Comprehensive COVID-19 Crash Course

By now, you’ve all been painfully aware of the rapid changes we’re seeing as a nation regarding the coronavirus outbreak. I don’t need to reiterate the facts, the risks, the fears, or the confusion. You get plenty of that from your social media feeds.

What I can provide, though, is a comprehensive list of everything that can keep your body strong against this ominous threat. This list marries research with practicality and can help keep your immune system robust all year long, if practiced regularly.

Some Research Gleaning

1. Elderberry, while great for preventing regular influenza and other sicknesses, may not be a great line of defense for COVID-19.

The coronavirus’s main mechanism of action, from what we know so far, is major cytokine release (which is essentially a surging of immune cells) — which is part of its respiratory distress and destruction. This same cytokine release is something that could also be induced by consuming elderberry, oddly enough: for regular infections, elderberry helps strengthen immune cells by stimulating this process, but because this process is already in full force after the COVID-19 infection, elderberry could exacerbate it, therefore making respiratory symptoms worse. Save your elderberry for the common colds and flus, where it helps strengthen your immune system instead of overwhelming it.

2. NSAIDs are up for debate in terms of whether they make you more susceptible to the virus.

NSAIDs = non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin, Celebrex, Motrin, Advil, Aleve, etc. (Note: acetaminophen, or Tylenol, is NOT considered an NSAID).

Discouraging NSAID use is related to a whole host of things:

• These drugs are known to increase intestinal permeability and the risk of gastrointestinal ulcers, which leaves the body susceptible to autoimmunity as well as infection; the gut lining is a physical barrier to infection, so anything that weakens it, weakens your defenses. So if you possibly ingest the virus while the lining of your GI tract is inflamed, you may be more susceptible to it entering your bloodstream that way. (I am not a scientist nor am I a COVID-19 expert, but we can be exposed to other pathogens through this route, so I think that’s where this idea comes from.)

• NSAIDs also deplete the body of nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that can weaken our overall immunity. It’s widely known that these drugs can often cause nutrient deficiencies in the very same ones that we require to fight off infections.

• Additionally, there is growing concern about the fact both the virus and NSAIDs negatively affect kidney function, which impairs blood filtration and waste removal. This process is essential for life in general, so impairing it puts our bodies in a less optimal state overall.

Regarding the specific COVID-19 symptom of fever: Tylenol can lower temperatures and reduce the other symptoms of fever, as is widely known. However, as an FNTP who practices holistic health, I personally do not jump to these medications right away at the onset of a fever. Why? Because the fever is not the problem — the fever is the solution. The problem is the pathogen. The body’s solution to infection is to kill off pathogens by raising your internal temperature. There are, of course, situations in which you'll want to address the fever with NSAIDs, but you always have the option to give your body the chance to do its thing first — allowing your immune system to fight it off on its own keeps it strong. It’s like using any muscle — the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.

3. Excess vitamins A and D supplementation are questionable and possibly discouraged.

Notice I said excess.

Intake of foods that contain these vitamins in regular amounts is still necessary and essential for normal cell and hormone functioning. Supplementation is also warranted if you’ve been evaluated by a healthcare practitioner and instructed or prescribed to do so. Vitamin D, especially, does so much in the body — you really want to make sure your vitamin D status is adequate, especially living in northern areas (you can confirm this through bloodwork with your PCP).

Circling back around: these vitamins are fat soluble, though, so excess in general is not recommended, as toxicities can develop. However, the reason that extra supplementation of A and D are discouraged in reference to COVID-19 specifically is because they upregulate certain cell receptors called ACE-2 (angiotensin converting enzyme) in our tissues, including our lung tissue. The issue? These receptors seem to be the gateway for the coronavirus to enter our cells, so increasing the amount of these receptors may provide the virus more chances for infection.

Edit: There has now been much more research done on the protective factors against the virus, and optimal vitamin D status is one of them! I never encourage my clients or loved ones to supplement with vitamin D until they have their blood levels checked with their PCP — vitamin D is more than a nutrient, it’s basically a fat-soluble hormone and needs to be monitored by the proper medical professionals. But it’s definitely important, so go find out your levels and discuss proper diet and supplementation!

