Health, Wellbeing & Immunity

It’s common knowledge that  zinc is great for immunity but…

If you take antacids or have other digestive issues you can’t absorb zinc and most other vital nutrients

Red meat, in particular liver. You can buy liver powder on line.

Shellfish – especially oysters, Alaskan crab, mussels & shrimp. Whole Foods often has shrimp on sale. Don’t buy farm raised seafood.

Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds, Hemp seeds sesame seeds, pine nuts, sunflower  –  Grind seeds in a coffee grinder. Our gut does not break these down well. I dry roast pine nuts in a pan to soften –  very good on salads. I also grind a combo of the above and mix together, sprinkle on greens like arugula and watercress.  I add some cut up apple or mango, with a champagne vinegar and olive oil I premix.

Chia and hemp are also high in protein.

Flax – Especially high in essential fatty acids which we need to absorb Vit D.

Sesame is very high in calcium.  All tissues need calcium – extremely important for immunity and helps break fevers. Try cooking with sesame oil or use in a dressing for salads. Keep in mind the more sugar and carbs we eat, the more calcium we lose.

Nuts – Cashews & pecans are best but very calorie dense unless you are one of the lucky ones who never gains weight.

Brasil Nuts – also high in selenium – most important mineral for thyroid.

Legumes – Lentils are really the best, chick peas have triple the carbs of lentils. Keep carbs on the low side. Also high in fiber.

Other Immunity Foods

Bone Broth – Supports WBC production

Eggs – high in Vitamin A  for mucous membranes of microbiome which is what keeps the good guys in and the bad guys out. Very important for Covid-19 – more on that later.

Butter organic grass fed – high in Vit A.

Coconut Oil – Supports WBC production + fat reduces sugar cravings. Diabetics can’t convert Carrots to vitamin A.

Cod Liver Oil – Great source of EFAs + Vit D and Vit A. The British Ministry during WW2 thought it important enough to ration and make sure that children got their share.

Whey Protein – most potent precursor to glutathione, your master antioxidant and essential for liver detox. They are not all created equal. Standard Process is the least denatured, or closest to it’s natural state than any other available and contains colostrum, super important for immune health.

Fiber – for liver and gut detox both important for immunity.  Get 30 – 40 grams of fiber daily.  White beans, navy beans, lentils, green beans, blackberries. If you can’t get enough from food, then add Standard Process Whole Food Fiber. Easy to incorporate.  2 tbs in water 2 x day = 14 grams fiber.

Contact me for pdf of fiber foods.

Stress; your brain doesn’t know the difference if it’s real or imagined. Thinking about something stressful or a real time stressful event has the same bio-chemical response – same impact on your health and immunity.

Self Care To Counter Stress

Sleep Routine

 Do your best to wake approximately  the same time daily. If you’re sleep deprived from insomnia or just extra tired, make up for it but don’t go overboard. Too much sleep can leave you groggy and foggy as well.  It’s natural to wake with sunrise or before. Go to bed same time frame as well. The best most restorative sleep is between 10 and 12 midnight. Staying up into the early morning hours is not good. It’s impotent to sync with natural circadian rhythms.  We all have our own natural biorhythms as well.  Download a good biorhythms app.

I like http://www.withwings.net/products/biorhythm

Upon waking, start with water and fresh lemon for liver, or lime for pancreas. Celtic Salt as well  restores minerals and hydrates joints & skin.

Oxygenate Your Blood – Oxygen is the enemy of all disease

Usher in the day with Breath Work – Look for yoga techniques on youtube. Wim Hof is  great at oxygenating blood. If  the time commitment is too much then abbreviate to your liking.

To quickly calm anxiety and stress, try this: 5 seconds on inhale – double count on exhale. – 10 times. Try to get up to 10 sec inhale – 20 exhale. I learned this from a Qi Gong Master with my very first exposure to Chinese Medicine. It works.

App to monitor blood oxygen: https://kenekedge.com

Try To Stay Spiritually Connected

Mediation -Consistency is key. Even for 3 minutes after breath work. 3, 6, 11, 20, 30 minutes meditations are auspicious time durations for meditation. The numbers have meaning. Don’t worry if you don’t stop thinking. That’s not the point. With practice, you will experience the gaps. There’s a ton of access on youtube. – and chopra.com , Deepak  has been a great messenger and teacher for this. I became certified as a  Primordial Sound Meditation teacher  years ago. If you want some help, call me. Video to come.

Spiritual books and teachings. I like “ The Road Less Traveled, “ by M. Scott  Peck Md.The Four Agreements and other’s in that series.  Dali Lami – “ Art Of Happiness. “ Seek and you shall find.  Do some of your own writing, journaling…

Go for a walk on one of the beach paths. Get out in nature. If that bores you then listen to a podcast or music which is great therapy.  It’s the beat of music that resonates with our own heart beat. That’s why music is timeless and uplifts.

Youtube – work outs – it feels good to build muscle strength and helps build confidence. Jump Rope is great cardio !  Yoga, Tai Chi. Qi Gong – all of the above create physical, mental and spiritual boundaries which keeps the toxic invaders out and the good stuff in.

Nutrition for Stress

Don’t skip breakfast ! If you have hypoglycemic tendencies, I suggest a little something before you exercise. Anytime you each for sweets, carbs, salty, or have a sudden energy drop, then you are likely hypoglycemic. It’s not about willpower. You reach for the sweets because your  body knows the quickest source of energy. It feels like an addiction.  It’s really not a choice.

Eat a substantial breakfast.

You metabolism is most efficient in the morning especially after exercise and will keep you satiated longer. In Chinese Medicine we have the Chinese Clock where eat organ system occupies a time of day. From 5 am to 9 am is digestion. Best time to eat and eat well.

