Just a few months ago I was listening to a national radio station as they aired an “Ask the Doctor” segment. Here is my recollection of what I heard:
Listener: So if I get sick with COVID-19, but not sick enough to go to the hospital, is there anything I can do?
Doctor: Absolutely! Please wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and self-isolate.
And that was IT……
I was SOOOOO upset! What a waste of a perfect opportunity to let the nation know the simple, effective, and practical steps they could take in this situation to increase their chances of coming through this infection in good shape!
But you are in luck, because I’m going to share a few of those secrets with you here now. You see, this subject is personal with me because I lost my 86 year old Uncle Mike to COVID on April 14, 2020.
(If you would rather watch my video on the subject, you can do that here: VIDEO VERSION)
So, let’s dive into answering that listener’s question in a more complete way. Let’s start by understanding what the research is showing us in terms of the three phases of the COVID-19 infection.
Phase 1 – Time between exposure and actual infection.
This time period varies and be up to about 14 days.
Phase 2 – You feel sick.
It can take about 5 days after infection until the symptoms start to develop.Symptoms include loss of smell/taste, fever, cough, and so on. These symptoms tend to last about 7 days. At the end of those 7 days, either your body has overcome the infection and you are starting to get better, or you are getting sick enough to be admitted to the hospital.
Phase 3 – Hospital Stay
About 1 day after admission, shortness of breath worsens, after about another day you see the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and after another day you will probably be in the ICU, possibly on ventilator.
The Defense System You Can Optimize
So now, let’s take a look at the wonderful way our Creator has designed our bodies to fight disease. Our immune system is responsible for most of the infection fighting functions. There are two main parts – the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.
The innate system is your frontline “soldiers” that attack foreign microorganisms as soon as they come into your body. The adaptive part is created to fight specific viruses and bacteria and takes a bit longer to activate.
In a COVID infection, Phase 2 is when the innate system is doing the fighting. It is critical then, to do everything possible to strengthen the innate system before and during any infection. You want to do everything in your power to kick the infection in those first 7 days of symptoms. About 80% of people do recover in that week, you want to be sure you are in that 80%, not the 20% that end up in the hospital.
Now I’m going to share with you some secrets to boosting your innate immune system.
Secret #1 – Nutritional Support
Here’s a little quiz for you – How many servings of fruits and vegetables (total) have you eaten in the last 24 hours? 1 serving of fruit is a small apple or orange, a cup of chopped fruit, 1/4 cup of dried fruit (like raisins). 1 serving of vegetables is a cup if they are raw or 1/2 cup if cooked.
The average American doesn’t even come close to getting the recommended 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day. Optimal levels to really support your immune system would be more like 9 servings a day, with a few more servings of vegetables than fruit. And no, french fries and ketchup don’t really count! In fact, less than1 in 10 Americans even gets the minimum daily requirement in.
The first take-away – make sure you are eating your fruits and vegetables first in a meal and get those 7+ servings in – your body will thank you.
One of the biggest culprits in depressing the immune system function is eating refined sugars. An important part of your innate immune system is the white blood cell. These go around your body literally engulfing and destroying bacteria, viruses, and even tattoo ink! In a fasting state, these cells can engulf and destroy 14 bacteria per hour. After 25 tsp. of sugar, which is in an average banana split, It cannot even destroy one. The effect is directly dependent on the quantity of sugar. Half that amount, cuts down the white blood cells ability in about half. It can take 5 or more hours for this white blood cell to regain its efficiency, in many cases just getting knocked down by the next meal. Because bacteria and viruses ability to make us sick depends on their sheer quantity in our body, and the fact that they can replicate and multiply in minutes to hours, means that wiping our your white blood cells function can be the difference between getting sick, and winning the war with that bug.
The second take-away – Eliminate refined sugars completely if you even start to feel the least bit sickish, and keep them at a minimal level the rest of the time.
Secret #2 – The liberal use of water, inside and out
Staying hydrated is critical for good function of your immune system. At a minimum, take your body weight in pounds, divide that number in two, and that is the number of ounces you need to drink every day. Spread it out, as a person with healthy kidneys shouldn’t drink more a quart in an hour. Also avoid drinking less than 1/2 an hour before meals and for about 2 hours after a meal for the best digestion.
One of the most effective ways to rev up your immune system is using the contrast of hot and cold water on the outside of the body. Studies in Scandinavia show that the Finns have been experiencing about half the mortality rate from COVID-19 as the rest of Scandinavia. It’s quite possible that this is due to their religious use of the sauna, often 3-4 times a week. We know that this use of hydrothermal therapy is extremely effective for getting your immune system very active.
A very simple way to do this is with a hot and cold contrast shower.
How to do a Hot and Cold Contrast Shower
- In a draft-free room, run the shower as hot as you can take it for 1 minute – (count to 60).
2. Then run the cold water for about 10-15 seconds.
3. Repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 cycles, ending with the cold.
4. Rub your skin dry very vigorously with a rough towel, put socks on your feet and dress to cover your legs, arms, and chest well.
5. For the maximum effect, lie down and rest for 30 minutes after this treatment. It greatly increases the circulating white blood cells in your body, effectively increasing the number of active “soldier cells” defending you.
God’s wish for us to enjoy good health is clearly presented in 3 John 2:
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
For more information on how to use hydrothermal therapy and other free natural remedies to boost your immune system, CLICK HERE for the downloadable booklet, “Ten Free Things”.
