The Coronavirus pandemic has put us on alert. I know this is affecting all of us in one way or another. My daughter Amira came home from her university in Holland and I now have her quarantined. Oh, believe me it was so hard to greet her at the airport and not hug her!
So much is happening and so fast. Just last week I flew cross country to Portland, Oregon from St. Simons Island, Georgia and I was seated next to a tattooed man wearing a face mask. I engaged him in conversation and it went like this:
Me: “How are you?”
Him: “Good” (he’s not moving his mask)
Me: “Are you traveling for work or fun?”
Him: “I have a work gig, I’m a DJ.”
Me: “Are you just back from China?” (Cut right to the point.)
Him: (uncomfortable chuckle) “Uh, no, I just have a runny nose… you know, universal precautions...”
Me: “Oh, like condoms… ah or gloves, (hehe). Nice to meet you.”
No more discussion but I gave him all the single sticks of Mighty Maca Plus I had with me. It is so good to see people taking precautions.
As surreal as it may seem, we should each proceed with caution and awareness. So I want to provide my beloved community with information and insight about the flu in general, and Coronavirus in particular – what you can do to ensure that you, your friends and family stay healthy.
I have been researching, as you have, and also reaching out to esteemed colleagues on the forefront of the epidemic so that I can bring you the most current and updated information.
Facts About the Coronavirus
It’s also possible to get it by touching something that someone has just touched who had it, then touching your eyes or face. Here is a great New York Times article on how it spreads.
The Coronavirus is highly contagious and it puts our elderly at the highest risk, specifically, older male smokers. The main national concern appears to be not just that Coronavirus has a higher death rate than the usual flu, but because many people are getting sick at the same time (high virulence), and causing a strain on our medical systems, resources, hospitals and providers and more importantly, access to care. Your best defense is prevention. Take universal precautions.
How Do I Avoid Getting Sick and Boost Immunity?
A great way to boost your immune system so you are less likely to get sick is simply by getting your body in the best possible condition. I am going to share my optimized tips with you, things you can easily do to reduce your risk of illness:
- Eat Keto-Green and more healthy low glycemic foods.
- Take MightyMaca Plus twice daily.
- Get a good night’s sleep.
- Take a walk outside every day.
- Exercise regularly.
- Optimize your Vitamin D level (Check your levels as mentioned below and get them in optimal range). The average dose for adults is 2,500 to 10,000 but for certain patients, I have recommended up to 50,000 IUs for up to four days, if you think you may be exposed to the flu or have early symptoms. (Check with your doctor before dosing this high.)
- Boost Selenium with two Brazil nuts daily (or a supplement) to get 200 mcg a day.
- Eat Zinc rich foods like oysters, meats, shellfish and nuts.
- Vitamin C (Emergen-C is fine, I stock up on Liposomal Vitamin C with R-Lipoic acid by QuickSilver Scientific).
- Use Argentyn Silver (or a colloidal silver nasal spray).
- Use Biocidin, Primal Life Organics, or similar throat spray.
- Enjoy a sauna, especially infrared sauna. Special offer: Use Dr Anna Cabeca's name to get a discount!
- Alkalinize your body and get your urine pH to 7.
- Avoid exposure.
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
- Make lots of oxytocin! Love well, laugh a lot, and guide your thoughts to a positive direction.
That is really a bullet list to get you started or optimized in a healthy direction. And what you should know is that the company we keep, the kindness we give, and the love and joy in our life, is our true measure of health. This is so important, especially now as “social distancing” is encouraged.
The battle of stress and fear and how it lowers oxytocin, our love and bonding hormone, is real, and I write about this in detail in Chapter 8 of my book The Hormone Fix, a must read for everyone. We must prepare, prevent and all the while, imagine the best.
What’s In My Medicine Cabinet?
I am frequently asked about what I keep on stock in my medicine (vitamin) cabinet. Here are some essentials I always keep handy, especially around flu season:
- Mighty Maca Plus
- Keto-Green Meal Replacement
- Pura D/K
- Pura ProbioMax
- Pura Detox Caps
- Argentyn Silver
- Biocidin
- Zinc
- Vitamin C
- Thieves Oil
- Extra’s: Oscillococcinum (homeopathic), and SAM-e
How Do I Know If I Need Vitamin D?
Do you know your Vitamin D number? Anything above 50 is excellent. Serum 25 OH Vitamin D levels are optimum at 50 to 80 ng/ml. Research shows that higher Vitamin D levels protect us. Low VItamin D levels put us at risk for getting the flu, but also at risk for having more severe complications due to a lowered immune response. For instance, upper respiratory infections or other symptoms like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and depression.
Many doctors recommend testing before beginning any vitamin/mineral regimen. You can also self test at https://www.ultalabtests.com/drannacabeca.
Once you get tested, your doctor can recommend the right supplements and dosage for you. During the winter, it’s a good idea to increase your Vitamin D levels. If you are traveling and know you’re going someplace where you might be exposed to the flu, you should also increase your Vitamin D levels.
I recommend the bioidentical form of Vitamin D3 because it will boost your immune system. The dosage for an average adult is 2,500 to 10,000 IUs per day. For children, it’s 500 to 1,000 IUs per day. I recommend it always be taken with Vitamin K as in my formula Pura D3K2. Be sure to take this vitamin with a fatty meal for better absorption.
