We are living through an unprecedented time and if you’re like most of us, it’s likely that you are feeling anxious, fearful, and overwhelmed in varying degrees at different times or maybe even all at the same time.
This is a perfectly natural response when our lives have been turned inside out and we have 24-7 coverage and often media-led hysteria of the “deadly-virus-that-has-no-cure”. Of course the fear alarm is clanging loudly in our ears and causing our hearts to race with anxiety or panic.
How could it not be? We are hardwired for survival and this threat to our safety and security is pushing all of our buttons.
But wait a minute. Is the concept of needing a “cure” for Covid-19 (or any other virus for that matter) absolutely essential for most people? Particularly, is a pharmaceutical cure, a vaccine, the only or even the best solution to the dilemma? In the stampeding face of fear and terror, does it not follow that the next logical step would be to insist upon, to require mandatory vaccination of the entire national population? Is this really a direction a free people wish to be herded?
I think not. I would contend that our drug-based disease management system is largely replaceable by open-source, biocompatible (made of the same natural compounds as your body), freely extracted botanical medicine as well as dietary and lifestyle intervention.
In other words, our bodies have been wonderfully and fearfully designed to regenerate and heal itself. Our immune system, the organs and body processes that provide resistance to infections and toxicity, is our defense mechanism against viral, bacterial, and fungal infections.
The truth of the matter is that your body was created naturally to be an extremely effective virus fighter when your body is functioning optimally (ie. when given the proper fuel, care, and environment that allows it to be healthy). No pharmaceutical intervention will ever come close to the self-healing abilities of the the stem cells contained within every tissue of your body.
When a foreign substance (antigens) enters the body, your white blood cells intercept it with an antibody response. Some white blood cells fight bacteria and others keep a record of the invaders, leaving behind a type of protein that then remains in the body to identify the offending pathogen, thus increasing your resilience to future pathogens of that kind.
My (informal) research has led me to the conclusion that at least one of the reasons Covid-19 is wreaking so much havoc on the global community is because it hasn’t been around before (unlike other strains of the flu) for our immune systems to have built up defense protection against that particular strain of virus.
But my point is this. Instead of embracing the concept of fighting a virus from the outside in with a pharmaceutical “cure”, perhaps a better strategy for most people would be to support your body’s innate intelligent design and trust it to work for you.
If the secret to either preventing or recovering quickly from a virus is immune strength, how can we keep our immune system healthy and robust naturally?
HAND TO FACE AWARENESS
We all know this by now but it’s difficult to do. Since your eyes, nose, and mouth are the most significant gateways into your body, keeping your hands away from your face is crucial to blocking bacterial and viral pathogens out of your system.
We also all know about the 20-second warm water and soap hand washing ritual. It’s best to avoid antibacterial soaps because they kill both the good and the bad bacteria on the skin. Since your skin microbiome also provides a line of defense against infection, it is important not to disturb it.
QUALITY SLEEP
Hands down, quality sleep is hands down a key component to a healthy immune system because it provides your body the opportunity to rest and digest. Poor sleep triggers poor lifestyle choices (like too much sugar and caffeine or poor food choices), which can also lower immunity.
Quality sleep starts in the morning with exposure to the morning light. This helps to set your circadian rhythm for a day of hormonal health. Other aspects of cultivating quality sleep include:
- Avoiding artificial blue light after sundown
- Avoiding caffeine after midday
- Having a regular sleep/wake routine
- Turning off wi-fi and electronics at night
- Avoiding alcohol before bed
- Avoiding big meals 3 h0urs before bed
- Avoiding exercise 3 hours before bed
SUNSHINE/VITAMIN D
The sun’s UV rays are nature’s antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal healers. Exposure to daylight has benefits that include setting your circadian rhythm (which is key to a good night’s sleep). It boosts mood, it regulates hormones, and provides for fat-soluble vitamin D.
Getting enough daily sun can be difficult, especially during the virus-prone seasons like winter. Although you should still try to expose your face to the sun even during the weaker UV months, supplementing a high-quality vitamin D can be a great way to bridge the gap between fall and spring.
COLLOIDAL SILVER
Colloidal silver is one of the most well scientifically natural antiviral, antibacterial, an antifungal agents with immune-boosting properties. Research suggests that it attaches to proteins on the cell walls of bacteria, damaging their cell membranes. Pathogens are water-soluble, but a fat-soluble layer surrounds healthy cells and good bacteria. Colloidal silver, therefore, selectively targets pathogens since it cannot penetrate the fat-soluble layer of your healthy cells and microbes.
Colloidal silver is making waves in the world of natural healing, for its ability to target even the most drug-resistant superbugs. I discovered its potency last year when my son contracted a serious infection called MRSA.
Colloidal silver can be used both internally and externally. When used internally, colloidal silver is a great preventative solution to illness during high-viral seasons, or while traveling. Used topically it can be put in a spray bottle and used as a disinfectant spray for hands and surfaces.
DON’T LIVE IN FEAR/MANAGE STRESS
Living with even low levels of underlying chronic fear and stress, in general, will drastically lower your immune system capabilities. Mental stress and anxiety are both concepts that reside in the mind; they are a projection into the future about what may or may not happen. This fear served a purpose for our ancestors who needed a finely tuned fear meter, to be aware of predators in the wild for survival’s sake. For them, these bouts of stress were relatively isolated – if something worth fearing reared its head, they would be pumped with stress hormones, deal with the situation, and then return to baseline.
Today, we live lives that are incredibly safe and comfortable in comparison, but we have cultivated underlying low levels of chronic stress. By telling ourselves stories about the future, many people end up living in constant fight-or-flight mode. The body cannot distinguish between real or perceived threat, and it reacts by releasing stress hormones like cortisol to keep you alert and ready to run. The problem is that these stress hormones also suppress your immune system’s ability to rest and regenerate.
If you want to boost your resilience for times of higher risk when it comes to contracting a virus, it is imperative that you not be operating on ‘alert mode’ 24/7. This resilience requires the cultivation of daily relaxation habits, like having a mindfulness practice, meditation, gentle yoga, walking in nature, and breath work.
Living in fear takes what might be, and makes it very real for your body. Being aware that life can be a dangerous place, that viruses do exist, and so do accidents, and so does an eventual death for everyone, but also having a fundamental knowing that your body is incredibly resilient, capable, and durable, especially when you support it with healthy habits and mindful living encourages one to take responsibility for their own health.
My hope is that the silver lining to come in the aftermath of this pandemic is that people will regain confidence in their bodies’ self-healing abilities and underscore that when it comes to the majority of complaints, all the medicine you need has resided within you all along.