4. The flu shot does not contain viral strains that protect us from this current coronavirus outbreak.

And, realistically, if you didn’t get the flu shot for the 2019-2020 season yet, now may not be a good time to do so.

Vaccines in general are a stressor to the immune system, which is how they benefit you in normal situations. But right now, if the vaccine’s flu strains aren’t going to protect you from this virus, the flu shot may be just enough of a stressor to actually leave you temporarily more susceptible to this outbreak. Just like elderberry could weaken your immune system by adding to the overwhelm, this is kind of along the same lines.

Ultimately this is a good design, because it kicks your immune system into high gear to build antibodies to the virus now shown to you through the vaccination. (Like hormesis that I’m always talking about.) That’s why some people feel symptoms a day or two after the shot — it knocks you back a bit to build you up stronger in the end.

But right now just might not be the time to get knocked back a bit, even in the name of good health.

Instead, continuing to strengthen your defenses with whole foods and appropriate supplementation is going to be your best bet, as usual, along with the social distancing recommendations and routine hygienic practices.

5. Certain underlying conditions make someone more susceptible, besides being elderly.

These include cardiovascular disease (which seems to be the most important), cancer, diabetes, hypertension, etc.

The problem is, a large majority of our population suffers from one or more of these comorbidities because chronic disease runs rampant in this country. The fear of potentially overrunning our medical and hospital system with this virus is real, because frankly we’ve already been doing that for years with the way Western medicine treats symptoms instead of getting to the root cause of disease (like functional medicine does).

Our hospitals are full of patients suffering from these handfuls of chronic diseases, both during this health crisis and for decades past. If we address those diseases, ones like the current pandemic wouldn’t be as severe. A talk for another time.

6. From the suggestion of a friend and colleague — I will include vitamin C supplementation as something to pursue.

I didn’t originally include this in the first rendition of this post for a couple reasons.

1. I figured most people know by now that vitamin C is a great nutrient to supplement with for illness support and prevention. If you didn’t know, then now you know. ;)

2. There seems to be a case for high-dose IV vitamin C infusions as helpful to coronavirus recovery, however most of us don’t have access to something like this.

3. The evidence for this also isn’t 100% solid — there are clinical trials being run right now, in real time, to assess its efficacy. Stay tuned.

4. Additionally, vitamin C doesn’t work alone. There are other nutrients required for it to do its thing, like zinc, vitamin E, etc. All nutrients work in tandem with one another, which is why a nutritious and balanced diet is so key — it provides them all, together, in the right amounts.

5. Most people buy generic vitamin C supplements from local stores, and the kinds that are most beneficial in supporting coronavirus recovery might be different forms, chemically speaking. I didn’t want anyone to feel bad or afraid that the kind they bought was ineffective. Keep on keeping on! Vitamin C is supportive all year long, and is water-soluble, so you do not build up excess in your tissues or cause toxicity (within reason… obviously). You will notice, however, that if you don’t regularly take it, your “bowel tolerance” may be low — AKA if you take too much right away, you may be running to the bathroom. Start low and slow, and try to find liposomal/lipospheric forms for best absorption and bio-availability.

Overall, though, my colleague made a good point — it can’t hurt to suggest supplementing with vitamin C, and it might help calm some worries; stress is a big risk factor for vulnerability to sickness. So again — keep on keeping on!

Things You CAN Control

1. Avoid processed foods and excess sugars.

Am I a broken record yet? This is my mantra as your friendly neighborhood FNTP. If you need help deciphering what these terms mean, please reach out to me directly!

Edit: Also check out these posts I’ve put together after this was published.

2. Stay hydrated, and make sure you’re adding electrolytes to your water.

Our cells are better able to utilize the water we consume when in the presence of electrolytes such as sodium (yes, sodium is quite literally required for your body to function properly), potassium, and magnesium. You can add quality sea salt to a regular glass of water for this benefit. If you don’t like the taste, start with a pinch in eight ounces. Work your way up.

