We are all facing countless challenges as we navigate these choppy waters with the Coronavirus pandemic. Many of us are now “hunkered down" at home for an unknown amount of time. So how do we all navigate this period with as much grace as possible, while staying healthy and sane?
I wanted to share a list of some of the very practical tips and resources that our family is using to stay happy and healthy at this tender time.
This particular article focuses on food and supplements that may be of benefit to you. Future articles will include activities for kids and MORE!
- Instead of going to the grocery store, consider a grocery delivery service to your home. Instacart, Shipt and Good Eggs are a few good services, but you can also input “grocery delivery near me" into your web browser.
- Get fresh seasonal produce delivered to your door -AND- support local farmers with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Sign up with a local CSA provider for weekly delivery (Input “CSA Near Me" into your web browser to find a few local options).
- Make yourself a superfood smoothie every day to boost your health and immune system. The Healthy Immunity Smoothie by Dr Gabrielle Francis is a great place to start if you don’t already have your own favorite blend (BTW, Gabrielle is quite a holistic “rock star" who now practices in NYC. I used to work with her when she practiced in my local area). And while the ingredients in Dr. Francis’ “bundle" are very high quality, the price is also very high. So if buying her bundle feels beyond your budget, you can just take the general recipe and use brands that you prefer or that may be more affordable.
- For example, I love using powdered Vitamineral Greens, recommended by my ayurvedic doctor. I also use a variety of different probiotics that are available from my local health-food store. In addition also like adding these to my smoothie: chia seeds for fiber; flax meal for protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids; goji berries for antioxidants; plus coconut oil and/or fresh avocado – which are both super-healthy fats.
- Boost your immune system with adaptogenic blends as a coffee alternative. I personally love the RASA products as well as Bright Earth’s Rainbow Superfood Smoothie for a healthy afternoon cocoa drink.
- Sprout beans and seeds like mung and alfalfa and add them to salads or as garnishes for improved health. It’s fun and very simple to do on your kitchen countertop as it doesn’t require any soil – just add water 2x per day!
- Sprouts can help improve digestion, boost metabolism, support immune system, and much more. Here’s one article by John Staughton (BASc, BFA) with more info about the health benefits. And here’s a simple video on “How To Easily Sprout Beans and Seeds" by Samantha Teng.
- Use vitamins to keep your system healthy and strong. Our doctors at Pediatric Alternatives recommend this blend to stay healthy at this time:
-
-
- Vit C 500 2 times / day for children and 2000 mg 2 times/ day for adults. Increase to 3x/day if starting to get cold/cough symptoms.
- Vit D 1000 – 5000 iu / day depending on age. 1000 iu for 1-7 years, 2000 iu 7 -12 years, teens and adults can take 5000 iu/day. Stop over the summer.
- Zinc lozenges 1 daily for kids, 30mg capsule daily for adults.
-
- Start planting your Spring/Fall garden (depending where you live), including key edible crops and some of the herbs you may want to use to boost health. If you have a very small space or live in an apartment, don’t fret. Here’s a video series from Self Sufficient Me that can help you learn to plant food right on your balcony!
- Practice saving seeds to plant future crops, so you don’t have to buy seeds again (and not worry about whether the supply chain might break down!). If this is new for you, check out this video from Roots and Refuge Farm.
IMPORTANT: If you have any signs of coronavirus, please do NOT take ibuprofen or Advil until more research has been done. It seems Tylenol is preferred. See this article from the BBC for more information: https://www.bbc.com/news/
ALSO: Please DO support local businesses right now! During this time of economic hardship, it’s especially important to support your local businesses! Many stores and restaurants are now offering a curbside pickup service where you can place orders online or over the phone and then come pick-up your order curbside. Call your favorite places and see if this option is available.
Here are other food-based ways to boost your immune system from
Sally Fallon Morell of ‘Nourishing Traditions’ with some modifications by Dr. Jacqueline Chan of Marin Natural Medicine Center in California.
Vitamin A-rich foods: Vitamin A is our number one protection against viruses. So take your cod liver oil, one that contains natural vitamin A and eat liver about once a week.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D works with vitamin A to give us a strong immune system. Best sources are cod liver oil, egg yolks from pastured hens, butter from grass-fed cows, fish eggs and lard from pigs raised outdoors.
Coconut Oil: The coronavirus is a lipid-coated virus that pegs out in the presence of medium-chain triglycerides–and coconut oil is our best source of these healthy fats.
Gelatin-rich bone broth: Supports the immune system and helps us detoxify.
Vitamin C: Dr. Chan suggests “megadoses" of Vitamin C – about 4000mg/day for someone 100-140 lbs and 6000-8000 mg /day for someone closer to 200 lbs. But please consult your own health care provider for more specific dosage information.
Saturated Fats: Coronavirus has an affinity for the lungs, and the lungs can’t work without saturated fats, so eat plenty of butter and avoid all industrial fats and oils.
I hope these practical tips are helpful to you as we together navigate these challenging times. Stay tuned for more practical tips about how to navigate this epidemic with as much grace and ease as possible… and please let me know what topics would be most helpful.
