Taking Control & Improving Your Health – Things that help keep your immune system in top shape

  • Spend time in nature, work in the garden, study the plants. There is healing in sun, earth, and air.  
  • Experience the sun. Get regular controlled sun exposure – mid-day, exposing as much skin as possible. Even in winter, it is important to go out and experience the sun and fresh air (bundled up, of course). 
  • No sunscreen, if possible. – When you have had enough sun (skin starts to get pink), seek shade or  other shelter. When you can’t get out of the sun, use only natural-organic-mineral formulas – no  toxic chemicals, nanoparticles, or artificial fragrances. (And, don’t use soap on arms & legs when  you shower unless needed because it also washes off the Vit D we make in the sun and store on our  skin for about 48 hours). 
  • Remember your uprightness! Sit (stand/walk) straight and tall, and “feel” the sun rise under your feet. (You do not have to lean towards the camera or microphone to be seen and heard on ZOOM.) 
  • Remember that laughter is the best medicine, share things that are truly enriching, greet others with a smile, bring a smile to someone’s face as often as possible, and remember that smiles (and  positive energy) are contagious. Start a different kind of epidemic (see Addenda). 
  • Appreciate the helpers, voice your gratitude, find something to thank someone for with every contact. 
  • Be the helper. Make sure to do at least one unsolicited act of kindness for someone else every day, and go to sleep thinking about what you can do for others the following day. 
  • Minimize & detox EMF exposure, especially at night and when sleeping to reduce the immune and  mitochondrial suppressive radiation we are all exposed to with our: 
    • Cell phones, smartwatches, Fitbits, cordless phones, routers, computers, wireless mice and keyboards, ‘smart’ meters and thermostats, baby monitors, the microwave in the kitchen, all wireless devices and all appliances (including laundry), and Bluetooth anything…. Turn it off, swap it out (for a hardwired or old-fashioned alternative), or at least get it away from the bedroom and as far away from you as possible.  
      Keep the laptop on the table, not on your lap.  
      Keep it (cell phone) contained in a safe (Faraday) bag, not in your pocket – when possible.  Choose safe earbuds (preferably not ones that pipe the EMF’s right into your head). Look at each source individually, to reduce and minimize exposures. 
      Make sure you are getting plenty of extra Magnesium (see below), it also helps to detox EMFs.
  • Practice “Earthing” or Grounding to let the earth (dirt, sand, even unpainted concrete sidewalk) detox your EMFs for at least 30 min/day. Contact earth by either walking barefoot in sand or  with shoes that allow contact (simple moccasins with plain leather soles, no plastic, no rubber).  You can even sit and read a book as long as your bare feet are in contact with the ground. Or,  you can get an “earthing” mat and plug it into a grounded outlet to put your feet on as you sit. 
  • Stop! every 5-10 min. when working in front of a screen – to take a deep breath, blow it out as far as  you can, and then fill your lungs completely, close your eyes and relax your muscles (from the  top of your head to the tip of your toes) for 5-10 seconds. Also, remember to look around you  and into the distance frequently to give your eyes a chance to relax. 
  • Get plenty of good sleep & rest. We all need 8 hrs. of sleep to stay healthy, manage stress levels (and  weight), and keep our immune systems (and minds) strong – no exceptions. More specifically:  most adults need 7-9 hrs. sleep/night, 14-17 y/o teenagers need 8-10 hours, 6-13 y/o children need 9-11 hrs. of sleep. However, they don’t have to be consecutive hours. Naps count too (and  resting/relaxing in bed counts too, even when you can’t sleep – at least for half of it). 
  • Avoid bright light in the evening or at night, put a red filter on your computer screen, and keep the bedroom as dark as possible at night (to promote optimal melatonin production). 
  • Counter the excessive destructive electrical “light” by generating more inner light.  
  • Remember that you are never alone in this world. Remember to pray, to connect yourself with those  beings who want to help, who carry the will to heal. Whatever you chose to call them, spiritual beings have an easier time helping and connecting with us when we take the time to turn to them consciously, selflessly, and in gratitude. Open the door, and ask.  
  • Stay warm/do not get chilled, make sure your feet and hands are warm… always. 
  • Engage in regular relaxation and meditation practices. Relaxation includes: 
    • meditation (and 20 min meditation can equal 1.5 hours. of sleep); 
    • prayer, reading uplifting books, doing a crossword puzzle, painting, drawing; 
    • progressive muscle relaxation exercises, breath focus (belly breathing); 
    • having a warm drink (without alcohol or caffeine) such as a cup of herbal tea or warm milk; -listening to music, singing, yoga, tai chi, qigong, therapeutic eurythmy; 
    • taking a walk outside, gardening, talking to friends, engaging in an absorbing hobby; -anything that engages you fully and takes you out of your head for a while. 
  •  Diet:
    • balanced regular meals with lots of organic/biodynamic fruits & veggies. Eat certified organic  foods whenever possible. Glyphosate, a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop  desiccant (that is present in most non-organic and also often in organic foods in this  country), impairs your immune cells so they cannot function properly and prevents proper  nutrient absorption and utilization. It also damages the mitochondria, which generate the  energy (ATP) that helps cells to do their work to clear the virus (and do whatever they are  supposed to). Dr Mercola has pointed out that the cascading damage that happens in severe  cases of COVID-19 (cytokine storm) seems to be the body’s response to trying to salvage  or repair those poorly functioning immune cells.