3. Get outside for some fresh air and movement.

Nothing soothes the weary soul and immune system like crispy fresh oxygen and sunshine.

Ideas:

• Take your dog for a walk, pop in a podcast or force your spouse to join you, or take those bikes down from the garage ceiling and go biking with the kids. (If you don’t have a spouse or kids or any other form of roommate, you have even less reasons to avoid the outdoors!)

• If your kids are little, push them in their stroller — because #extracredit for continually pushing something heavy while you walk!

• Shoot some hoops, play catch, or get out that corn hole set from last summer for some competitive action.

• Build a raised garden and plant some veggies, lay some new mulch, change your own oil in the driveway, get out some sidewalk chalk and leave positive messages on the pavement for your neighbors’ daily walks…

The list can go on and on. You can do this. Your body NEEDS this. Say hello to everyone you see. Remember there are other humans out there just as bored, worried, and antsy as you are.

4. Move your body indoors, too.

A lot of local and national gyms are offering online “group” classes to follow along with using different video/audio platforms, ranging anywhere from high intensity to slow flow yoga. (Other companies provide these services yearlong, so it’s always a great backup option when you can’t get to the gym later this season when they open back up.)

Don’t have a ton of equipment at home? For heavy weighted objects, you can use a gallon jug of water, a laundry detergent bottle, a watermelon or squash, or a bucket with water or other heavy objects inside. For band work, you can use towels. For a bar, you can use a broomstick or mop handle. Check out this page for some creative indoor movement ideas!

Challenge yourself, though. At some point. Sweat it out and get your heart rate up. This short-duration stressor will make your body work that much harder to regain balance, and this is GREAT for strengthening immunity.

5. Try a cold shower.

Which leads me to the same point! A cold shower shocks your body (yes, I realize this is initially undesirable) and forces your body to work harder at maintaining temperature and homeostasis. Over time, you’ll notice you get better at tolerating this cold water… this is your body getting stronger. We call this “hormesis.”

Start with your regular hot shower, but end with 30 seconds of mildly colder water. Let it hit all sides of your body. If you can amp it up, do so, and try to stay in for at least 20 seconds. Work your way up to two to three minutes and continue lowering the water temperature over time as well. The trick is to focus on deep, belly breaths and controlling your body’s response with your thoughts. What a killer way to make yourself unbreakable!

6. Supplement with a quality probiotic.

Probiotics provide your gut with the good bacteria it needs to keep your intestinal lining intact as well as support your immune system. A large majority (like 70-80%) of immune cells can be found in and around the gut, since there is so much mucosal lining there, and that’s the place where ingested pathogens will end up. These are some of my favorite brands. If you’re interested in the Biotics one specifcally, let me know personally via my contact page.

7. Avoid alcohol and over-caffeinating.

I realize this is the suckiest recommendation ever, but alcohol depresses your immune system and leaves your organs vulnerable to infection through estrogen dominance, intestinal permeability, and ulcers. Additionally, over-caffeinating (of which, I am guilty…) can amp up your body too much, potentially throwing off the appropriate stress response and hormone secretion, which can cause HPA-axis dysfunction and blood sugar dysregulation.

In regular speak? Your hormones can end up in overdrive, never allowing you to calm down, setting off a cascade of poor sleep, sugar cravings, blood sugar crashes, emotional imbalance, and much more. If you happen to be looking for some help in these areas, I am seeing clients virtually right now, and will do what I can to help you get these issues straightened out.

8. Make sure you’re getting enough protein and fat, and watch your carbohydrate intake.

Antibodies and other immune cells are, quite literally, proteins. Beyond the immune system, without proper protein intake, cell-to-cell communication gets impaired which is equally important — if not more so — when it comes to proper fat consumption. The majority of Americans undereat healthy fats, and overeat the terrible ones. Check out these two previous blog posts for more detail.

