2022 Immune Resilience Update
As we enter into our 3rd winter with COVID (!), optimizing immune resilience is once again on everyone’s mind. After holiday gatherings, and amidst the very contagious (and - thankfully - more mild) Omicron variant, NOW is the perfect time to reassess your winter wellness protocol with a focus on antiviral protection and stress management (because yes, stress directly affects immunity!). While masks and vaccines* are still our best protection against severe disease, herbal medicine and nutritional supplements**, along with dietary and lifestyle choices, help build a foundation of health that makes us more likely to stay well, and recover faster if we do get sick. After all, the best way to STAY healthy this winter is to START healthy.
DIET – Eat a whole foods anti-inflammatory diet full of vitamins and minerals (leading to less need for supplements!). Choose a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, including fermented veggies that support the gut (the seat of the immune system). Daily protein and lots of good quality fat – fish, olives, avocado, coconut (and their oils), nuts and seeds, full fat dairy if you tolerate it. Antiinflammatory spices like garlic, ginger, turmeric, and rosemary perk up your meals while supporting health. Other nutritional superstars include antioxidants from berries and beans, and sulfurophanes from cruciferous veggies.
EXERCISE – Regular moderate exercise supports a healthy inflammatory response while being a great stress reliever & mood booster. Do not overtrain, as it will actually dampen your immune response. Getting into the forest or out in nature has its own unique benefits as well.
I am still doing yoga and strength training online, but I have been dancing indoors with masks for almost a year and a half; that (and the women I dance with) just may have saved my life!! Let me know if you’re looking for recommendations for online exercise and/or best masks for athletic training.
SLEEP – ‘Do I have to sleep in?’ Said no one ever (except my 13 year old, but that’s another story). If you can, sleep in a bit. You deserve it! Restful recuperative sleep is crucial for a healthy stress response and for an immune system that’s ready to flex. If your sleep is not good, practice sleep hygiene - which does not involve being clean before bed! It DOES include making creating rituals around bedtime, optimizing your sleep space, and more.
STRESS MANAGEMENT – I don’t have to tell you that this is HUGE. All of the above helps, but it is imperative that we make time for specific activities that quiet and soothe us – meditation, music, mindfulness classes, prayer, watching a funny movie, making love – or hugging!!! Connect. Be social. Reach out to those who are on their own. Even for the most vulnerable among us, outdoor visits, good masking, and virtual hellos can all be done safely. Its good for you AND them!
Many supplements and herbs can support a healthy stress response, including full spectrum hemp oil with CBD. It can help us manage our stress, decrease our anxiety, and improve sleep quality – all of which are vital to maintain peak immunity. I am a big fan of www.pluscbdoil.com. A softgel or two (10-30mg) at night can help sleep, and 1-2 in the morning can help with anxiety. Reach out if you want to talk more about CBD product selection and dosing, as it can be challenging to find your sweet spot.
Goodness knows its been a rough few years. I loved this article about cultivating self-compassion, and how crucial that skill is, not only for mental health health and productivity, but as a way to directly impact your stress response and decrease inflammation in the body!
SUPPLEMENTS TO REDUCE FREQUENCY/DURATION OF COLDS & FLUS
The Fantastic Four should be in your toolkit at all times as they support virtually every aspect of health. They have also been shown to enhance resistance during cold and flu season.
Fish oil - 2000mg of EPA and DHA combined daily.
Probiotics - In addition to supporting digestion, probiotics are essential for immune system function. Your gut is your first line of immune response. Approximately 70-80 percent of immune system cells reside in the digestive tract, and probiotics support those immune cells. But not all probiotics are created equal!
I am a fan of spore-form probiotics like ‘Megaspore’ that promote diversity of the microbiome. I also recommend ‘Dr. Ohira’s Probiotics’ which are grown on a PREbiotic medium of fermented veggies and mushrooms that nourish the good bacteria and also include POSTbiotics, or the beneficial ‘waste products’ of the fermentation process that fuel digestion and immunity.
Both of these do not require refrigeration and can be taken with food, making them easy convenient choices.
Multivitamin - Better to take a one/day than one of a six/day. Be honest about how much you’ll take, and then choose a product accordingly.
Vitamin D - Is especially crucial now for its known anti-viral actions. Since it’s winter, most of us can do with extra D, so 5000IU of D3 is a reasonable dose. Keep in mind that this is NOT a maintenance dose for most people, and after 2-3 months, you will want to test your levels or reduce to 2000IU.
SUPPLEMENTS TO AVOID DEFICIENCIES THAT COULD MAKE YOU MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO VIRAL ILLNESS AND RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
Vitamin C - 500mg at a time, 1000-3000mg daily. Foods high in C include red pepper, citrus, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.
Zinc - 30-60mg. Foods high in zinc include grass-fed meats, oysters, pumpkin seeds, and chicken.
Vitamin A - 10,000-25,000IU retinyl palmitate, not beta-carotene. Foods high in Vitamin A are cod liver oil, eggs, orange and yellow fruits and veggies, and dark green leafy vegetables.
Selenium - 200mcg. Eat your brazil nuts!
