Surviving the Flu part 4 | BE YOUR BEST FRONTLINE | Focus on Phase Two
The other night I read a post on social media where a nurse was taking care of a firefighter with COVID-19. He had just been diagnosed and his symptoms were mild. But he was afraid and at the end of their interaction, he asked his nurse to promise him that he wasn’t going to die.
It seems that we humans can bravely fight all kinds of battles for others, but when it comes to the battle of our own immune systems, we feel so helpless that we leave our fate and destiny to others, or to the unknown. Let’s decide to do it differently this time! It may feel overwhelming but even during this time of crisis you can be PREPARED and ready to WiN!
To help prepare you for this, here is a little insight as to how your opponent—in this case the coronavirus—works. I hope it helps you to win if and when the virus affects you or your loved ones.
This article from Nature magazine describes the three phases of Coronavirus infection: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-020-0530-3
The FIRST Phase
The FIRST phase is a period of incubation where someone harbors the virus but HAS NO SYMPTOMS. The virus may or may not be detectable with testing during this phase. Phase 1 is the phase that our society and governments around the world have focused on. Social distancing, hand washing, wearing masks and gloves are all intended to decrease the number of virus particles that one might be exposed to, should an asymptomatic virus shedder be out and about in the community. The rationale is that by decreasing overall contact with one another and the virus, we will lessen the spread of the virus and limit the overall ability that the virus has to spread. One may continue to develop an infection or may not at this phase.
The SECOND Phase
The SECOND phase of infection is a period of mild, non severe symptoms. ”Mild” may be a relative term because this flu may cause more severe initial symptoms than other flu’s have in the past for any given individual. Those affected report that the initial symptoms were things such as headache, fever, GI distress, sore throat, cough and severe fatigue that caused them not to be able to do anything other than to lay in bed.
The THIRD Phase
The THIRD phase of infection is associated with massive viral reproduction in the body. In the case of pneumonia caused by the influenza virus, there may be a secondary bacterial infection that would respond to antibiotics. In the case of the corona virus, the respiratory distress is due to the mass replication of virus in the body that essentially destroys organs of the body such as the intestines, kidneys and lungs. This is the phase during which a patient may require intubation and mechanical ventilation to help them through this phase of infection. About 15% of those infected develop severe stage of infection and about 5% become critically ill with respiratory and other organ failure.
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200310/know-the-symptoms-of-covid19
Some people reach out to me to ask for advice about friends who are in the hospital and possibly needing oxygen support. While they might not be in phase 3, the problem about boosting the immune system or doing natural remedies like hydrotherapy when hospitalized is that patients are extremely weak and are dependent on others—either family or medical team—to make decisions about everything you do. From the medications they take to the food that you eat, patients have very few options. If you are interested in boosting the immune system to survive the flu, it is logistically more difficult in phase3.
I recommend that we focus on phase 2, the point at which you start developing the dreaded symptoms of the flu because this is a VITAL WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY for you. I believe that it is this time that can MAKE OR BREAK it for you and in the case of the coronavirus could mean the difference between stopping the virus in its tracks or progressing on to severe illness.
What many people tend to do when they start feeling ill is to take medications to lessen their symptoms. They might reach for Tylenol since there are recommendations to avoid ibuprofen or they will reach for a nasal decongestant. I would highly recommend that if you are one of those people that you read my prior posts. These medications may not only be unnecessary, they may be shortchanging the immune system of vital elements needed to fight off the flu.
While some people have strong enough immune systems to withstand the virus without much effort, for many of us, surviving the flu is going to take some doing. You will have to think about illness differently than in terms of symptoms and convenience and think about it in terms of survival.
In Surviving the Flu Part 2, I write about what I do when I first start developing symptoms. One of the things I recommend is to take a hot and cold shower. This is not an easy thing to do and may be downright miserable—especially if you have a fever and can hardly stand—but there are few things that can as quickly and dramatically boost the immune system as doing this!
Apart from the quick immune boosters that I have covered in prior blogs, here are 9 laws of health that you NEED to have in place. I’ve arranged them according to an acronym of WHOLENESS.