Essentially, this is what I hope for all of you: don’t stockpile toilet paper. Get you a good reserve of healthy oils instead! For plant oils, these include olive, coconut, avocado, sesame, and macadamia oils. For animal fats, these include beef tallow, pork lard, bacon grease (YASSSS, save that shit! Mason jars work great, kept in the fridge or on the counter), duck fat, and grass-fed butter and/or ghee. You can buy all of these items here.

I am not a demonizer of carbs. Don’t get me wrong. We’re having fruits and sweet potatoes and seasonal squashes in our household. Even some grain-free (yes, corn is a grain) chips with salsa and guacamole. But an overwhelming percentage of folks over-consume carbs, and not these good ones I just mentioned. I’m talking traditional flour and baked goods, crackers, cookies, pasta, etc. Try to steer clear of this stuff, or eat it sparingly. They’re big blood sugar spikers, wreaking havoc on your vitamin and mineral reserves, inflaming the intestinal lining, and disrupting your hormone balance. They really are not going to do you any favors.

9. Drink bone broth.

I’m not talking about the random 32-oz broths you can buy for 50 cents at the grocery store. Bone broth will be more expensive and in smaller sized containers, because it’s of a higher quality. There are tons of brands out there that can be ordered online or found at your local grocer — or you can make your own using leftover bones from your meals and/or bones picked up at a local butcher shop! If you don’t have enough bones for a crockpot-full, you can freeze them until you do.

Bone broth supplies other amino acids, like glycine, that are not highly present in regular muscle meat, which helps support immunity. Another great way to get these amino acids is by consuming collagen. There are so many great brands on the market. I use it daily in my coffee and smoothies.

10. Drink green and herbal teas, like licorice or dandelion.

These teas provide antioxidant and detoxification support to help your organs better prepare for battle and clear out the ick. They regularly help keep the various systems in your body running smoothly and cleanly by keeping your immunity up and detoxification pathways open. This means your liver will be better supported to carry out its two phases of toxin removal, and you’re better able to fully clear them from your body with regular bowel movements, urine, sweat, and exhalation.

Add a little freshly squeezed lemon and raw honey, maybe a pinch of ginger or turmeric, and you have a tonic that will support you in ALL the ways. Check out this brand and others at Thrive Market.

11. Wash your hands with regular soap instead of using hand sanitizer, if you have the option.

Hand sanitizers dry out your skin and repeated use can cause actual breakage, leaving your biggest barrier against pathogens open for infectious entry. Additionally, most of us don’t use sanitizer properly — you should be rubbing it all over your hands, in every crevice (even under those nails!), and allowing it to dry completely before moving on with your day and touching other things. Not to mention, if you sanitize and touch your dirty phone immediately afterward, you’ve defeated the point and dried out your skin for no reason. (More cause to disinfect your phones on a daily basis, too. In our house, we use this device.)

Another issue with sanitizer… it disrupts the natural flora meant to be on your skin.

Our bodies have microorganisms all. Over. Including our skin and hands.

We need these beneficial species to keep our barriers safe and our bodies functioning well, similar to the beneficial species found in your GI tract. Repeated sanitizer use (especially with unknown harsh chemicals) wipes out these good species along with the bad. And then of course, (cue Jeff Goldblum) life will find a way… if you continually expose harmful species to killing agents, they may just surprise you and find ways to survive.

Regular use of soap and the intentional act of handwashing physically stirs up pathogens on your skin and allows an outlet of disposal — the drain. Additionally, soap’s lipophilic properties are supposedly beneficial to latching onto the exterior viral coatings and removing them from your skin.

12. Try some adaptogen mushrooms.

Adaptogenic mushrooms are not your typical store-bought varieties that you fry up in a pan with breakfast.

Instead, they work specifically within the body to help support the endocrine system and your body’s response to stress and stress hormones.

There are dozens of brands out there now, since they are getting so popular, but this is my favorite brand.

Adaptogens, as you can infer from their name, help your body adapt to an ever-changing environment, including chronic stress as previously mentioned. Some of the research is indicating that cordyceps, specifically, is the mushroom to seek during this outbreak. Other great types are lion’s mane, reishi, and chaga.