Glutathione - or one of its precursors, NAC. Glutathione is the master antioxidant in our body, and being able to manage oxidative damage is a crucial part of immune resilience. If using glutathione, stick to forms that have been shown to be bioavailable. Setria is the only brand whose oral products have been shown to increase glutathione in the bloodstream. Sublingual and liposomal are also available. NAC is easy to find. 600-900mg 2x/day will support glutathione levels and also help thin any mucus production.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SUPERSTARS
Keeping inflammation at bay is key to preventing severe disease later. Never was there a better time to get your ‘underlying inflammatory issues’ in check, friends. Pre-diabetes, borderline elevated blood pressure, extra weight around the middle. If you have been grappling with any of these, maybe for a long time, please reach out to your favorite health care provider and take action. Now is the time.
You can also consider some of these anti-inflammatory superstar supplements that have shown early antiviral action against COVID-19. That doesn’t mean these are cures. It does mean they may support your body’s ability to fight off and recover from the illness:
Curcumin 500-1000mg 2x/day.
Quercetin 1000mg 2x/day.
Melatonin 5-20mg at bedtime; also great for sleep, of course.
Green tea (EGCG) 4 cups daily, caffeine-free is ok.
Resveratrol 100-150mg 2x/day (red grape skins count).
HERBAL MEDICINE
Elderberry, Echinacea, Astragalus, Andrographis, Goldenseal
Garlic, Oregano
Herbal Combinations - I am a big fan of Biocidin and Olivirex by Bio-Botanical Research and EHB by Integrative Therapeutics. Biocidin also comes as a throat spray, as do similar products from Wise Woman Herbals, Gaia Herbs, and Herb Pharm. I carry these with me when I’m out and use them for additional protection.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER - At Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine, we have put these together in the following supplements to make it more convenient:
‘Viracon’ 2 caps 3 times a day (elderberry, Vit. A, Zinc, Vit. C, along with other terrific herbal anti-virals)
‘Polyresveratrol’ 2 caps daily (green tea, curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol)
NAC 600 mg twice daily
Additional comsiderations: fish oil (my pick is ‘Pro Omega 2000’, 1-2 caps daily) and/or curcumin (‘Theracumin’ 1 cap or ‘Curapro’ 1 cap) are additive here for reducing inflammation, as is melatonin 3-20 mg before bed, which also helps with sleep and has been shown to have important antiviral effects.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…BARRIER SUPPORT – Our skin and mucus membranes are key barriers to pathogens. Keep hands moisturized with all that washing, stay hydrated with water, herbal tea, and bone broth - and consider using electrolyte packets. Zinc lozenges, herbal throat sprays (see above) and manuka honey are excellent for throat health.
I am also a big fan of nasal lavage, and since COVID gets in through the nose, it makes sense to rally the troops :
While not conclusive, there is strong rationale for the use of betadine solution. Combine 1/2 teaspoon of the 10% Povidone Iodine solution with a 44-mL (1.4 oz.) bottle of saline nasal wash and shake it up. Just squirt a little in each nostril up to 3 times a day when outside of your home and dealing with the public (planes, trains, buses, hospitals, schools, family gatherings, parties, etc.). 10% Providone iodine and saline nasal wash are available over the counter, at your local pharmacy.
***PRECAUTIONS: Use this recipe exactly as noted. Do not use it if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have hyperthyroidism, are being treated for thyroid cancer with irradiated iodine, or are hypersensitive to iodine. It should not be administered to children.
Case Studies and in vitro studies have also shown that xylitol and grapefruit seed extract (XClear nasal spray) is a safe and potentially supportive adjunctive treatment for COVID.
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+MASKS, VACCINES, AND BOOSTERS
The original version of this blog was written in the Spring of 2020, before vaccines were available. Now that they are, I would highly recommend the mRNA vaccine series as they have been shown to protect very well so far against severe disease, hospitalization, and death. I would also recommend boosters when eligible for adults over 65 and anyone at high risk. Even if you’re not worried about severe COVID for yourself, once infected you could get long COVID (30-40% chance depending where you read) and of course, spread the virus in your community. Yes, the decision to vaccinate is personal and there are situations where its not medically appropriate, or where the schedule should be altered. There are also some risks to (all) vaccines that should be considered - and things you can do to reduce that likelihood! All of your Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine providers are available to discuss any and all of your questions and concerns.
And masks when indoors (yes please!!)…cloth is better than nothing, but data points to surgical masks being siginificantly better, and n95s and kn94s are superior. Oh..and they have to go over your nose (smh).
**A NOTE ON SUPPLEMENTS
Not all dietary supplements are created equal. Let me know if you would like specific brand recommendations, or you can always feel confident choosing products sold here.
Also, please don't feel like this blog is asking you to buy every supplement discussed in it. Check what's already in your multi and in your cabinets before purchasing. These suggestions are simply meant to help you feel more proactive in optimizing your wellness.
For your convenience, I did include some combo products that we have put together at the office above under ‘Putting it all together’.
And keep in mind - the dietary and lifestyle suggestions are just as important (if not moreso) than the supplements! So you can always start with those.
TELEHEALTH STILL AVAILABLE
For those of you not quite ready to return to the office, I am available for secure video telehealth consultations. Telehealth is awesome! I can drop-ship lab kits to you, treatment plans can be sent electronically, and supplements are a few clicks away. There is no need to wait to address your health concerns.
And when you’re ready - I am also seeing patients in the office - with my n95, of course!
You can schedule your appointment here.