But of course we get Vitamin D from the sun and frequent and long exposure is truly beneficial especially at this time of year.
How to know if you have the cold or flu versus the coronavirus?
Should you get the Flu Vaccine?
Coronavirus vaccine? Well, it appears that the virus has already mutated twice, so an effective vaccine in the near future is unlikely.
Flu vaccine? There are three types of flu: A, B, and C. Each year, the researchers pick 2 types of flu when developing their flu vaccine. They make a best educated guess relying on past data and research. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they don’t. When we see flu seasons where there are lots of cases, that can mean the researchers didn’t get it quite right.
We’ve had years where the flu vaccine was less than only 10-30 percent effective. Another factor that astonishes most people about the flu vaccine is if you have a frequent vaccination history, the effectiveness of the vaccine can be reduced every year quite alarmingly (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4387051/). So, the more vaccines people receive, the less effective they are. This is a personal decision, but you should know these facts.
What Should I do If I Get Sick
Of course isolate yourself and see your doctor or go to the ER if your symptoms are concerning and or have any shortness of breath.
Do all of the prevention strategies mentioned above. Hydration is critically important as well. Urine should be clear, not gold. Eat things like ice chips, popsicles (low sugar), bone broth, and chicken soup. Use onions, peppers, ginger and garlic in your soups for best effectiveness. The peppers and ginger are a natural way to clear up congestion. Avoid grains and dairy products because they do cause mucus to build up and that can make you more miserable.
Eating cheese or any dairy if you have the flu or are sick can cause the creation of additional mucous, which can heighten your discomfort. If you (or a child/loved one) have frequent ear infections, stop eating cheese, dairy and grains. These foods can cause additional mucus to build up and cause those painful ear infections. I used to have frequent ear infections and as a child had tubes surgically put in my ears five times. Once I stopped dairy it never happened again.
Use colloidal silver throat spray to help with sore throat and mucous. There are other good products at the natural health store too.
Here’s a delicious healthy soup recipe you’ll love whether you’re sick or not: https://drannacabeca.com/blogs/recipes/reset-soup-recipe
Reduce Fever
Avoid taking Tylenol on an empty stomach or while dehydrated. It can affect liver function. Avoid aspirin as well because of the risk of Reye Syndrome. Ibuprofen or Aleve is fine. A lukewarm bath can bring fever down in an emergency situation. Ice packs can also help to bring fever down.
Fevers can be useful up to a certain level. If your child’s fever is over 103 for any length of time, take them to the emergency room. A warm Epsom salts bath can help alleviate many of your symptoms and I’ve used this often.
Essential Oils
Peppermint oil and eucalyptus oil are both good for breathing difficulties and upper respiratory problems. You can put these in a diffuser or on your chest. Lavender can help you relax. Essential oils can be applied to the balls of your feet to relieve congestion. The solar plexus in the foot, which is a good pressure point, can relax your airways. This is found on the ball of your foot. Push up on the ball of your foot hard, pushing toward the big toe. This can help those with asthma as well.
Lymphatic draining
Right above your collarbone is where the lymphatics drain. Tap, tap, tap about 20 times on each collar bone and then massage the lymph nodes to boost your own immune system and help lymphatics drain. Light massage, a lot of liquid, and using a rebounder can help as well.
Worth mentioning again, I do recommend getting Keto-Green and on my Mighty Maca Plus regularly. It will help you by getting your adrenals healthy and supporting a healthy immune system. When our immune system is working and in optimal condition, our bodies can fight off many diseases.
I have Argentyn Silver intranasal spray ready to use at the first signs of illness or exposure to someone who is sick. I also put Thieves oil in my essential oil diffusers and won’t hesitate to get a vitamin injection or Myer’s Cocktail IV infusion should I need it or feel I need a booster.
Invest in Good Self-Care and Loving Interactions
When we eat right and take care of ourselves, we can avoid many of the common illnesses that go around each year like the colds and flus. Good self-care includes taking adrenal adaptogens like Mighty Maca Plus. Healthy adrenals are a good way to help fight off viruses. Remember that with any virus infection, an antibiotic will not help. Now, if you get a secondary illness while you have the flu, such as an ear infection, then you will need to get on a prescription. For early symptoms colloidal silver like Argentyn Silver and garlic oil ear drops can also be used but don't wait to see your personal physician.
Create More Oxytocin Daily
Stress and fear rob us of peace and oxytocin, the hormone of love and connection. More than ever, please focus on loving more and well and enjoying the company of those you care about, especially if they make you laugh! That will spike oxytocin. I recognize that we may have to do more of this virtually so y’all join me in my Keto Green Facebook Community too.
I pray that my family and I stay healthy and that you and yours do too.
There’s an old proverb that states: “When you have your health, you have a thousand wishes. When you don’t have health, you have but one.
We’ll get through this, together.
I’m here for you … and so happy to be your Girlfriend Doctor.
XX
Dr. Anna Cabeca
(Note that this is for informational purposes and the flu is a serious illness. Consult your medical provider for recommendations that pertain to you based on your health and medical history.)