I like to consume these, along with the collagen I mentioned above, with my coffee in the morning. It prevents the caffeine from making me jittery and anxious, and mitigates my body’s cortisol (the stress hormone). I have a long history of chronic stress and subsequent anxiety, and consuming adaptogens has allowed me to bring the oh-so-glorious cuppa joe back into my life. #blessed

13. Meditate. Seriously.

If you’ve never tried it, or been putting it off, or have tried and failed… now’s the time to try again.

First of all, you have little else to do — so why not?

Secondly, your mental health could use some support right now, even if you don’t actively realize it. There are some great guided videos on YouTube if you prefer an external source to guide you and keep your mind focused. There are apps for this too, like Insight Timer, Calm, and Headspace — some of which allow you to guide your own.

There’s a ton of research behind the powers of meditation on calming the sympathetic nervous system (the one that prepares you for fight or flight). Deep breaths and mental focus support the vagus nerve and cardiovascular function. Your thoughts can literally change your physiology. I urge you to begin incorporating this somehow.

14. Obviously… eat a whole-foods, nutrient-dense diet.

This should be something to live by at all times of the year, however it’s particularly important now. There’s plenty of debate about “what diet is best” for immune health — vegans say no meat, carnivores say no veggies. What to believe?

My answer is and always has been that you have to do what works best for you.

Some people absolutely cannot tolerate vegetables, experiencing autoimmune flare-ups and other undesirables, finally feeling free when they remove them.

Some people feel bogged down by meat, experiencing GI issues, and find the same freedom when going vegan.

You know how your body feels and what it’s like to truly be at your best, so incorporate all foods to your best judgment and ability.

What we can all agree on, though, is that Doritos and Clubhouse crackers are not going to make ANYONE healthier. Ditch the processed garbage and focus on whole foods.

What my husband and I are eating:

• Organic meat. We stock up on this regularly and freeze it, only taking out enough for dinner every day, (sometimes enough for leftovers) and make it all stretch as long as possible.

• Fresh produce, but not too much, to pair with the meats. What does “but not too much” mean? Don’t overbuy — you take away from others when you do, and it will likely spoil before you get the chance to eat it all.

• Eggs, both for breakfast and for baking. We’re trying to stick to organic and/or pasture-raised, but with stocks disappearing within minutes, we’re taking whatever we can find. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good during times like these.

• We are always stocked up on non-perishable snacks like organic jerky, a whole host of protein bars, organic nuts (no peanuts and no packaged nuts made with bad oils), dark chocolate, etc.

• Fresh fruit: organic berries, apples, oranges, and grapefruit.

• Garlic! This sounds crazy but I’ve been roasting whole cloves with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in the oven, and literally eating them by the handful as snacks. Garlic is super anti-microbial and so-so-so good for keeping your defenses up.

• Spices. On meats. On sauteed veggies. On everything. (This isn’t just oregano and rosemary… but also cinnamon in our coffee and on sweet potatoes, because it helps control the blood sugar spike when carbohydrates are consumed, cloves, ginger, etc.)

• Coffee… lots of coffee. Wait that’s not a food? (See #7 above and do as I say, not as I do.)

All jokes aside, be good to one another. Feel your feelings. Acknowledge your fear. Open up to your humanity. Then move on — don’t dwell on the unknown and let it overtake you. Buck up, help others, and lean on the laughter of (and support from) your community, six feet apart and through those screens we’ve demonized for the last ten years. We. Can. Do. This. One day at a time.

If you’ve ever been curious about supporting your body’s health with nutritional therapy, now is the time to do it. I’m not at all trying to take advantage of the current situation, but I will readily remind you that what I have to offer through Nutritional Foundations is exactly what the world needs right now — and what better time, than with all this TIME? I’ll do my best to accommodate you, meet you where you are (figuratively speaking, of course), and get you going on the right path. Let’s set up a call to see if I’m the right person to help.

Want to get in touch? Drop a comment, or an email, or reach out on any of my social media platforms:

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• Email: elisedoppel@gmail.com

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