W ater —
1. Drinking water will help mucus membranes stay healthy. Hydrating well helps with the BARRIER mechanisms in the throat, gut, and LUNGS. It will also help flush the virus out of the throat and into the stomach, where the stomach acid can help eliminate it. Drink water all throughout the day. Do not get thirsty.
2. Gargle water with either salt, oregano oil, or silver to kill and help wash virus from the throat.
3. Hot and cold shower or hot foot baths or fomentations—greatly boost the immune system.
H abits —
1. Sleep early and well. This will greatly boost the immune system
2. Regular meal times
3. Pray for victory over addictions like caffeine,sugar, and alcohol. These substances will decrease your immunity and destroy the mindset you need to get better.
O xygen —
1. Get fresh air. “Forest bathing” improves natural killer cell activity for weeks!!
2. Sleep apnea—Sleep apnea puts you into sympathetic mode which is a killer for the immune system. If mild, it may be improved with simple habits such as not eating before bedtime and losing weight (much easier on a plant based diet!).
3. Have good posture when standing and sitting. Breathe deeply and fill the lungs.
L ove —
If you don’t know where you came from, you won’t have a healthy sense of self identity or a WHY. Why should you keep on going when you are struggling to live? What is your purpose here?
Know that you are a beloved and cherished child of God and that His eyes light up when He looks at you. No matter your past and especially NOW, He is the source of unconditional love. This is the love that allows you to love and forgive others—friends, family, and enemies alike and to live without being stuck in fear.
Love is how we THRIVE even when we are in survival mode.
E nvironment —
It is vital for us to live in safe, mold and toxin-free environments and to avoid chemicals/toxins in food, soaps and things like lotions and cleaning supplies.
N utrition —
1. If there is one easy thing you can do to boost your immunity it would be AVOID SUGAR. Eating just one sugary food greatly impacts the ability of white blood cells to work. Your immune cells show up every days to work for YOU! Eating sugar is like paying a bunch of employees to sit around and do nothing. It’s not smart!!
2. Eat healing foods. Look at part 3 on surviving the flu.
3. Eating plant-based and unprocessed will give you a headstart in decreasing inflammation. Who knows if it may help you avoid even the dreaded cytokine storm (the massive inflammatory reaction that those in the severe stages of infection can develop)—it certainly can’t hurt. If you have any questions about it, we have a whole cookbook on the subject called the Autoimmune Plant Based Cookbook.
E xercise —
Get outside if you can. Something as simple as a brisk walk will boost immunity as well as your mood! And the effects last long after the walk is done!
S leep—
When you are sick, sleeping is YOUR JOB. Don’t watch TV, don’t look at your phone (talking to myself here), go to sleep. Losing one night of sleep greatly impacts immunity and not all of your immune functions return right away.
Go to bed early, sleep in a dark room, avoid tranquilizers, get exercise to tire yourself out, and trust in God to take care of you so that you can turn your mind off.
S unlight —
If you have sunshine, get outside! Even if it is cold—sit outside with layers on and expose more as you can tolerate. Sunlight and warmth can kill the virus, improve blood flow to your organs, and improve immune function through vitamin D and other mechanisms. So necessary and helpful for the flu too!!
As much as we appreciate the doctors and nurses in the hospitals, you have to understand that in terms of your health and wellness, YOU are your most important front line worker. Don’t feel up to it? God can give you what you need to prepare for the job!
Philippians 4:13–I can do ALL things through Christ, which strengthens me.
Remember the story of the firefighter? Don’t give in to the fear; get up to FIGHT. This is the MINDSET that is NECESSARY to do the WORK that it takes to GET BETTER! What lengths would you push yourself to if your survival depended on it? If your family’s survival depended on it? This is the mindset you need to survive a pandemic.
Here are some verses to encourage you:
John 10:10 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
3 John 1:2. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
In upcoming blogs, I will write about other principles of WHOLENESS that you need to stay well.
Remember that this is health education and not medical advice. Follow the advice given by health organizations for hygiene, avoiding unnecessary gatherings/travel, do all you can to build up your immune system, and most importantly, keep the faith.
Interested in learning more information on how you can build up your immune system? Contact me and we will let you know when our online course on building the immune system is ready to go.
God bless you and God bless us all as we go through this difficult time.