Keep blood sugars stable throughout the day. This helps anchor and calm stress hormones. Eat breakfast, lunch dinner that  includes protein, veggies and a fat. 2x as many veggies as fruit. Simple sugars lower immunity by 50% or more for 30 minutes after ingesting ! This is a good time to have your main meal for lunch and lighter for dinner, since most of us are not working or working from home.

Water is super important for immunity. Water is what carries all your nutrients throughout your body. One half your body weight in oz is recommended intake.  If you weigh 150 then 75 oz daily.  Drink mineral water only.  The best is mineral water from a glass bottle. Mountain Valley is the best, but it’s good to drink different brands because minerals sources are different and give your body variety.  If you can’t do this, then at least get a good water filter for your tap.

Aquasana is a 3 stage that  does the trick. The change in taste is amazing. If you don’t know anyone who can install it, I do. Link Here

There are times when we extra help to manage stress and restful sleep – both functions of the endocrine system. If  you experience anxiety, difficulty sleeping or even positional vertigo, adrenal insufficiency due to stress and nutrition  is likely a contributing  factor….

Stress and Sleep Support

Kava Forte – Superior quality water extracted. Calms nerves, promotes relaxation and sleep. Product Details

Valerian Complex – Promotes relaxation, sleep, and healthy nervous system. Product Details

Ashwaganda Complex –  Supports adrenal exhaustion. Strengthens nervous system and body’s ability to adapt to stress. Product Details

I can formulate a custom herbal  tincture for stress and sleep to add extra strength to those who need it.

Adrenal Tonic – Adrenals are the foundation of stress management. These multi tasker glands will trigger a cascade of other disorders as a result of adrenal stress demands. Product Details

Min-Tran, Min-Rex & Orchex are mineral tranquilizes for stress and sleep. Which one depends on severity of issue.   

Scattered Mind & Mental Confusion – I use a combination of 3 Standard Process supplements to help clear the mind of clutter and restore ability  to concentrate.

Contact me for a customized protocol to meet your individual needs…

Phone: 305.981.7958 and Email: clarkacupuncture@me.com

Quality Matters – otherwise it’s a waste

Standard Process, founded in 1929 uses 80% whole food ingredients grown on their 623 acre certified organic farm in Wisconsin.  Why whole food supplements ? OTC Vitamin C is pure ascorbic acid, and only a synthesized part of the vitamin C complex. Your natural whole body physiology wants and expects the entire natural Vitamin C complex. We function best on unadulterated, toxic free whole food. Up until the mid 1900s that’s what we got before an industry was born on the presumption of improving on nature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exmshnuOCN4 

 Medi-Herb, their herbal line, is imported from Australia where they have to adhere to as strict compliance guidelines as pharmaceuticals do here. When they say they have 100 mg of the most therapeutic variety of Echinacea root, it’s verified through their rigorous inspection process.  They are the best at getting the best. The head of Medi-Herb, Kerry Bone is recognized as one of the top herbalists on the planet. Video

Immune Support

This has been Standard Process’s forte for 90 years and there are many combinations of protocols that can be tailored to your needs.    

 1) You need ionized calcium in your tissues, including the nose, lungs, and respiratory tract. The best source of ionized calcium is in a form known as Calcium Lactate.

 2) Once you have the right kind of calcium, your body needs help getting it to the right places in the body. There are two essential ways to do this: 

 a) Take the right kind of essential fatty acids to move calcium from the bloodstream into the tissues (lungs, nasal passages, muscles, heart, liver, etc…). This is where calcium can do its best work mobilizing white cells to destroy any incoming virus. I recommend Cataplex F

 b)  Another source of EFAs to move calcium to the tissues is Cod Liver Oil. With this you also get Vitamin A  & D. Because vitamin D levels depend on the ability to absorb fats, I don’t normally recommend Vitamin D unless it’s under 20. With Covid, I make an exception. Cataplex D, is also a food source  option for the short term. Long term, best to fix the absorption issue.

 3) Once the calcium has destroyed the virus, we need a few other nutrients to oxidize it and make it go away for good. I recommend Cataplex C or A-C , or ACP.

 4) Zinc Liver Chelate: Thymus needs zinc. Deficiency is common in diabete, pre-diabetes and liver dysfunction.  As of 2015, CDC reports 115 million Americans either diabetic, or pre-diabetic.    

5) We never want to forget about including Echinacea as the best way to boost and up-regulate the immune system but beware….not all echinacea products are alike. Echinacea Premium from MediHerb, founder Kerry Bone’s flagship product. The study link below shows a dramatic disparity of active ingredient with 9 other echinacea products.  Video – The Benefits Of Echinacea Premium and  Product link

6) And if you are really concerned or at a higher risk, I would suggest adding the following two supplements:

        a) Thymex – Antibody production &  helps the thymus gland make more killer T cells

        b) Immuplex – literally a multivitamin for your immune system to ally against viral and bacterial threats plus it’s a great multi for thyroid dysfunction. Study link

7) All Purpose: Congaplex is a combination of most of the above.  Can be taken for prevention and intervention. Study link

8)  Epimune: Vegan Immune support Multi. Study link

Herbal Throat Spray – Supports lymphatics and immune system & maintains healthy mucosal tissue in the upper respiratory tract. Throat and sinus are where the Covid-19 enters. Link

Intervention

Hit it hard and often

If You Are Positive or with the first signs of illness:

Andrographis Complex – includes Echinacea & Holy Basil – A formula that especially targets upper respiratory illness. Product Detail Sheet

Some viruses including COVID-19 have an envelope around them that prevents the immune system from targeting and destroying it. Certain herbs can help break down and dissolve this envelope, allowing your immune system (and the calcium) to target, attack, and destroy. I recommend Viranon, which is a combination of St. John’s Wort and Thuja for this.