GOT COVID? ...Front Line Doctors Share Tips To Stay Well

By Katy Cable-A 5 min. Immunity Building Read

While CoVid 19 continues to dominate the news and is wreck havoc on all of our lives, statistics show that MOST people who catch the virus recover without incident.

It’s easy to forget that when everyday the news shows thousands of people crowding testing sites and hospitals. There’s always a few stories of those unfortunate people whose lives were cut short by this deadly pandemic. It’s a scary time. Most of us are entering our second month on house arrest and forced to wear face masks when we step outside.

Whether you’re immune compromised, over age 60, or required to work with the public, here are some excellent ways to build up your body’s immune system to keep you healthy. If you do get sick, you can recover much quicker. And it’s not just CoVid19...These steps should help you stay healthy during flu season or other high-risk times.

Dr. Rupa Marya, a physician working on the front lines of this pandemic in San Francisco shares what she does to stay healthy. With a husband and two young sons at home, she doesn’t want to take any chances. Also included are tips from several other front line doctors. Some suggestions are based on medical evidence, some are holistic, some are just good common sense:

1. SOCIAL DISTANCING: Stay away from sick people. Avoid crowds and busy places. It’s much easier to catch ANY bug in an airport, amusement park, busy hospital or even putting makeup samples all over your hands and face at Sephora. If you’re high risk or it’s a bad flu season stay out of dense, heavily populated areas.

2. COVER UP: When going out to the store or crowded areas, wear a mask or bandana, gloves, eyeglasses, a cap or hat. If you have long hair, wear it in a bin or tuck it under a hat. Cover your body with long sleeves and pants. When you return home, take off your shoes and leave them at the door. Peel off all outer layers of clothes and place them in the laundry. Wash gloves, rinse glasses, spray hats with sanitizer and thoroughly shower and wash your hair.

3. WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN: 20 seconds with soap. Use wipes or sanitizer after touching any community surface, door handles, money, cell phones, and restaurant menus.

​4. Swap out contact lenses and wear glasses during this pandemic.

​5. DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE

6. No get-togethers with anyone outside your household.

​7. Get a MINIMUM of 8 hours of sleep each night. This is so important for your body to repair and fight illness. Consider taking 5mg of melatonin or CBD at bedtime. This can help you get a more restful night of sleep and also help fight inflammation.

​8. EXERCISE for 30 minutes everyday. Take a walk. Do a Zoom workout. Move your body. This will help you sleep better and improve your mood.

9. STAY HYDRATED: Drink 8 glasses or HALF your body weight in ounces of fresh clean water. Add some mint, lemon or an orange wedge if you want to dress it up.

10. Open a window and get some ventilation and fresh air in your home.

11. Spend 30+ minutes out in the sunshine. Getting sunshine ON YOUR SKIN is an ideal way to get the Vitamin D you’re body needs to fight illness.

​ NO BRAINERS:
• Don’t Smoke
• Eliminate Alcohol (Depresses the immune system)
• Eliminate Sugar, Gluten, Processed Foods (These wreck havoc on your body.)
• Eliminate stress with meditation, exercise and short breaks throughout the workday.

MIND-BODY CONNECTION:
​*Begin each day writing a few pages in a journal and express/vent your emotions.

*Close your eyes and meditate. Focus on all the things you’re grateful for. Do this for a few minutes several times during the day. Or take a walk and find one thing you’re grateful for with each letter of the alphabet.

*Call your loved ones and tell them you love them.

*Check-in on elders or those in need. Shop for them or give them a hand.

​*If you are challenged by the stress and isolation this pandemic is causing, call your support system. If you are in distress, reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s Disaster Distress Helpline: 1–800–985–5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. (TTY 1–800–846–8517).

*Dive into art, music, plant a garden, do a house project read a good book, work a puzzle. LAUGH and sing out loud! Or blow up 15 balloons! It expands lung capacity and can calm your body’s overdrive from stress.

*Hug your kids (even big ones) and loved ones.

*Walk your dog, pet your dog, play with your dog. If you don’t have a pet, foster or adopt one.

IF YOU START FEELING SICK:
* Let a fever run it’s course. It is your body fighting the infection. If you must bring it down, use Tylenol as opposed to Ibuprofen. Try and keep your body HOT! Sit in a sauna and sweat to help your body fight the infection.

*MEDIATE. Check out the free app Insight Timer and listen to uplifting HEALING meditations. Visualize your strong body healing and fighting viruses.

* Do A Breathing Treatment 3-4xs daily with a nebulizer and hydrogen Peroxide. Even 3% store strength has shown great results for killing viruses attaching the lungs. Or put it in a tea kettle and breathe the stream.

​*Up your Vitamin C and Zinc intake. Try eating or taking Vitamin C supplements every 4 hours. Good sources of zinc are almonds, cashews, chia seeds, chickpeas, lentils, and oatmeal.

​*Take Ashwaghanda (unless you’re pregnant or have thyroid issues.) This healthy herb is great for healing lung issues.

* Consider adding Elderberry Syrup which may shorten the duration of an illness.

* Eat immunity boosting foods such as garlic, turmeric, ginger, onions, leeks and bone broth.

​*Call your healthcare provider if you have difficulty breathing, blueish lips, chest pain or shortness of breath.

Practicing these tips will greatly reduce the odds of getting and staying sick. Your body is designed to fight illness and heal itself. By taking these actions, you can strengthen your immune system and protect yourself from the most serious viruses.