    • only organic, soy free, grass-fed/pastured meats, eggs and animal products. Soy feed (even  organic soy) has damaging effects on the fatty acid profile of animal products that  damages our mitochondria impacting melatonin production and all cellular functions.  
    • avoid dairy (except organic grass-fed butter)- completely if you are sick, and otherwise, have  only organic milk products (ideally raw from a trustworthy source). Substitute with  unsweetened coconut, almond, oat or hemp milk made without carrageenan (a “natural”  thickener and preservative made from red seaweed that triggers inflammation and stomach ulcers, damages digestive  systems and promotes glucose intolerance, allergies, colon cancer). 
    • no processed sugar or other processed foods, no refined grains, no GMOs, no “junk food” (Sugar causes a 50% reduction in the ability of white blood cells to kill germs within 30 min of eating it.) -no ultrapasturized anything! 
    • limit (have little) soy and other beans (and eliminate if they are not organic and non-GM0) no alcohol, at least nothing more than a small glass of wine (a day), no hard liquor at all -avoid peanuts (“groundnuts”), which are legumes (seeds) that mature underground -no artificial anything, nothing that challenges the body’s detox mechanisms 
    • avoid heated and hydrogenated vegetable oils and anything you are allergic or sensitive to -cook with organic coconut oil or organic butter from grass-fed or pastured cows. -eat more sulfur-containing foods like organic, pastured, soy-free eggs (and “clean” seafood) -plenty of probiotic-rich foods (e.g. lacto-fermented veggies)/ sauerkraut and apple cider vinegar. 
  • Stay well hydrated! – with the purest water you can obtain, ideally mineralized with sea minerals,  structured and oxygenated (see Ophorawater.com), but for those who can’t afford $80 for ½ gal, good well water, or even RO filtered water, will have to do – no chlorine, no fluoride. Add lemon.
  • Clothing and bedding should be organic natural fibers whenever possible -especially avoid polyester and acrylic. 
  • Avoid PFAS (Per/Poly fluoroalkyl) chemicals wherever possible – eg. in Teflon, Scotchguard, Polartek,  GoreTex, Stainmaster, Oral-B Glide dental floss and many others – most water-proof and stain-resistant  clothing and coatings – and things you shouldn’t be using anyway like fast food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags. 
  • Cleaning supplies should be non-toxic for you and for the environment. 
  • Reduce exposure to toxic heavy metals including: mercury (dental amalgams, large ocean fish incl. tuna) aluminum (antiperspirants, toothpastes, food packaging, processed foods, cookware, antacids, vaccines), etc. – and use supplements that can detox heavy metals. (e.g. soft cell wall  Klamath Blue Green Algae – see below.) 
  • Avoid immune suppressant anti-inflammatories and antipyretics (acetaminophen, ibuprofen…) including cannabis or marijuana (which is also anti-inflammatory). 
  • Don’t use other drugs either (cocaine, morphine and all related drugs suppress the immune system too).
  • Don’t smoke anything, ever, and don’t allow smoking in the house – no 1st 2nd or 3rd-hand smoke.
  • If you are able, get into and stay in an environment where there is less air pollution. 
  • Maintain regular healthy rhythms in your life. The physiological rhythms of breathing and circulation  are at the core of our physical existence. Other Life Rhythms, the regular, repeated pattern by  which we “do life” are likewise at the foundations of health and well-being. Daily rhythms of  eating, sleeping and other regular activities promote good health. Weekly, seasonal, and yearly rhythms are also important. We do better in many ways when we keep to a regular schedule.  
  • We all need regular movement throughout the day to stay healthy and keep our immune system strong.
    • Stretch and exercise regularly, stay active, take walks in the sunshine. 
    • Start and maintain a regular stretching routine first thing each morning. 
    • Work up a sweat regularly to detox – either through exercise and/or with saunas. 
    • Remember yoga, tai chi, qigong, therapeutic eurythmy. 

Common Sense – If/When you are feeling sick:

Stay home (except when you need medical attention) and remember that you are usually most  contagious the day before you get sick and for the first 2-4 days of an illness, or until you “turn the  corner” and start to get better again. If you are feeling sick or unwell, check your temperature.  A full fever is a temperature of over 101.5ºF, however, people who tend to run low may not get that  high, especially with certain viral illnesses. If your temperature is over 99.0ºF in the AM, or over 100ºF  in the afternoon or evening, stay home until it has been “normal” (for you) for at least a full 24 hrs.  (or 72 hrs with COVID-19). 

Cough/sneeze into a tissue (and dispose of it appropriately), or into the crook of an elbow – not  your hand, and wear a mask at all times when out of the house or around other people (to protect them). 

The Bottom Line:

The worst thing we can do if/when we do get COVID-19 (or any serious illness) is to curl  up in a ball and stop trying, to give in to the fear and give up. It is always helpful and frequently  necessary to be taken care of when we are ill, but it is equally important to engage in the process  (in the work!) of getting better ourselves – with conscious will and intention, to summon the inner  forces to do what has become difficult. We have to engage the will to fight and overcome our  obstacles. We have to try!