemy hell.

Two types exist. The innate immune system, a general one, and the acquired system, a specialized one. The innate system has several parts, a well-oiled machine. Physical barriers exist to prevent entries. The skin, for example, is a wall with barbed wire. On its surface exists, sweat, oils, and other “traps” to prevent unauthorized entry or unauthorized life. Remember the best defense is a great offense make no expense.

The Innate immune system.

Phagocytes. These are eating cells. Gorging on invaders and chomping on dead cells. They are the clean up crew. Located amongst high traffic areas like a military or police check point. They haul off the bad guys. Natural killer cells. They take out viruses and bacteria mercilessly. Using a substance called interferon, they tear and rip apart diseased cells or viruses. Interferon is like a grenade bombarding baseless bandits and villains.

Other minor supporting roles exist. Cytokines, like radios that communicate to central command, the brain, when something is spotted. Antioxidants, the bullets of the body. They immediately neutralize and take down harmful substances whether alien or not. With this “basic” army how could you lose?

The specific immune system

The adaptive system. Like the Navy Seals of the body. Two heavy hitters take center stage. T-cells and B-cells truly a great team. Working with a complex system called humoral, a.k.a. antibodies. Antibodies are the ninjas of the immune system. Patrolling in secret. Upon finding their specific target, they ensnare and imprison them to be disposed of by the T-cells. They are specially trained against a specific enemy. They cannot lose. Do the same, you can achieve the same level.

Ancillary systems

One is fever. Fever, although a mild discomfort, plays an important role. Fever starts the response responsible for fighting the invaders. It is a siren signaling the body to prepare for war. Fever plays an important role, do not suppress its function.

Invaders like to steal from our supply lines. They are after our precious metal, iron. Extra iron is bound by the body so the invaders are unable to use it. If your supplies are kept in a vault, the enemy cannot access it. If the siren known as fever is prevented, this may not occur as quickly or as effectively.

The last is inflammation. A war time rule that opens roads and paths into the area of interest where the enemy is hiding. If the lungs become inflamed, the enemy is there. This pours our soldiers, the white blood cells into the fight more easily. Inflammation brings more blood to that area. That means more tools, weapons, and soldiers.

How the system works

When an invader is found, the patrolling system sends signals (cytokines). Nearby cells are warned and begin to activate their sirens. Central command (the brain) is notified. Fever may take place to start mobilizing troops (natural killer cells) and inflammation occurs to bring more phagocytes (cell eaters) and other soldiers to fight. If the battle wages longer, the Navy Seals (adaptive) take over and start to fight the invaders. The T-cells will destroy invaders while the B-cells begin to make anti bodies to ensnare the enemy so they cannot escape. Best case scenario is complete eradication of the enemy. Antibodies will circulate keeping watch incase that enemy tries to invade again.

A few more key notes. Healthy tissue is never inflamed. Any tissue that remains inflamed is like the boy who cried wolf. The body will ignore it as it’s always there. Do not suppress these responses to the best of your abilities. There is a reason for a runny nose, that is the enemy being dumped out. Help remove them. Do not prevent the dumping of the enemy.

Cortisol is released after a stressful event. Whether it is a virus, a tiger, or your boss cortisol will show its face. Cortisol reduces inflammation in the body. If cortisol is always present, the body tunes it out. The army never eases up on the situation and tensions stay high. Cortisol helps mobilize Phagocytes. If their signal is constantly on, they will eventually ignore it as background noise. This allows inflammation to linger, making a heated situation worse.

Speaking of heated, fever starts the process of fighting off the enemy. A fever that stays under 102 degrees F can be managed at home if no other issues are present. Though uncomfortable, do not stop the fever directly. Take a cool bath if needed but trust the army in you to do their best.

What can disrupt our platoon of soldiers that fight for us? It’s possible that our comfortable lives free of worries have weaken our soldiers.

Where it can go wrong

During times of peace, is when one must be most ready for war. Have we let our guard down? How so? Colds should last no more than a week. In some people, it is 10 days or 2 weeks. Why is it that we are getting more ill? Why are newer and stronger diseases, like COVID-19 showing up? Are they stronger, or are we weaker?

Coronavirus. COVID-19. Many people who have died by this enemy also had other issues present. There was a man who died of this virus at 21. The same day he was found to have had leukemia. With so many invaders attacking from different places, his army was scattered and could not keep up. He passed. For some of us it is inevitable to avoid having such conditions. However, many conditions can and should be avoided. Here is what lowers our guard/immune system.

Malnutrition. A form of starvation. Not eating enough calories or not eating enough micronutrients like vitamins or minerals counts as starvation. The basic building blocks of the battalion A.K.A. the immune system. No ammo, No fighting. Try winning a gun fight with a knife. You can be fat and yet still undernourished. Accept no substitutes, your soldiers deserve the best you can provide. Include high quality food to improve this. More on this later, no questions yet.
Pre-existing chronic conditions. Any illness preoccupying your soldiers weakens your army. Less soldiers are available to fight when a new enemy shows up.
Chronic stress. A child screaming, rush hour, and the news are stressful events. Occasionally, not a problem. Every day and all the time, it breaks you. A constant cacophony of chronic cortisol rising stress. No better than propaganda. It lowers the morale of your army. It forces constant hypervigilance only to lower themselves back to a normal state. One cannot always be on high alert without consequences.
Sleep. This is major, no rest equals an aggravated and inefficient army. Overworked soldiers without adequate rest will collapse. Get some shut eye. Lights out means lights out, not screen time.
Toxins. Poisons of the environment. Remember the immune system is also a cleanup crew. Constant pouring of toxins into you means someone must remove it. Poison is similar to being overwhelmed by more than one enemy. Mutagens cause cell changes, the body will dispose of it. PCBs and other chemicals must be treated. The body will dispose of them. Heavy metals, pesticides, alcohol, and drugs both prescription and illegal. The body will dispose of them. Do not make the army work harder than it needs.
Aging. You cannot fend off this one forever. Death forever stalks us. You can delay its arrival and thus improve the situation but avoid accelerating it at all costs! Accelerated aging is playing into the enemy’s hands.

Part one of Basic training is done. Part two is next. Weapons class comes later. First we must discuss coronavirus in great detail. In learning of COVID-19, we better arm ourselves. Sun Tzu said it best himself. In order to win every battle, know yourself and know the enemy.